Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식) - Area information - Korea travel information

Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

17.0Km    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.

Namsan Arts Center (남산예술센터)

17.0Km    2021-08-26

138, Sopa-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-758-2150

Namsan Arts Center, reopened as a creative space in Seoul in September 2009. It redefined the colors and characteristics of the theater, aiming for a modern theater production center centered on creative premieres, a contemporary performance venue where visitors can feel the pulse of the times, and a theater capable of various experiments.
Namsan Arts Center Drama Center is the first modern folk theater in Korea and the oldest performance hall in which the original architectural form has been preserved. Under the concept of "Contemporary & New Wave," the center continues to produce domestic original plays, and through active exchanges with excellent overseas theaters, build a repertoire of high-quality works that can read domestic and overseas trends, and present contemporary cultural diversity.

Jeongdong Guksi (정동국시)

17.0Km    2024-06-19

5 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
02-732-0114

Jeongdong Guksi features a rich soup with a clean taste, created by carefully removing the oil dozens of times while boiling Korean beef bones for 15 hours. The restaurant uses this same beef bone broth in their mandutguk (dumpling soup), something not many restaurants do. The rich flavor of the broth combined with the soft dumplings, made in-house daily, is a must-try. The restaurant is also surrounded by many cultural and artistic spaces, making it a great addition to tours in the area.

Innisfree - Myeong-dong Chungmu Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (이니스프리 명동충무)

17.0Km    2024-04-16

28-1, Myeongdong 8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Olive Young - Gyeyang-gu Office Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (올리브영 계양구청)

17.0Km    2024-04-16

93, Gyesansae-ro, Gyeyang-gu, Incheon

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National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung [MMCA Deoksugung] (국립현대미술관 덕수궁)

17.0Km    2023-06-23

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2022-0600

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung [MMCA Deoksugung] was originally built as an annex to the National Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum specializes in seeking out and researching modern art, exhibiting and preserving it, supporting and developing educational programs, and furthering publications and international exchanges. Located within Deoksugung Palace, the center maintains a unique traditional atmosphere. The museum planned and showcased a total of 38 unique exhibitions from 1998 to 2005. Besides the exhibitions, the center has various performances such as music and mime, as well as lectures or seminars on artists' works.

The Painters Season 2(페인터즈 시즌2)

17.0Km    2025-09-12

3 Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Etude house myeongdong chungmuro / 에뛰드하우스(명동충무로점)

17.0Km    2025-08-11

24-1, Myeongdong 8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-777-1704

Etude House is a cosmetics brand that sells makeup, hair, and fragrance products. The Etude House Myeongdong Chungmuro Branch, located in the heart of a major shopping district, carries a wide selection of cosmetics that customers may test before purchasing. Moreover, the brightly lit store interior, designed with a princess bedroom decor, adds fun to the experience.

It is visited largely by foreign customers from Japan, Thailand, China and other East Asian countries. To facilitate an easy shopping experience, the shop always has foreign staff available to assist. The most popular items include creams made using snail extract, lipsticks and eye shadows. Etude House also has many sales on facial mask packs, and tax refunds are available.

Olive Young - Myeongdongdaero Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (올리브영 명동대로)

17.0Km    2024-04-18

1F, 120, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

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CMC Confidence (씨엠씨 컨피던스)

17.0Km    2025-10-23

#207, Ra-dong, 14 Eonju-ro 148-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

CMC Confidence combines medicine and tours to offer optimized services. It provides special tour services beyond simple medical services. Instead of simply attracting patients, CMC Confidence provides topping tours where patients can experience treatments while traveling with family and friends. The patient's next medical visit becomes an opportunity for joyful travels, rather than treatments. CMC Confidence offers customers new experiences through specialized services in the Gangnam area of Seoul.