▲ Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul is crowded with visitors touring the palace, in this file photo from Feb. 17, 2026, the Lunar New Year. (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- Nearly 850,000 people visited Seoul's major palaces and Joseon-era royal tombs during the Chuseok holiday, when the historic sites were open free of charge.

 

According to the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) on Wednesday, a total of 846,513 people visited the four major palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung -- as well as Joseon royal tombs and Jongmyo Shrine from Sept. 24-27.

 

That amounts to an average of more than 210,000 visitors per day during the four-day holiday.

 

Gyeongbokgung drew the largest number of visitors, with 360,979 Koreans and foreign nationals, accounting for 42.6 percent of the total visitors to the palaces and royal tombs during the holiday.

 

Changgyeonggung attracted 151,989 visitors, followed by Deoksugung with 96,349, Changdeokgung with 89,335 and Jongmyo Shrine with 46,366.

 

▲ A foreign visitor watches a theatrical performance featuring a queen and court lady during the "Queen’s Taste" program at Tongmyeongjeon Hall of Changgyeong Palace during the 2026 spring Royal Culture Festival in Seoul on April 29, 2026. (Yonhap)

 

A total of 101,495 people visited Joseon royal tombs, including Taereung and Gangneung, Seolleung and Jeongneung in Seoul, Donggureung in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, Seosoreung in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, as well as the Historic Sites of King Sejong in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.

 

The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Heritage Agency will host the "Royal Culture Festival" from Oct. 7-11, featuring performances, exhibitions and historical reenactments at royal palaces.

 

On Oct. 6, a day before the festival opens, a special performance for KBS2 TV's "Immortal Songs - 2026 Royal Culture Festival Special" will be held at the Heungnyemun Gate Square of Gyeongbokgung.

 

Visitors will be able to experience a variety of programs, including an exhibition titled "A Guide to Royal Court Attire of Sunhwagung Palace," which explores historical records on women's clothing in the royal court, and "Aesthetic of Joseon Spaces," a craft exhibition set against the backdrop of Huijeongdang Hall at Changdeokgung.

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]