This building looks different than traditional Korean architecture. It is called ‘Jibokjae.’ Jibokjae means ‘place for accumulating treasure.’ Then it means that it is the treasure store of the Joseon royal family—what kinds of treasure do you think is stored here? This may be disappointing, but the treasure is actually books, which some value beyond precious metals and stones. King Gojong dreamed of building a strong and prosperous country and put a lot of effort into learning about the developments of advanced nations. He gathered over 40,000 books about Western science and machine technology. Thus this place came to be called the Royal Library. The books are currently housed at Seoul National University. In addition to its function as a library, Jibokjae was where King Gojong received American and Japanese ambassadors and Austrian emissaries. At that time, these meetings were significant because the Donghak movement was spreading like wildfire throughout Joseon, while on the international scene the Sino-Japanese War was looming. Meetings that discussed the future of Joseon were probably held here.