 The Palace where
the King lived was an area restricted to ordinary people, so it
was called "Geumgung" (the Restricted Palace) or "Geumnae"
(the Restricted Inside). The soldiers who guarded this prohibited
area and escorted His Majesty, the King, were named "Geumgun"
(the Restriction Guards).
There was an Office of Restriction
Guards in the central palace, which took charge of protecting the
King's residence. The chief of this office had the 12th rank in
the government official system. In the Joseon Dynasty, the chief,
along with the guards, was involved in three types of ceremonies
: the ceremony of opening and closing the main gate of the palace,
guarding the palace and patrolling.
The newly reorganized
event combines these three ceremonies into one and has been renamed
the Royal Guards Changing Ceremony.
 Procedure
of Changing Guards Ceremony
--- Guarding the Palace
The rite of Guarding
the Palace Gate begins when an official of the Palace Secretariat
hands down the password to the Chief of Guards. Two people are needed
in this opening procedure, which lasts for one minute. Then the
Chief lines up 13 guards in front of Daehanmun and they guard the
gate for twenty minutes.
--- Marching & Changing
of Guards
An official of the
guards stands by for one minute with a box of keys. When the Chief
and the reliefs arrive at the gate, the officials of both parties
confirm each other's password. Upon the first drum beat, the Official
of the Guards delivers the key box to the other party. Upon the
second drum beat, the Chief of the Guards exchanges salutes with
the Chief of Reliefs. Following the procedure to confirm the shift
order, a guard beats the drum for the third time, and the reliefs
change positions with the outgoing guards. The Chief of Outgoing
Guards turns over the panel of chief to the leader of the incoming
guards and the two exchange salutes with each other before the former
leaves the gate with his troops.
--- Behaviors
of Palace Guards
1. Marching Style : There is no great difference between today's military
and the Joseon Dynasty military. The soldiers of the Joseon period,
however, moved their feet naturally in a V-letter form with shoulder-wide
strides, without bending their knees.
2. Marching Signals : According to historical records, in the Joseon period
there were three types of marching signals: sound signals, flag
signals, and drum or gong signals.
A soldier
in traditional uniform
 
(1) Hwando: A
sword about 90cm long.
(2) Tungchae: A leather
whip which was used as a baton to lead soldiers.
(3) Tonggae: A quiver which
contains a bow and arrows
(4) Hyopto: A knife with
a long handle which was worn on one's side.
(5) Yonggi: A flag which
reveals the soldier as a gatekeeper.
(6) Yonggo: A small drum
for various signals during a march.
(7) Nagak: A trumpet shell
used at military ceremonies.
(8) Omgo: A large drum
used to signal the progress of military ceremonies.
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