Access to Royal Geunjeongjeon Restricted From September Due to Damage Concerns

연합뉴스 / 2024-08-02 11:09:36

▲ Citizens and tourists visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul watch the "A Day in the Life of King Sejong" performance in front of Geunjeongjeon on the Labor Day holiday on May 1, 2024. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The access to Geunjeongjeon, the central building of Gyeongbokgung Palace and a quintessential example of palace architecture, will be partially restricted starting next month.

The Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center announced on its website on the 2nd that access to the woldae (stone platform) of Geunjeongjeon will be restricted from September 1 to October 31.

Accordingly, visitors will not be allowed to ascend the woldae of Geunjeongjeon for two months. Previously, visitors could freely explore the interior by stepping onto the woldae, but starting next month, they will have to view it from the courtyard paved with thin and broad stones (bakseok).

An official from the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center explained, "Due to the large number of visitors during peak seasons, there are concerns about damage to the stone railings and other stone structures of Geunjeongjeon," adding that the measure was taken considering visitor safety.

▲ This notice is captured from the homepage of the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center under the Cultural Heritage Administration. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The woldae is a wide platform installed at major buildings in palaces like Geunjeongjeon of Gyeongbokgung and Injeongjeon of Changdeokgung. It enhances the dignity of the building and serves as a stage for various events. The woldae of Geunjeongjeon, the central palace of the Joseon Dynasty where the king resided, features a two-tier structure adorned with various animal sculptures. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration's portal, the woldae of Geunjeongjeon is decorated with 36 animal statues that guard against evil spirits approaching the king's space.

With increasing interest in Korean culture, the number of palace visitors has been steadily rising. According to the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, a total of 6,557,307 visitors visited Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Jongmyo Shrine in the first half of this year, marking a 22.7% increase from the 5,345,218 visitors in the same period last year. Among them, Gyeongbokgung attracted 3,211,876 visitors, nearly half of the total.

The number of foreign visitors to Gyeongbokgung in the first six months of the year reached 1,044,708, which is 3.1 times the number of foreign visitors (338,455) in the same period last year.

▲ This image, provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration, shows a Joseon-period animal statue on the Woldae of Geunjeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.