You may not know much about South Korea. Most travellers to South Korea inevitably visit Seoul, the capital of BTS's home country, for their trip.
"What tourist attractions should I visit in Seoul then?"
I'll give you additional options you should consider when planning a trip to South Korea.
The options not only include the typical attractions but also lesser-known spots.
Korean culture, especially K-pop, K-drama, and K-movies, has been gradually cultivating popularity around the world - thus the demand for tour information about South Korea has also been rising.
As Korean and an inhabitant of Seoul, starting my first blog by introducing tourist attractions in Seoul to you is such a pleasure to me.
Sorry, The preface was a bit long!
Anyway, here we go.
1. 경복궁(Gyeong-Bok gung, 景福宮)
Gwang-Hwa mun is the majestic gate of Gyeong-Bok Gung(Gyeong-Bok palace) in which the kings of Choseon dynasty had lived and ruled the kingdom.
BRIEF INFO
<Location>
161, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
<Opening hours>
9 a.m. ~ 5 p.m. (last entrance, 4 p.m.)
closed every Tuesday
<Admission fee>
3,000 won
Adult(25~64)
Free
Adolescent(~24)
Elderly(65~)
Physically Challenged
Anyone having on Hanbok
(Korean traditional clothes)
<Free guided tours in Foreign Languages>
English - Everyday(except Tue) / 11:00, 13:30, 15:30
Japanese - Everyday(except Tue) / 10:00, 12:30, 14:30
Indonesian - Wed., Sat. / 09:20, 11:00, 14:30
Vietnamese - Wed., Sat. / 10:30, 15:00
Starting point: In front of the information centre inside the entrance.
Haechi is a mythical unicorn lion that is believed to protect the palace
from fires and disasters. It's also the symbolic icon of Seoul.
If you take the subway to reach Gwang-Hwa mun, you will probably get off at 광화문역
(Gwang-Hwa mun station). I got out of the station through exit 9 and could reach the spacious square named 광화문광장. It is flanked by two extensive roads, making the square feel like a remote island. It was originally designed for people to have a leisurely time inside but because of its location surrounded by massive roads, it has not been serving its intended purpose, but rather is used for demonstrations that are held every weekend. You can see quite a number of political propaganda banners in that area.
"I highly recommend you to visit 경복궁 on weekdays."
In 광화문광장, there are two symbolic statues, 세종대왕 동상(King Se-jong), 이순신장군 동상(Admiral Yi Sun-sin), who are greatly revered by Koreans. King Se-jong was one of the kings of Choseon who ruled the kingdom well and created Korea's own alphabet, Hangul. Yi Sun-sin was one of the Admirals of Choseon. When he was serving the country as admiral, Japan invaded Choseon and Japanese troops were continuously defeating Choseon's army on land. Just then, the naval forces of Choseon which Yi Sun-sin was leading swept the Japanese navy away and blocked them from reaching the mainland of the Korean peninsula, thus ensuring Choseon could finally preserve its sovereignty.
Next, cross the MASSIVE road from 광화문광장 and you'll face the gorgeous gate, 광화문. Upon passing through the gate, you should buy an entrance ticket first. The ticket booth will be on your right side a bit away from you. If you are wearing 한복, you don't have to get in the queue to buy the ticket - it will be free! Even so, I recommend that you pick up an informative brochure displayed at the ticket booth. You may be offered free guided tours unless you visit on Tuesday. ◀ Click!
Of course, there are many halls and pavilions in Gyeong-Bok Gung palace but the most popular buildings I want to recommend are Geunjeongjeon Hall(근정전), and Gyeonghoeru pavilion(경회루).
After through the Geunjeongmun gate, you get to see the main part, the heart of the palace, Geunjeongjeon hall. The hall was used for the king and his vassals to preside over conferences on state affairs.
The Geunjeong literally means "diligent governance" and suggests that a king and his vassals ought to rule the kingdom and its people thoughtfully. As the hall's name imparts solemnity, maybe you will feel so in this space.
Time to move on to Gyeonghoeru pavilion(경회루). In comparison with its current size, it was a small pavilion at first but became larger through reconstruction by order of King Taejong, the third king of Choseon in 1412. It was used as a venue for royal or state banquets, state examinations(과거시험), and seasonal religious rituals. Sadly, it was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of Chosen(임진왜란) in 1592 and left in runis for 273 years (I don't understand why it should've been left ruined for that long though - was Choseon that poor?)
Long years after, the current shape of the pavilion was re-built by King Gojong, the last king of Choseon in 1867. As of now, it remains the most beautiful and biggest of Choseon's pavilion, attesting to the excellence of Choseon's wooden construction techniques.
While exploring the palace, you will probably see the highest building which looks like a huge pagoda. It may intrigue you and entice you to come near. Before I visited the building, I thought it was just a traditional temple or something. However, I realised that it was the National Folk Museum of Korea.
The museum was originally founded in 1945, located elsewhere in Seoul. The original name of the museum was also different - the Namsan Folk Museum. The size of the museum was too small at the time, so the Cultural Heritage Administration took over and combined it with the National Museum. It was finally moved into the current building constructed in 경복궁(Gyeong-bok gung palace) in 1992, after many years.
Although it was such a shame that I couldn't go up onto the pagoda's platform (because of the time I visited) it was enjoyable enough to see the building in person.
It has been standing magnificently, capturing tourists' imaginations, and has allowed access to many of Korea's historical assets to both nationals and foreigners alike.
<Admission fee>
Free
for those who already bought the ticket for 경복궁(Gyeong-bok gung palace)
<More information>Click here!
HOW TO GET THERE
"Take line 5, purple line!"
<Adjacent subway stations>
⓹ 광화문역
⓷ 경복궁역
⓷ 안국역
Buy me a coffee
WORDS BY
Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com
PHOTOS BY
Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com
PROOFREAD BY
Gabriela Enriquez
