History
Seoul History Series · Part 2 of 7
How Seoul Became the Capital of Korea
In 1394, two men made a decision that shaped the next 600 years. Here’s who they were, why they chose this land, and what they built.
A Note Before We Begin
Who Chose Seoul — and Why
In 1392, the Goryeo Dynasty collapsed. A new kingdom — Joseon — began. And immediately, its founders faced one question: where should the capital be?
They could have kept Goryeo’s capital, Gaeseong — present-day Kaesong, now in North Korea — and saved everyone the trouble. They didn’t. A new dynasty needed a new capital. The decision they made in 1394 is why Seoul exists the way it does today.
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Two Men Behind the Decision — Lee Seonggye and Jeong Dojeon
To understand Joseon’s founding and the move of the capital, you need to know two people.
The King
Lee Seonggye
1335–1408 · Reigned 1392–1398. Goryeo’s greatest military commander. Seized power through the Wihwado Retreat (1388) and founded Joseon in 1392. Given the posthumous title Taejo — First Ancestor — meaning the founding king of a dynasty.
The Architect
Jeong Dojeon
1342–1398. Joseon’s chief strategist and city planner. Chose the capital’s location, designed the urban layout, and personally named the palace and its major halls. He drew the blueprint for what Joseon would become.
When Lee Seonggye asked “where do we put the capital?”, Jeong Dojeon gave the answer: Hanyang — present-day Seoul.
What Is Gaeseong — and Where Is It Now?
Gaeseong, also called Gaegyeong, was the capital of the Goryeo Dynasty for nearly 500 years. It sits roughly 60km northwest of Seoul. Before the Korean War, it was administered as part of South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province. After the war, it fell on the North Korean side of the armistice line — and has remained there ever since. Today it is one of North Korea’s major cities. South Koreans cannot visit.
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Why Hanyang? — Three Reasons
Reason One
Pungsu-jiri
Korea’s traditional method of evaluating terrain and location. Joseon treated pungsu-jiri not as superstition but as a principle of statecraft — a systematic way of reading how mountains, water, and wind flow through a landscape to determine whether a site is suitable for governance. Hanyang was close to perfect by its standards: mountains to the north, a river to the south, and hills forming a natural enclosure on the east and west — the ideal arrangement for a capital city.
Reason Two
Geographic Center of the Peninsula
Hanyang sits near the middle of the Korean peninsula — roughly equal distance from the northern frontier and the southern coast. For a dynasty trying to govern the entire peninsula, it was the most logical administrative position.
Reason Three
The Han River — Domestic Logistics and China Trade
The Han River was Joseon’s primary logistics artery. Domestically, tax grain and goods from across the country were transported by boat to the capital. Internationally, the river connected to the Yellow Sea, enabling trade with Ming Dynasty China — Joseon’s most important diplomatic partner. Control of the Han River meant control of Korea’s economic bloodstream.
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The Road to the Decision — It Wasn’t Straightforward
The capital relocation looked obvious in hindsight. At the time, it almost didn’t happen at all.
Capital Kept Temporary
Joseon founded. Gaeseong kept as temporary capital while the new dynasty stabilizes. The old Goryeo capital — now in North Korea — remains in use.
Gyeryongsan Considered
Taejo Lee Seonggye considers Gyeryongsan, in present-day South Chungcheong Province, as the new capital. Construction actually begins. Jeong Dojeon objects strongly — too far south, unsuitable for governing the whole peninsula. Work stops. Seoul almost wasn’t Seoul — the capital nearly ended up 140km further south.
The Mountain Debate
Buddhist monk Muhak argues for Inwangsan as the primary mountain, the main northern backdrop, of the new capital. Jeong Dojeon disagrees — Bugaksan must be the primary mountain. Jeong Dojeon’s position wins. Even Hanyang’s internal layout was contested before a stone was laid.
Hanyang Declared Capital
Taejo Lee Seonggye officially declares Hanyang as the new capital of Joseon. The decision is final — the moment that made Seoul, Seoul.
Gyeongbokgung Completed
Gyeongbokgung Palace completed. Jeong Dojeon personally names the palace and its major ceremonial halls.
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Jeong Dojeon’s City — The Blueprint of Joseon’s Capital
Jeong Dojeon didn’t just pick a location. He designed the entire city. Confucian principles — the philosophical foundation of Joseon — were embedded into the urban structure itself.
The Layout of Hanyang — as Jeong Dojeon Designed It
The Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace
The king’s primary residence. Built with Bugaksan directly behind and facing south — the ideal pungsu-jiri orientation. The name means “great blessings” — chosen by Jeong Dojeon himself.
The Shrine
Jongmyo Shrine
East of the palace. The shrine where the royal ancestral tablets were kept and ceremonies held. UNESCO World Heritage Site — one of Korea’s 16 total UNESCO designations. Still standing today, next to Changdeokgung Palace.
The Altar
Sajikdan Altar
West of the palace. The ceremonial altar for the gods of land and grain. Placement followed the Confucian principle: shrine to the east, altar to the west.
