The palace had been the home of 14 kings of Joseon Dynasty until it was totally destroyed by the Japanese army in the year 1592. After the Japanese were driven back by the combined forces of Korea and China, Changdeokgung was rebuilt in 1612. After the reconstruction, the palace had suffered little damage and became the primary royal court of the Joseon Dynasty. This was because Gyeongbokgung was also destroyed by the Japanese but the Joseon Dynasty did not rebuild it for some reason and the Changdeokgung became the biggest palace in Korea.