Geonchunmun is the east gate of Gyeongbokgung. It means ‘the gate where spring begins.’ People who used this gate were the crown prince, the royal family, and the royal family in-laws. In February 1896, the last king of Joseon, King Gojong, escaped the palace through this gate. It was five months after his wife Queen Myeongseong had been assassinated. He escaped to the Russian legation on a palanquin that was used by court ladies. King Gojong never returned to Gyeongbokgung.