Deoksugung Palace (덕수궁) - Area information - Korea travel information

Deoksugung Palace (덕수궁)

Deoksugung Palace (덕수궁)

898.2M    2025-06-25

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul

Registered as a Historic Site, Deoksugung Palace was initially not a royal palace, but the residential home of Grand Prince Wolsan (1454-1488), the older brother of King Seongjong (1469-1494) of the Joseon dynasty. It wasn't until 1593 that the palace was used as a temporary palace of the royal family after their home was burned down during the Imjin War. King Seonjo also stayed at Deoksugung Palace after returning to the city. It became a proper palace when Gwanghaegun (1575-1641) ascended to the throne and gave this royal residence the name Gyeongungung Palace in 1611. Over the following decades, the palace alternated between being an official palace and a temporary residence. The name did not change officially to Deoksugung Palace, meaning the “palace of virtuous longevity,” until 1907. While the palace once encompassed a vast area with many buildings, the current palace grounds are just a small shadow of the prior splendor, with very few structures remaining.

The National Folk Museum's Korean Folk Performances for Visitors (국립민속박물관 우리민속한마당)

899.3M    2021-07-07

37, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-3704-3114

The National Folk Museum is the leading museum depicting Korean folk culture that attracts 3 million visitors every year. Every Saturday, the museum offers free performances where Korean music, traditional dance, martial arts, and mask plays are performed for Korean and international spectators to illustrate Korea’s major seasonal events, special exhibitions, and traditional intangible cultures.

National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관)

National Folk Museum of Korea (국립민속박물관)

900.4M    2019-03-19

37, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum of Korea presents historical artifacts that were used in the daily lives of Korean people in the past. Through the displays, visitors can learn about the domestic and agricultural lifestyles, as well as Korea’s cultural beliefs.

The National Folk Museum of Korea has three permanent exhibitions and two special exhibitions as well as a library, souvenir shop, and other subsidiary facilities.

National Folk Museum of Korea Children’s Museum (국립민속박물관 어린이박물관)

National Folk Museum of Korea Children’s Museum (국립민속박물관 어린이박물관)

900.4M    2019-03-18

37, Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3704-4540, 4524

The Children’s Museum is a hands-on experience museum run by the National Folk Museum of Korea. A variety of visual aids and assembly models allow children to touch and feel pieces and experience folk history in an interactive way. The theme of the exhibitions consists of folk clothing, food, shelter, social life, and entertainment. The museum has a number of interactive spaces including a table set for an ancestral ritual, magnet miniatures depicting a baby’s first birthday, and an area where young visitors can build a folk house. Young learners can also create an avatar wearing in Hanbok, make kimchi using visual aids, or play gonu (a traditional board game). The museum also collects, preserves, and maintains relics and historical items related to youth and youth culture.

The Great Full Moon Festival  (정월대보름 한마당)

The Great Full Moon Festival (정월대보름 한마당)

900.4M    2025-02-05

37 Samcheong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3704-3106

The National Folk Museum is celebrating the first full moon of the Lunar new year, Jeongwol Daeboreum. A variety of experiences are prepared to eliminate bad luck and pray for prosperity and health. The event provides a chance for locals and tourists alike to learn more about the traditional culture of Korea.

Dowon Masan Agujjim (도원마산아구찜)

Dowon Masan Agujjim (도원마산아구찜)

902.8M    2021-03-22

438, Samil-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-765-4009

A restaurant frequented by many celebrities. This Korean dishes restaurant is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The representative menu is spicy braised monkfish.

Korean National Police Heritage Museum (경찰박물관)

Korean National Police Heritage Museum (경찰박물관)

903.9M    2021-12-21

41, Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3150-3681

The police museum opened on October 14, 2005 to give a better understanding of the job of the police and to offer a formal education to children who wish to become police officers in the future. The history hall of the museum is designed for visitors to learn about the history of Korean police at a glance, exhibiting information on the police force from the Joseon dynasty up until current times.

Visitors to the museum can pretend to be police officers by touching actual equipment and learning about an officer's daily tasks. Visitors can also get in patrol cars, wear a police uniform, experience shooting a gun through a simulation, and learn self-defense martial arts and arrest techniques. Visitors can also go to the museum jail.

Hosim [Tax Refund Shop] (호심)

905.5M    2024-04-19

1F, 33, Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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Deoksugung Stone Wall Path (덕수궁 돌담길)

Deoksugung Stone Wall Path (덕수궁 돌담길)

906.2M    2025-01-10

24 Sejong-daero 19-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

The Deoksugung Stone Wall Path runs along the wall of Deoksugung Palace. It is beautifully lit and landscaped, giving it a romantic atmosphere even at night. There are street performances and flea markets, and the area boasts many famous cafes and restaurants along Jeongdong street. In autumn, the ginkgo trees and walls form a stunning scene. Close to major cultural facilities such as the Seoul Museum of Art and Seoul Museum of History, it attracts numerous visitors come for a stroll.

Gyeonghuigung Palace (경희궁)

910.0M    2024-07-09

45 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-724-0274

Gyeonghuigung Palace, a designated Historic Site, was originally called the large palace by Saemun Gate, or the Western Palace, for its location within the city. It was not until the eighth year of Gwanghaegun (1616) that the palace was used as a royal residence for the king, changing the name to Gyeongdeokgung Palace. The name later changed again to the current Gyeonghuigung Palace in 1760. The palace grounds included many halls but they were mostly all burned down in a fire in 1829. After the Japanese occupation began, all remaining buildings on the site were torn down and the palace grounds were turned into Gyeongseong Middle School (now Seoul High School). The school moved to Gangnam area in 1987, afterwhich the previous location was turned into a park. The palace grounds currently hold Seoul Museum of Art and walking paths, as well as a restoration of Heunghwamun Gate, the main gate of the palace, and Sungjeongjeon Hall, the main hall, completed in November 1994.