Gwanghwamun Gate (광화문)

7.2Km 2024-12-04

161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Built in 1395 under the reign of King Taejo, the first king of the Joseon dynasty, Gwanghwamun Gate is the southern gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is also the main gate of the palace, therefore larger and fancier in comparison to the other gates. Gwanghwamun Gate consists of three arched gates; the center gate was used by the king, while the other two were used by the crown prince and royal officials. The tall granite walls of the gate serve as a platform for the wooden gate tower that watches over the city. The gate has a sign with its name written at the top center of the gate tower.

Gwanghwamun Gate went through several damages and restorations over the course of history. It was first severely damaged during the Imjin War (1592-1598) and was not restored until the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace in 1864. Under the Japanese administration, the gate was demolished and relocated to the north of the palace's eastern gate, followed by series of damages during the Korean War (1950-1953). In 1968, Gwanghwamun Gate was relocated back to the south of the palace and was rebuilt using concrete; however, the gate’s position was shifted a few meters away from its original location. In 2006, a major reconstruction project took place to restore Gwanghwamun Gate to its original state and location, disassembling the structure completely and replacing concrete with granite and wood. After three years and eight months of construction, Gwanghwamun Gate was fully restored to its original form and was open to the public on August 15, 2010.

Seoul Namsan Gugakdang (서울 남산국악당)

7.3Km 2021-08-02

28, Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Seoul Namsan Gukakdang was established by Seoul Metropolitan Government as a representative traditional art-centered performance hall in 2007. It is comprised of one ground and two basement levels. The performance hall is located on the basement floor with 300 seats, equipped with facilities that deliver pansori sounds and gayageum music to every seat. Visitors can make a reservation at the Namsangol Hanok Village website.

Boan1942 (보안1942)

7.3Km 2023-08-17

33 , Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Prior to becoming an art space in 2007, Tongui-dong Boan served as a place for rest for travelers from 1942 to 2005. After a short suspension, the place was renovated into a cultural space in 2017 to carry on the historical legacy and provide creative inspiration under the concept of "Boanstay."

Boan1942 is divided into a cultural space consisting of a cafe, project workshop, book shop, and exhibition area, and Boanstay on the 3rd and 4th floors that offer temporary lodging services to the cultural nomads. Located in Seochon, the center of culture, history, and convenient traffic in Seoul, Boanstay offers a splendid view of Seoul's historical and cultural assets such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheong Wa Dae, and Seochon Hanok Village.

<Credit: Boanstay>

World Pansori Festival (월드판소리페스티벌)

7.3Km 2025-07-30

28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-904-2835

World Pansori Festival is an international music festival that aims to promote pansori, the traditional Korean epic chant, and its values. The festival consists of a variety of performances and concert programs based on its yearly theme. In addition, the festival also has interactive activities for the attendees, such as a free pansori lesson and arts-and-crafts, to make pansori and traditional Korean music more accessible to the public.

Gwanaksan Mountain Nakseongdae Park (관악산 낙성대공원)

7.3Km 2021-07-16

77, Nakseongdae-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Nakseongdae Park was built as a tribute to General Kang Gam-chan (948-1031) of the Goryeo dynasty. In 1973, the city of Seoul reorganized the birthplace of General Kang, resulting in changes to the park. Located inside the park are Anguksa Shrine, the general’s birthplace, and a three-story stone pagoda, which was made during the Goryeo dynasty. The 4.48-meter-high pagoda is made of granite, and is called “Kang Gam-chan Tap (pagoda)” or “Kang Gam-chan Nakseongdae Tap”.

*Anguksa Shrine
Anguksa is a shrine built in 1974 emulating the wooden architecture style of the Goryeo era. The shrine has high ceilings and houses the portrait of General Kang Gam-chan. The shrine is located on the road leading to the back gate of Seoul National University and has become a popular place in the area.

*Nakseongdae Yuji
Nakseongdae Yuji is the birthplace of General Kang Gam-chan and the original location of the three-story pagoda. During the maintenance of Nakseongdae area in 1973, the pagoda was moved into the vicinity of Anguksa Shrine, and a two-meter tall monument was erected in its original location to mark the historical significance of the site.

