Hamhung Royal Villa, Royal palace in Hamhung, North Korea

The Hamhung Royal Villa is a royal palace in Hamhung composed of five separate building sections that display traditional Korean architecture with detailed external ornaments. The complex preserves the original layout and structural elements from its period of construction.

Yi Seong-gye lived here before he moved the Goryeo capital from Kaesong to Hanyang and founded Joseon in 1392. His sons Yi Bang-gwa (born 1357, later Jeongjong) and Yi Bang-won (born 1367, later Taejong) were born at the site. After abdicating in 1398, Taejo rebuilt the residence on his ancestors' land; it was later used as a shrine for four generations of his family.

The Korean proverb Hamheungchasa (함흥차사) comes from this villa: Taejo refused to receive envoys sent by his son Taejong, killing or jailing them, so the phrase now means someone sent on an errand who never returns. After Taejo's death the villa became a shrine where rites were held for his ancestors over four generations.

The site can only be visited as part of organized guided tours led by authorized staff. Photography is permitted in some areas of the grounds while other sections are restricted for preservation reasons.

The villa's relics were moved to the Hamhung History Museum, which now occupies the site; two Silla boundary steles of King Jinheung and the Changui stele are displayed there. The garden holds old trees, and a pond with a small island lies before the Pungpae Pavilion.