Jongmyo to host reenactment of royal rite featuring Queen Inwon

▲ The reenactment of the "Myohyeonrye," a royal rite conducted in 1703 by Queen Inwon, the third consort of King Sukjong, held in 2025. Photo courtesy of the Korea Heritage Service’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center.

SEOUL, April 13 (Yonhap) -- A cultural event showcasing a state rite involving royal women of the Joseon Dynasty will be held at Jongmyo shrine later this month, officials said Monday.

The Korea Heritage Service’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Heritage Agency said they will stage a creative musical performance, "Myohyeon, The Queen’s Record," at Yeongnyeongjeon Hall in Jongmyo for three days from April 25 to 27.

The performance reenacts the "Myohyeonrye," a royal rite conducted in 1703 by Queen Inwon, the third consort of King Sukjong.

▲ This photo of Yeongnyeongjeon Hall in Jongmyo in Seoul is provided by the Korea Heritage Service’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

The rite refers to a ceremony in which a newly married queen or crown princess paid respects at Jongmyo, where the spirit tablets of past kings and queens are enshrined. It is the only state ritual at Jongmyo in which royal women took part, offering a glimpse into their lives and status.

Following a partial reenactment of the ritual, the performance also tells the poignant story of Kim Ju-sin, father of the queen, who could no longer treat his daughter as before after she ascended to the throne.

Each performance is limited to 350 attendees, with reservations available via Ticketlink starting at 2 p.m. on April 14. Admission to the performance is free, but visitors must pay a separate entrance fee to Jongmyo. Smart glasses will be available for hearing-impaired and foreign audiences.

At Yeongnyeongjeon’s auxiliary building, visitors can also take part in a hands-on program allowing them to wear traditional ceremonial attire and take commemorative photos as a crown prince or crown princess.

The heritage authorities will host a series of events at Jongmyo from April 25 to May 3 ahead of the Jongmyo Jerye, the most formal ancestral rite of the Joseon royal court.

▲ This poster provided by the Korea Heritage Service’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center promotes the reenactment of the "Myohyeonrye," a royal rite conducted in 1703 by Queen Inwon, the third consort of King Sukjong, to be held April 26-27, 2026. Photo courtesy of . (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

From April 28 to 30, a nighttime performance will highlight the grandeur of Jongmyo Jeryeak, the ritual music inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2001.

On May 3, the day of the Jongmyo Jerye, a large outdoor screen will be set up at Heungnyemun Square of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the ceremony will be livestreamed via the Korea Heritage Service’s official YouTube channel.

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