This study examines how the image of Seoul as the national capital, established during the early Joseon Dynasty, transformed following periods of war. Additionally, it analyzes Eight Scenic Poems created in the 17th century to explore how the symbolic identity of Seoul, which was lost due to conflicts, was restored. The analysis focuses on two main approaches to understanding the changes in Seoul’s image and the methods of its restoration. First, by comparing and analyzing works that depict Seoul’s landscape from the early Joseon period and after the wars, the study reveals how the city’s national capital image was diminished. Jeong Do-jeon, the architect of the early Joseon capital, imbued Seoul with the ideal image of a capital city. Through his Eight Scenic Poems of the New Capital, he portrayed Seoul as a space of prosperity and stability, encircled by mountains and rivers suitable for defending against external threats. However, this image underwent significant changes after the wars. Those who experienced the conflicts came to believe that Mount Bukhan and the Han River had failed to protect Seoul, leading to a perception that the city was no longer a suitable location for the capital. Second, this study analyzes how the sacredness and symbolic identity of Seoul as the national capital was restored through the creation of Eight Scenic Poems in the 17th century. By examining Eight Scenic Poems composed in the public domain during this period, the study highlights how the diminished status of Seoul was rehabilitated after the wars. Representative works include Lee Min-seong's Eight Views of the Han Capital (Hando Palyeong) and Lee Sik's Eight Scenic Views of the Han Capital (Hando Palgyeong), both created during King Gwanghaegun's reign when discussions about relocating the capital were active. Focusing on elements depicting the entire landscape of Seoul (Gyejeon Sanha, "Mountains and Rivers of the Capital Region") and the city itself (Doseong Gungwon, "Palaces and Gardens of the Capital"), this study explores how these poems sought to restore Seoul’s image as a national capital on a public level. Lee Min-seong and Lee Sik infused the Seoul of their time with the idealized image of a national capital, originally expressed by Jeong Do-jeon in his Eight Scenic Poems of the New Capital (Jinsindo Palgyeongsi), thus aiming to reclaim its symbolic identity. Considering that Seoul had been perceived as the symbolic space of Joseon since becoming its capital, restoring the city’s image as a national capital through Eight Scenic Poems inherently symbolized the recovery of the nation’s identity, tarnished by the wars.