This book details the funerary procession of Empress Myeongseong (1851-1895), the consort of Emperor Gojong (r. 1863-1907). After the assassination of the Empress by Japanese agents on August 20, 1895, at Gonnyeonghap Hall in Geoncheonggung inside Gyeongbokgung Palace (known as the Eulmi Incident), the government established the Three Supervisory Councils (Samdogam) to manage the state funeral for her.
All the preparations and procedures of the state funeral, from the date of her demise through October 28, 1897, when her spirit tablet was enshrined in Gyeonghyojeon Hall of Gyeongungung Palace (present-day Deoksugung Palace), were thoroughly recorded in this book.
This protocol also states that the State Funeral Council ceased to proceed with the funeral on January 27, 1896 and resumed it on December 7 in the same year: it is very likely that an array of unstable political situations including Emperor Gojong’s fleeing for refuge to the Russian legation made it difficult for the funeral to be conducted.
* All dates are recorded in the lunar calendar.