Royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are the burial grounds of the Joseon kings and their queen consorts. Royal tombs were treated as sacred ground, as they are the resting place of the deceased Kings and Queens, who under Confucian ruling ideology, were transcendental beings with absolute authority and dignity.

Royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are the sites where both tangible and intangible components including architecture, landscape, monuments, systems, and rituals during 500 years of the Dynasty, are in harmony. To this day, the royal tombs of 27 generations of Joseon kings and their consorts constructed during the Joseon Dynasty still remain mostly intact. This has allowed us to observe the historical transitions, which is such a unique case, that it is almost unprecedented in the world. In 2009, the royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty were registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and their historical and cultural significance are now being recognized worldwide as important to Korea's cultural heritage.