▲ This photo, provided by the National Palace Museum of Korea, shows "Sunjong Eocha (Royal vehicle of Emperor Sunjong)." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

▲ This photo, provided by the National Palace Museum of Korea, shows "Sunjeong Eocha (Royal vehicle of Emperor Sunjeong)." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

 

SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- What would the car of Sunjong (1874-1926), the second emperor of the Korean Empire and the last king of the Joseon Dynasty, and his wife, Empress Sunjeong (1894∼1966) look like?

The National Palace Museum of Korea announced on the 2nd that it has selected "Sunjong Eocha (Royal vehicle of Emperor Sunjong)" and "Sunjeong Eocha (Royal vehicle of Empress Sunjeong)," which are designated as the Cultural Heritage of early modern times of South Korea, as curator's choice from the royal treasures of May.

"Eocha" means the car used by the King. It is known that the Emperor Sunjong's car was a Cadillac limousine manufactured by General Motors of the United States in 1918, and the car of Empress Sunjeong was made in 1914 by Daimler of England.

The car of Emperor Sunjong is 210cm high and 478.8cm long, while the car of Empress Sunjeong is 179.2cm high and 444.4cm long.

Both cars are large limousine vehicles with 7 seats, and the wooden carriage-shape shows the appearance of an early car. The exterior was finished with lacquer, and the car door and the interior of the car was decorated with plum flowers, a symbol of the Joseon royal family.

The vehicles were stored for a long time in the Eochago (garage for the royal cars) of the Changdeokgung Palace, and over time, they deteriorated with some parts disappearing. The repair and restoration work was carried out for five years from 1997 with the sponsorship of Hyundai Motor Company, and in 2005, it was exhibited in the National Palace Museum of Korea.

"The two cars, which were intensively equipped with automobile technology at the time, are modern materials that show the living culture of the royal family of the Korean Empire, and are also important relics in the history of automobile development."

The cars are displayed in front of the Korean Empire room, and commentary videos of these cars are available on the website of the National Palace Museum of Korea.

 

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Haemin Kim.)

 

 

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