The conditions of the Jeongneung Royal Tomb are definitely less than regal, and to understand the reason behind this, you have to delve a little deeper into South Korean history. In the tomb lies the second wife of the Joseon Dynasty’s founder, Queen Consort Sindoek. She wished for one of her sons to ascend to the throne, a succession that usually goes to the son of the first wife.

Ambitious as she was, the eventual successor, King Taejong, murdered all her sons and detested Queen Sindoek. As such, he ordered that no one maintain her tomb after her passing, which explains its unkempt appearance. Even the path constructed from the red gate to the sacrificial building is crooked, when that of other royal tombs are straight. See for yourself the consequences of power struggles from the past by stopping by the Jeongneung Royal Tomb in Seoul.