Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung was the first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, established in 1395 a year after Hanyang, now Seoul, was chosen as the capital. King Taejo moved in at the end of that year, but his successors preferred Changdeokgung, and the palace only came fully into use under Sejong the Great, who made it his primary residence in 1421 and moved out of Changdeokgung by 1427. The Hall of Worthies sat here, and the work that produced the Korean alphabet was done on these grounds. In 1592, during the Imjin War, the palace burned to the ground along with the two other palaces in the city.

The palace is laid out on a north-south axis and the operator's own routes follow it. You enter through Gwanghwamun, cross the stone bridge Yeongjegyo behind Heungnyemun, and arrive at Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall, standing on a double stone terrace inside a walled courtyard with the ranked stone markers where officials once lined up. Behind it Sajeongjeon was the working audience hall, and Sujeongjeon, off to the west, held government offices. The set piece is Gyeonghoeru, a banqueting pavilion raised on stone pillars in an artificial pond, visible from the path but normally entered only on a booked special tour.

The palace publishes three walking routes, of 40, 60 and 90 minutes. The 40-minute route covers the ceremonial spine only, as far as Gyeonghoeru; the 60- and 90-minute routes add the royal living quarters and Jagyeongjeon, and the 90-minute version is the one that gets you round the whole southern half without hurrying. None of the three reaches the far north of the grounds. Hyangwonjeong, Geoncheonggung, Jibokjae and Taewonjeon are another twenty minutes of flat walking beyond the residential halls, and the walk back to Gwanghwamun from there is ten minutes on its own. Two hours is the realistic figure for a first visit that includes them, which is what this guide records.

January–February and November–December: 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:00. March–May and September–October: 09:00–18:00, last admission 17:00. June–August: 09:00–18:30, last admission 17:30. Closed Tuesdays. When Tuesday is a public or substitute holiday, the palace opens and closes on the next non-holiday instead. Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays. If that Tuesday is a public holiday or a substitute holiday the palace opens anyway and takes the following first non-holiday as its closing day instead, so check the Korean holiday calendar before planning a Tuesday visit. Hours move with the season.

General adult admission is KRW 3,000. The adult band is ages 25–64 for Korean visitors and 19–64 for foreign visitors. Adult admission is 3,000 won, and 2,400 won each for groups of ten or more. The adult band means ages 25 to 64 for Korean nationals and 19 to 64 for foreign visitors, so a foreign visitor aged 18 or under, or 65 or over, enters free on production of a passport. Free entry also covers registered disabled visitors with one companion, pregnant visitors with one companion, and holders of the various veterans' and welfare cards the price list sets out; the last Wednesday of every month, Korea's Culture Day, is free for everyone. Anyone wearing hanbok enters free.

The closest named arrival is Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3: Exit 5 is about a two-minute walk. Anguk Station Exit 1 on Line 3 and Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2 on Line 5 are about six minutes away. Buses 109, 171, 272, 601, 606, 710, 1020 and 7025 serve the Gyeongbokgung stop. This is the named approach for an independent visit. The address is 161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, and the palace office answers on 02-3700-3900. No car is needed, and a car is the worse option. The nearest station is Gyeongbokgung on subway Line 3: exit 5, two minutes on foot.

The main entrance has a ramp for wheelchair access. Wheelchairs are available to borrow. Accessible toilets are available. Nine accessible parking spaces are provided in the outdoor car park to the right of Gwanghwamun Gate. Audio-guide devices and PDAs are available from the ticket office. The access description applies to the documented visitor route. The hanbok exemption is the rule most often misread. Both traditional and modern everyday hanbok qualify, a jeogori without ribbon ties is fine and hanbok trousers with a zip waist are fine, but the garment must be a crossed-collar top with a skirt or trousers.

The palace faces south, so the light works in your favour early and against you in the middle of the day. Geunjeongjeon photographs best in the first two hours after the 09:00 opening, from the corners of the courtyard colonnade rather than dead centre: from there the roof lines separate and Bugaksan rises behind the hall, which is the picture that says Seoul rather than any palace anywhere. Gyeonghoeru is the reverse case. The pond reflects it cleanly in late afternoon from the eastern bank, and in still weather the columns double in the water; from the western path in the morning you are shooting into the sun.