This paper explores the reason why King Injo ascended the throne in Gyeongun Palaceand its political meaning. King Injo who was Prince Neungyang (綾陽君) occupied the Changdeok Palace(昌德宮) to seize the political power by military coup, and tried to perform the ceremony of accession to the throne Changdeok Palace which was rebuilt in King Gwanghae(光海君) reign. The rite of accession to the throne was very important to Prince Neungyang, because he had to achieve legitimacy of Joseon Dynasty as a new King. When Prince Neungyang occupied Changdeok Palace, he had to consider Queen Mother Inmok(仁穆大妃) who was expelled by King Gwanghae as the bestowment of legitimacy of ]oseon Dynasty. But at last Prince Neungyang went to Gyeongun Palace to perform the ceremony of receiving the national treasure to symbolizing Joseon Dynasty from the Queen Mother Inmok who was in Gyeongun Palace. Why did Prince Neungyang held the ceremony to accession to the throne in Gyeongun Palace?
Queen Mother Inmok think that Prince Neungyang perform the ceremony of the accession in Gyeongun Palace which King SeonJo(宣祖) administered the affairs of state and was dead. It means that Prince Neungyang’s legitimacy have to be bestowed by her who represent the legitimacy of King Seonjo.
During the military coup, Queen Mother Inmok took the leading role to let Prince Neungyang perform the ceremony to accession to the throne in Gyeongun Palace instead of Changdeok Palace.
But King Injo who led the military coup and took the seals of state(國寶) realized that he already became King of Joseon Dynasty. Before the accession ceremony, he ordered ministers to come Changdeok Palace as the Myungpae (命牌) and issue the state of accession. The Kings who succeed King Injo considered him as a restorer of Joseon Dynasty. The records that King Injo’s birth reveals mysterious phenoma such as ‘red dragon’, ‘the face that looks like Han Gaozu(漢高祖)’ means that King Injo equal to the founders of dynasties. This records symbolized the meaning of restoring Joseon Dynaty, and related to the identity of Injo’s regime. King Hyojong(孝宗) who succeeded King Injo as a son ordered the posthumous name of King Injo as a founder(祖).
Nowadays, Gyeongun Palace is called Deoksu Palace. King Yongjo(英祖) named a building in the Deoksu Palace as Zeukjodang(卽?堂) which King Injo performed the ceremony of accession to the throne. Zeukjodang is a monumental building which contains the historical meaning of King Injo’s accession to the throne.