The Boulevard
Yukjo Street
The grand boulevard running directly in front of Gyeongbokgung’s main gate. Six major government ministries — Personnel, Finance, Rites, War, Justice, and Public Works — lined both sides of this street. This is the exact site of today’s Gwanghwamun Square and Sejong-daero.
The main gate of Gyeongbokgung is Gwanghwamun — meaning “the great virtue of the king illuminates the entire nation.” This is the same square where BTS held their comeback concert in March 2026. Six hundred years of history converge at one address.
Jeong Dojeon designed the city and died before seeing it take hold. But the city he designed outlasted everything — including the people who tried to abandon it.
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The Capital Almost Moved Back — The Princes’ Rebellions
Even after the capital was established, it was nearly abandoned.
First Princes’ Rebellion (1398) — Lee Seonggye’s sons fought violently over succession. Jeong Dojeon was killed in the conflict. The king’s fifth son, Lee Bangwon, seized power. Taejo Lee Seonggye — shattered by what his family had become — abdicated and left for his home region of Hamheung.
Second Princes’ Rebellion (1400) — Lee Bangwon suppressed a further challenge from another brother and moved the capital back to Gaeseong temporarily, distancing himself from the bloodshed at Gyeongbokgung. He became the third king of Joseon with the posthumous title Taejong — meaning “Great Ancestor.” He was Lee Seonggye’s fifth son by his first wife.
1405 — Taejong moves the capital back to Hanyang. Not to Gyeongbokgung, where the killings had taken place, but to a new palace he built to the east: Changdeokgung. From this point forward, Joseon’s capital remained in Hanyang until the dynasty ended in 1910 — over 500 years.
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What Travelers Can See Today
Every place mentioned in this post still exists. You can walk through this history.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Joseon’s first palace. Designed and named by Jeong Dojeon. Subway Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station. A changing of the royal guard ceremony takes place daily at the main gate. The palace grounds are vast — allow at least two hours. The National Folk Museum of Korea is inside the grounds and free with palace admission.
Gwanghwamun Square
The site of Joseon’s Yukjo Street — the six-ministry boulevard — for 600 years. Statues of King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin stand here today. It’s where BTS held their 2026 comeback concert. Seoul’s most historically loaded public space, where the ancient and the contemporary collide most visibly.
Jongmyo Shrine
Adjacent to Changdeokgung Palace. The royal ancestral shrine where Joseon kings and queens are enshrined. UNESCO World Heritage Site. The space is austere and overwhelming in its stillness. On days when the royal ancestral rite is performed, the atmosphere is unlike anywhere else in Seoul.
Inwangsan & Bugaksan Trails
The two mountains at the center of Jeong Dojeon and Muhak’s argument about the capital’s orientation. Both are accessible on foot from central Seoul. The city wall trail runs along their ridgelines. From the top, the full geography of Joseon’s capital design becomes visible — the palace below, the river beyond, the mountains surrounding everything.
Changdeokgung Palace
The palace Taejong built after refusing to return to Gyeongbokgung. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Where most Joseon kings actually lived and governed — more intimate than Gyeongbokgung, built to follow the natural terrain of the hillside. The Secret Garden at the rear is one of Seoul’s most beautiful spaces. Guided tours required for the garden; book in advance.
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If You Want to Go Deeper — Related K-Content
The story of Joseon’s founding — Lee Seonggye, Jeong Dojeon, the power struggles, the palace intrigues — has inspired some of Korea’s most acclaimed historical dramas. All of them are set in the world this post covers.
Jeong Dojeon
A 50-episode epic covering the full story of Joseon’s founding — from the fall of Goryeo through the construction of Hanyang. The most historically detailed dramatization of everything in this post: Lee Seonggye, Jeong Dojeon, the capital relocation, the Princes’ Rebellions. Considered one of the finest Korean historical dramas ever made. Dense and slow by modern standards — but deeply rewarding.
Where to watch: KBS World YouTube (English subtitles).
Six Flying Dragons
A prequel of sorts to Jeong Dojeon — covering the same era but centering on Yi Bangwon, later Taejong, and six characters who shaped Joseon’s birth. Fast-paced, character-driven, and accessible for international audiences. A good entry point if the 50-episode Jeong Dojeon feels like too much commitment.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Kingdom
Not historically accurate — but set in Joseon and one of the best-produced Korean dramas ever made. A political thriller and zombie horror series following a crown prince fighting both a plague and a court conspiracy in a fictional version of Joseon. The palace settings, court hierarchy, and class dynamics are deeply rooted in the real Joseon system covered in this post.
Where to watch: Netflix — 2 seasons + 1 special episode (Ashin of the North).
A Note on Historical Accuracy
All three dramas take creative liberties with historical events. Jeong Dojeon is the most historically grounded. Six Flying Dragons and Kingdom prioritize character drama over strict accuracy. Treat them as a way to feel the era — not as a substitute for the history itself.
Up Next in the Series
Part 3 — The Fortress City: Seoul’s Four Great Gates
Once the capital was chosen, they built walls around it. An 18km city wall. Four great gates. The structure that defined where Joseon’s Seoul began and ended — and what survives today.