1 of 2 | Women wearing Korean traditional Hanbok clothing react as they visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, 13 May 2026. The palace grounds are open for night tours from 13 May to 14 June 2026. Photo BY JEON HEON-KYUN / EPA
May 20 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s royal palaces and tombs are rapidly transforming into some of the country’s most sought-after cultural destinations, attracting younger generations and foreign tourists through immersive programs combining history, performances, food and nighttime experiences.
Programs linked to the annual Royal Culture Festival have repeatedly sold out, with palace events now generating ticket competition comparable to major K-pop concerts.
According to the Korea Heritage Service and the Korea Heritage Agency, this spring’s Royal Culture Festival drew 725,281 visitors, the highest attendance since the event began.
Foreign visitors to four major Seoul palaces and Jongmyo Shrine reached 183,427, up about 33% from last year.
Popular palace programs including “Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour,” “Gyeongbokgung Saenggwabang” and “Night at Seokjojeon Hall” at Deoksugung Palace have become difficult to book, with reservations often disappearing immediately after opening.
Cultural officials said the popularity reflects how palaces are evolving from quiet historical sites into immersive cultural spaces.
This year’s festival featured experiential programs allowing visitors to engage directly with royal court life.
One highlight at Changdeokgung Palace reinterpreted crown prince Hyomyeong’s royal dances and poetry through media art, performances and nighttime tours.
At Gyeongbokgung Palace, visitors walked through reenactments of palace daily life as part of an interactive “time travel” experience.
Meanwhile, a reading and remote-work program at Changgyeonggung Palace combining independent bookstore curation and relaxation inside palace grounds gained popularity among younger visitors through social media.
“Young generations increasingly see palace spaces themselves as trendy cultural venues,” said Jin Mi-kyung, a festival team manager. “Programs using special halls and restricted palace areas available only during the festival have created a strong sense of exclusivity.”
Jin added that global interest in Korean culture is expanding beyond K-pop into traditional palace culture. This year, organizers sold 300 foreigner-only tickets for the festival’s opening ceremony for the first time, and demand was immediate.
One of the most popular foreign visitor programs was “The Emperor’s Table” at Deoksugung’s Jungmyeongjeon Hall. The program recreated diplomatic banquets from the Korean Empire period through palace cuisine tastings, historical storytelling and performances.
Yu Kyung-sook, head of the World Festival Institute, said Korean palace content has evolved faster than many European palace tourism models, which remain focused mainly on static exhibitions and sightseeing.
“Korea is rapidly developing immersive and participatory palace experiences,” Yu said. “The beauty of the palace spaces, Seoul’s accessibility and Korea’s strong content planning capabilities are combining to create globally competitive cultural tourism products.”
Yu said palace programs have now proven their potential as major cultural tourism assets and suggested expanding beyond Seoul by linking palace tourism with regional heritage destinations such as Suwon, Gyeongju and Jeonju.
The Korea Heritage Service said palace and shrine visits reached a record 17.81 million last year, with foreign tourists accounting for roughly 25% of visitors.
Officials said restoration projects at Gyeongbokgung Palace have also expanded the number of spaces available for cultural programming.
Experts cautioned, however, that rapid increases in visitors also raise concerns about overcrowding and damage to historic sites.
Yu said future policy should focus not only on increasing visitor numbers but also on balancing tourism development with long-term heritage preservation.
“Until now, the focus was on demonstrating the possibilities of palace content,” Yu said. “Going forward, Korea must also prioritize content quality and sustainability while developing premium and permanent programs that preserve heritage principles.”
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260518010004629
