All Forty Joseon Royal Tombs to Open... Seosamneung Hyoreung to Open Next Month

The Only Royal Tomb Previously Unreleased
Access Path Established to Resolve Traffic Issues

Hyo-reung (孝陵) in Seosamneung, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, which has been restricted for public viewing and access, will be opened on the 8th of next month. It is the tomb of Injong, the 12th king of the Joseon Dynasty (reigned 1544?1545), and Queen Inseong. It is located within Seosamneung along with Hee-reung (禧陵) of Queen Jang-gyeong and Ye-reung (睿陵) of King Cheoljong (reigned 1849?1863) and Queen Cheorin.

Unlike the other two tombs, Hyo-reung was classified as a restricted area for a while. This was because the access route passed through the Dairy Improvement Office, which supplies dairy cattle semen to domestic farms. Due to the nature of its operations, access and approach by outsiders were restricted. Entry was only allowed for necessary purposes such as cultural heritage repair, management, and academic research. It was the only royal tomb among the forty Joseon royal tombs registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site that remained unopened to the public.

The Cultural Heritage Administration resolved the access issue by creating a viewing path from the Tae-sil (胎室, a stone chamber where the placenta and umbilical cord are buried when a royal baby is born) within Seosamneung directly to Hyo-reung, bypassing the Dairy Improvement Office. An official explained, "After discussions with related organizations, we were entrusted with the management of some land and completed the maintenance of the viewing path," adding, "No separate quarantine procedures will be necessary anymore." They also said, "Visitors can view the site three times a day, with thirty people per session through advance reservations."

The Cultural Heritage Administration has been gradually opening royal tombs that were previously closed since the Joseon royal tombs were registered as a World Heritage site in 2009. The commemorative event marking the completion of this process will be held on the 7th of next month, one day before the opening.

Injong was the Joseon king with the shortest reign. He was born to King Jungjong and his first queen consort, Queen Jang-gyeong, and ascended the throne in 1544 but passed away after nine months. Hyo-reung is a twin tomb where the burial mounds of the king and queen are constructed side by side on the same hill. When viewed from in front of the Jeongjagak (pavilion), the left mound is Injong’s, and the right is Queen Inseong’s tomb.