The Royal Palace In South Korea's Seoul Opens To Free Public During Chuseok Holidays

Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Richard Mortel)

JAKARTA - The royal palaces in Seoul, South Korea will be open to the public for free during the extended Chuseok holiday from Thursday this week to Wednesday next week, according to the Cultural Heritage Authority (CHA).

"Four palaces from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910): Gyeongbok, Changdook, Deoksu and Changgyeong, will open for a period of six days," said CHA, launching The Korea Times September 28.

The royal tombs of the dynasty, spread around Seoul and surrounding cities, as well as Jongmyo Temple, a place to store ancient Joseon-era tablets, will also be opened for free during the traditional holiday.

Visitors to Gyeongbok Palace and Deoksu can explore new buildings that have recently been opened to the public after extensive restoration.

Gyejodang, part of Gyeongbok Palace where Joseon's crown princes attended state affairs and held a banquet, opened to the public last week for the first time in 110 years after six years of restoration work.

Built in 1443 during the reign of King Sejong, the original Gyejodang was completely destroyed by the Japanese colonial government around 1910.

Dondekjeon, a Western-style historic building at the Deoksu Palace which was used as a royal guesthouse during the Korean Empire (1897-1910), can now be visited after six years of being restored to its original shape.

The two-story building, which was first discovered to have been built during the reign of Emperor Gojong around 1901, was mostly used as a reception hall and a place to meet foreign guests. This building is also a historic place where his son, Emperor Sunjong, took the throne in 1907.

It is known, Chuseok or Hangawi is one of the biggest holidays in Ginseng Country, to thank you for the three-day abundant harvest. Determined based on the lunar calendar, the year Chuseok falls on September 28-30. For this year, the South Korean government decided to extend the Chuseok holiday from September 28 to October 3.