Sangchonjae House (상촌재)

7.3Km 2025-11-06

12-11 , Jahamun-ro 17-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Sangchonjae House, run by the Jongno Cultural Foundation, is a traditional hanok cultural space located in Sejong Village, Ogin-dong, Jongno-gu, and operates various cultural Korean programs such as exhibitions, educational experiences, and events to fully experience Korea's four seasons. The name Sangchonjae was conceived from the old name of Sejong Village, the western part of Gyeongbokgung Palace and the birthplace of King Sejong. The house reflects the lifestyle of an ordinary peasant during the Joseon dynasty. It consists of three buildings: the main building, the guesthouse known as sarangchae, and the annex. There is an experience center indoors offering tea ceremonies and traditional game experiences.

Haepungbuwongun Yun Taekyeong's Jaesil (해풍부원군윤택영댁재실)

7.3Km 2021-11-10

28, Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Haepungbuwongun Yun Taekyeong's Jaesil is a shrine house built by the father-in-law of King Sunjong of Joseon dynasty in 1906 when his daughter was proclaimed the crowned princess of Joseon and entered Changdeokgung Palace to later become Queen Sunjeong. Red pine trees salvaged from the demolition of Gyeongungung Palace were used to construct the house. It was originally located in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, but was later restored and moved to its present location. The shrine of the house that was destroyed in 1960 was also restored.
Because the house is more of a shrine rather than residential living quarters, it has many unique features. For example, unlike other houses, it has the anchae (women’s quarters) located across from sarangbang (men’s quarters) with daecheong (living room) positioned between them.

Sonjung Bossam (손정보쌈)

7.3Km 2025-07-25

24 Samil-daero 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Sonjung Bossam offers dishes with a modern touch by reinterpreting traditional meals. Passed down for three generations, this restaurant values sincerity and careful attention in food making in order to serve every customer a heartwarming meal. Sonjung Bossam's signature dish Premium Gabri Bossam takes only the rarest pork cut, the blade-end fatback called "gabri" in Korean, and boils the meat using the restaurant's secret recipe for tender, juicy meat. The restaurant also serves their own special version of spicy stir-fried fish roe and intestines and haemultang (spicy seafood stew), boasting a generous amount of various seafood and rich broth. All meals are prepared wholeheartedly as if they are being served to a family.

Namsangol Hanok Village (남산골한옥마을)

7.4Km 2025-07-14

28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Namsangol Hanok Village opened in 1998 on the northern side of Namsan Mountain in the center of the capital. This village has five restored hanok (traditional Korean house) premises, a pavilion, a traditional garden, a performance art stage, and a time capsule plaza, making it a perfect spot for locals and tourists to take a leisure walk. Upon entering from the front gate, visitors will get a taste of Korea's traditional life while escaping from bustling city life. The traditional garden with its pavilion and old houses creates a peaceful ambiance before the forested Namsan Mountain. A time capsule commemorating Seoul’s 600th anniversary was buried in 1994 at the highest point of the village and is scheduled to be reopened 400 years later in 2394.

The five hanok premises at Namsangol Hanok Village once belonged to aristocrats and government officials of the Joseon dynasty. Each house was originally located in a different neighborhood, but they were all moved to this area and restored to their original form. The houses were rebuilt using their original materials, except for one house, where the materials were too old and deteriorated to be reused. The premises were carefully restored and replicated according to their original form to depict the owners’ social class and personality. These buildings are now used as an exhibit to portray the living environment during the Joseon dynasty and as a venue for educational and cultural programs for children and tourists.

Some of the unique programs and activities to participate in include wearing hanbok, folding hanji (traditional Korean paper), writing in Korean, traditional tea ceremony, traditional etiquette school, and herbal medicine experience. There are also taekwondo demonstrations and other various performances held around the village. Visitors can also try traditional games such as yunnori (traditional board game), or understand more about the area through a guided tour.

Healthpedia Co., Ltd. (㈜헬스피디아)

7.4Km 2025-10-23

#1014, 2 Toegye-ro 36-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

HealthPedia is a medical tourism service that connects foreign patients with specialized clinics in Korea, such as dermatology and plastic surgery. We collaborate with partner hospitals by specialty to assist with appointment booking, interpretation, accommodation guidance, as well as pre- and post-treatment consultations and recovery programs. Multilingual support is available in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and more for a convenient reservation experience.

Gwanghwamun Gate (광화문) - Area information - Korea travel information