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| yna@yna.co.kr 2026-09-09 07:22:49
SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- Admission fees for South Korea's royal palaces and tombs have remained unchanged for 21 years and are now lower than the price of a single hamburger, prompting calls for a more reasonable pricing system as interest in traditional culture grows amid the global popularity of K-culture.
Kim Jae-kyu, head of the National Heritage Planning and Evaluation Institute, said Korean palace and royal tomb admission fees are low even compared with those charged at major World Heritage sites at home and abroad.
Kim made the remarks Tuesday at a public debate on admission fees for royal palaces and tombs, organized by the Korea Heritage Service's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul.
Kim compared admission fees with the price of McDonald's signature Big Mac.
Based on a price of 5,700 won for a single hamburger, the 3,000-won admission fee for Gyeongbok Palace is equivalent to just 0.5 Big Macs, while admission to Nijo Castle in Japan costs about 6,860 won, or 1.2 Big Macs.
The Palace of Versailles, a major tourist attraction in France, charges visitors from outside the European Economic Area 35 euros (about 54,000 won) during its peak season from April to October, equivalent to about nine Big Macs.
Kim said a discussion on admission fees is essential given recent trends.
About 17.81 million people visited the four major palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon royal tombs in 2025, with approximately 12.29 million, or 69 percent, entering free of charge.
"Compared with 2024, the total number of visitors increased 12.9 percent, but the number of paying visitors fell 5.2 percent and admission revenue declined 4.1 percent," Kim said.
"Recent visitors want experiences that are easier to understand and allow them to see, hear and participate, beyond simply preserving and managing the sites," he said. "We need to discuss a reasonable admission fee system together."
The debate also unveiled survey results on appropriate admission fee levels.
Choi Mi-jung, head of the Korea Performance Research Institute, analyzed a survey of 6,635 people and found that respondents considered an average admission fee of 9,203 won appropriate for royal palaces.
For Joseon royal tombs and Jongmyo Shrine, respondents considered an average fee of 7,196 won appropriate.
That is more than three times the current admission fees, which range from 1,000 won to 3,000 won for the major palaces. Against this backdrop, some participants called for gradual increases in admission fees.
Na Myung-ha, former head of the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, who served from 2019 to 2021, expressed regret that two opportunities to raise admission fees had been missed due to government opposition.
"It's too late," Na said.
"The key issue in bringing admission fees in line with reality is whether people can accept fees several times higher than the current level," he said. "I believe it would be desirable to implement the increases gradually."
The 45-member citizen discussion panel participating in the event agreed that raising admission fees is inevitable and offered ideas for improving the visitor experience at royal palaces, tombs and Jongmyo Shrine.
One participant proposed charging different fees during peak and off-peak seasons, while another suggested introducing a reservation system on a trial basis during periods of heavy visitor traffic.
There were also calls to revise the free admission benefit for people wearing hanbok, traditional Korean attire.
A woman who said she works as a tour interpreter suggested that "rather than including hanbok wearers among those eligible for free admission, it would be helpful to offer a 50 percent discount."
Another participant who frequently takes photos at palaces while wearing hanbok said, "There are so many outfits whose nationality or identity is unclear. I hope our hanbok won't be treated carelessly."
Cho Kyu-hyung, head of the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, said, "It is time to seriously consider the current admission fee system to ensure sustainable preservation and use," adding that the center would review various perspectives and opinions.
Admission fees for royal palaces and tombs have remained unchanged for more than 20 years since they were raised in 2005.
Admission to Gyeongbok Palace and Changdeok Palace costs 3,000 won per adult, while Changgyong Palace and Deoksu Palace charge 1,000 won. An additional fee is required to visit the rear garden of Changdeok Palace.
Admission fees for Joseon royal tombs range from 500 won to 2,000 won for adults.
However, South Korean nationals aged 24 or younger or 65 or older, foreigners aged 18 or younger or 65 or older, independence activists and their spouses, national merit recipients and pregnant women are eligible for free admission.
According to the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, more than 7.41 million people visited the four major palaces -- Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyong and Deoksu -- and Jongmyo Shrine in the first half of this year, continuing an upward trend.
The Korea Heritage Service plans to review the various opinions, finalize new admission fee standards for royal palaces and tombs and announce them in November. The revised fees are expected to take effect in January next year.
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