Samneung Park houses several tomb mounds, those green hillocks signifying the tomb of a person of high power or position. Seolleung is the royal mausoleum for Seongjong, the 9th king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and his queen, Jeonghyeon. The queen and king are buried in separate mounds in the same yard. While the tombs were dug up by Japanese soldiers during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, they have been restored to their former glory.
Jeongneung is the burial ground for King Jungjong, the 2nd son of Seongjong. Jungjong established political reform, rectifying the wrongs of the previous administration. Jungjong also practiced Hyangyak, a method of self-government in the districts, which still applies to modern Korean governance today. Although the Park is in near proximity to the urban rush of downtown Seoul, the Park and surrounding forest offer a peaceful retreat from all the chaos.
