A unique cultural spectacle will unfold around Gyeonggijeon in Jeonju on Sunday.
Jeonju, the ancestral home of the Joseon dynasty in North Jeolla Province, will host a reenactment of the royal enshrinement ceremony in which the portrait of Taejo Yi Seonggye — housed at Gyeonggijeon, National Historic Site No. 339 — was transported to Seoul to be copied and then returned to its shrine.
Organized by Jeonju City and run by the Jeonju branch of the North Jeolla People's Arts and Culture Federation, the "2026 Joseon Dynasty Taejo Royal Portrait Enshrinement Ceremony Reenactment" will take place Sunday at 2 p.m. across Nosong Plaza in front of Jeonju City Hall, Paldalro and Gyeonggijeon.
The event recreates a historical ritual from 1688, the 14th year of King Sukjong's reign, when the royal portrait enshrined at Gyeonggijeon was transported to Hanyang — present-day Seoul — to be newly copied and then returned to the shrine.
A royal portrait, known as "eojin," was regarded not merely as a likeness of the king but as the king himself, and both its creation and enshrinement were carried out according to strict ceremonial protocols.
Of the 26 portraits of Taejo Yi Seonggye believed to have been produced, only one survives today, held at the Eojin Museum within Gyeonggijeon. It was designated a National Treasure in 2012.
The reenactment will proceed in sequence: a departure ritual, an enshrinement procession, a main hall enshrinement and a closing enshrinement offering ceremony.
At 2 p.m., a departure ritual will be held at Jujeongso — a traditional rest stop for royal processions — in Nosong Plaza in front of City Hall, signaling the start of the procession. A column of about 300 participants will then make its way along Paldalro to Gyeonggijeon.
Leading the procession will be a figure representing the Jeolla provincial governor, who escorted the portrait, lending the event the solemnity and grandeur of traditional royal ceremony.
When the procession reaches Chunggyeongno Intersection and Pungnamun Intersection, photo opportunities will be arranged for residents and tourists to observe the procession up close and take commemorative pictures.
Upon arriving at Gyeonggijeon, a main hall enshrinement ritual will be conducted from the main gate to the central hall. The event will conclude with a closing offering ceremony marking the completion of the portrait's enshrinement.
This year, members of Jeonju City's lifestyle arts and culture clubs will join the procession as a citizen participation group. Participants will dress in traditional attire and carry hand flags as they march.
"The Joseon Dynasty Taejo Royal Portrait Enshrinement Ceremony Reenactment is held every year to promote the historical identity and cultural value of Jeonju as the birthplace of the Joseon dynasty," a city official said, adding that traffic controls would be in place on the day of the event to ensure smooth operations and public safety.
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