Deoksugung Palace's Daehanmun Gate (덕수궁 대한문)

931.9M 2025-01-13

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-771-9951

Located near City Hall station, Daehanmun Gate is the main gate of Deoksugung Palace, one of the princiapl five palaces of Joseon dynasty. The name "Daehan" means wish for eternal prosperity of the Korean Empire. In front of the gate, the Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is held twice daily, along with the reproduction of costumes and style throughout the year.

Jeongdong Culture Night (정동야행)

931.9M 2025-05-20

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3396-4625

Jeongdong Culture Night is dedicated to promoting the history and culture of Jeongdong, a neighborhood in Jung-gu, Seoul. The festival programs allow participants to understand how the history is connected to today's culture and offers an opportunity to view Jeongdong's cultural facilities in a different perspective.

Olive Young - Chungmuro Station Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (올리브영 충무로역)

938.5M 2024-04-18

222, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Tonymoly - Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (토니모리 을지로3가역점)

945.3M 2024-06-27

B3-14, 131, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Myeong-dong, Namdaemun, Bukchang-dong, Da-dong and Mugyo-dong Special Tourist Zone (명동 남대문 북창동 다동무교동 관광특구)

949.7M 2021-12-30

40, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3396-4622

Myeong-dong, Namdaemun, Bukchang-dong and Da-dong are widely known among international visitors as hot spots for shopping and food.

Myeong-dong is a popular destination for shopping, culture, arts and fashion. Major shopping malls such as Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Myeong-dong Migliore and Samik Fashion Town are located here. Shoppers can find a variety of products here from high-end items to relatively inexpensive clothes. There’s also no shortage of street food, traditional restaurants, coffee shops and fancy cafes.

Namdaemun Market is the biggest traditional market in Korea. Visitors can purchase souvenirs and local produce at an affordable price in the shopping complex crowded with stores and street stalls. The market sells a variety of clothes, kitchenware, toys, accessories, food, flowers and imported goods.

Bukchang-dong and Sogong-dong have high-end accommodations including Lotte Hotel Seoul and Westin Chosun Seoul, duty-free shops, and restaurants serving traditional dishes.

[Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market and Bukchang-dong Special Tourist Zone]
Areas included: Myeong-dong, Bukchang-dong, Mugyo-dong and Da-dong, Seoul
Area size: 872,809 ㎡
Tourist attractions: Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market and Bukchang-dong, Department Stores (Lotte Department and Shinsegae Department Store, etc.), Traditional Market, Duty-free Shop, Hanok Village, N Seoul Tower, etc.

Sungnyemun Gate (숭례문)

950.1M 2024-11-27

40 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul

Sungnyemun Gate is Korea’s National Treasure No. 1, and its unofficial name is Namdaemun Gate. Sungnyemun Gate is the largest castle gate stone structure with an arched entrance in the middle. There’s a column on top of a platform, raising the roof, distinguishing the upper stories and lower stories of the building. Passageways for traffic are located at the east and west ends of the gate. Different from the other gates, Sungnyemun Gate’s tablet has its name written vertically.

On February 10, 2008, Sungnyemun was destroyed by fire. After a 5-year reconstruction work, the gate was re-opened to the public again on May 4, 2013.

NKDB North Korean Human Rights Exhibition Hall (북한인권전시실)

955.0M 2025-11-13

393 Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul

The NKDB North Korean Human Rights Exhibition Hall is a permanent exhibition space dedicated to North Korean human rights. Although it is a small space, it resonates deeply and serves as a "dark tourism" site that records and testifies to the ongoing reality of human rights violations in North Korea. The North Korean Human Rights Information Center (NKDB), which operates this exhibition hall, is the organization that collects and archives the most extensive records of human rights concerning North Korean residents in the world. The testimonies and records presented here represent a living history, a story unfolding in the present, unavailable elsewhere. Through donated North Korean artifacts, including these records, visitors can glimpse the present-day North Korea and encounter artwork by North Korean defectors.

Olive Young - Mugyodong Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (올리브영 무교동점)

956.9M 2024-06-26

1F, 24, Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

967.4M 2025-07-11

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-737-6444

Deoksugung Palace has held a guard changing ceremony since 1996 after thorough historical research by leading historians. The ceremony, which is held in front of Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace, is a tradition similar to the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and offers a rare opportunity to experience royal culture. The royal gate is opened and closed at pre-determined times, and the gatekeepers in charge of guard duty and patrols hold a shift ceremony three times a day.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a highly recommended event for tourists. It is held three times a day, with each ceremony following the same procedure and lasts for forty minutes to an hour, and the ceremony is free of charge. There are no ceremonies on Mondays as well as on severely cold or hot days.

As the ceremony begins, the changing of the guards commences replete with traditional musical instruments, and exchanges a password for verification. An eight-minute guard ceremony ensues, followed by a seven-minute change ceremony, and finally a patrol that completes the ceremony. The procedure takes a dramatic turn when 18 guards in six official positions beat a drum and bellow some orders.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene. The guards’ splendid costumes, with their brilliant primary colors, are a pleasure to view. Once the ceremony is over, visitors can take pictures with the gatekeepers.

Olive Young - Jongno Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (올리브영 종로점)

968.2M 2024-06-27

1F, 78, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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Deoksugung Palace's Daehanmun Gate (덕수궁 대한문) - Area information - Korea travel information