Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식) - Area information - Korea travel information

Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

3.9Km    2025-07-11

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-737-6444

Deoksugung Palace has held a guard changing ceremony since 1996 after thorough historical research by leading historians. The ceremony, which is held in front of Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace, is a tradition similar to the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and offers a rare opportunity to experience royal culture. The royal gate is opened and closed at pre-determined times, and the gatekeepers in charge of guard duty and patrols hold a shift ceremony three times a day.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a highly recommended event for tourists. It is held three times a day, with each ceremony following the same procedure and lasts for forty minutes to an hour, and the ceremony is free of charge. There are no ceremonies on Mondays as well as on severely cold or hot days.

As the ceremony begins, the changing of the guards commences replete with traditional musical instruments, and exchanges a password for verification. An eight-minute guard ceremony ensues, followed by a seven-minute change ceremony, and finally a patrol that completes the ceremony. The procedure takes a dramatic turn when 18 guards in six official positions beat a drum and bellow some orders.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene. The guards’ splendid costumes, with their brilliant primary colors, are a pleasure to view. Once the ceremony is over, visitors can take pictures with the gatekeepers.

The Dresser(더 드레서)

3.9Km    2025-05-21

서울특별시 중구 정동길 43 (정동)

Seopyeonje; The Original(서편제; The Original)

3.9Km    2025-12-04

서울특별시 중구 정동길 43 (정동)

Ceramic Cafe JOOL(도자기카페 줄)

3.9Km    2025-11-05

11, Sinchon-ro 4-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul

'24/365 with BLACKPINK' filming location
This is the studio where JISOO and ROSÉ visited and made pottery in BLACKPINK's exclusive reality content '24/365 with BLACKPINK'. Through the one-day class, you can draw a picture on a mug or make your own pottery by hand. If you follow the teacher's class and pay attention, you will feel great fun even if you are clumsy. Just touching the moist clay dough has the effect of relieving daily stress. Classes require reservations.

Deoksugung Palace's Daehanmun Gate (덕수궁 대한문)

3.9Km    2025-01-13

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-771-9951

Located near City Hall station, Daehanmun Gate is the main gate of Deoksugung Palace, one of the princiapl five palaces of Joseon dynasty. The name "Daehan" means wish for eternal prosperity of the Korean Empire. In front of the gate, the Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is held twice daily, along with the reproduction of costumes and style throughout the year.

Jeongdong Culture Night (정동야행)

3.9Km    2025-05-20

99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3396-4625

Jeongdong Culture Night is dedicated to promoting the history and culture of Jeongdong, a neighborhood in Jung-gu, Seoul. The festival programs allow participants to understand how the history is connected to today's culture and offers an opportunity to view Jeongdong's cultural facilities in a different perspective.

Arumdaun Nara Dermatology Clinic - Myeongdong (아름다운나라피부과의원 명동점)

3.9Km    2025-11-21

4th Floor, 6 Myeongdong 8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Founded in 2000. Our clinic is led by a board-certified dermatologist. One of only 2% of doctors in Korea who are certified dermatology specialists who personally provides all consultations and treatments.

Blue Square (블루스퀘어)

3.9Km    2024-03-05

294, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
+82-1544-1591

Blue Square is a multipurpose performance venue located in Hannam-dong. It includes Shinhan Card Hall, a performance hall dedicated to musicals with 1,776 seats, and Mastercard Hall, a multipurpose performance hall with 1,400 seats. Blue Square also includes the Book Park, which has a collection of nearly 75,000 books, and a café with a terrace that looks toward the Namsan Mountain. Many visitors come to the Blue Square to see its collection of popular musicals and other performances.

SANRIO LOVERS CLUB(산리오 러버스 클럽)

3.9Km    2025-11-05

18, Wausan-ro 19-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul

'BLACKPINK HOUSE' filming location
In the past, it was a Hello Kitty cafe, but it was renovated and used as accommodation when BLACKPINK's first reality content, 'BLACKPINK HOUSE' was filmed. Currently, it is operated as an exhibition experience and cafe for Sanrio characters. The inside and outside of the two-story building in pastel colors are full of Sanrio characters. You must make a reservation in advance to enter the cafe on the second floor. You can visit and purchase at the MD Shop on the 1st floor without a separate reservation.

Jungmyeongjeon Hall (중명전)

3.9Km    2025-01-09

41-11, Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-752-7525

Located near Deoksugung Palace, Jungmyeongjeon Hall is a red-brick modern Western-style building. It was built in 1899 as the imperial library of the Korean Empire. After Deoksugung Palace caught on fire in 1904, the place became the temporary residence of Emperor Gojong. It also witnessed the tragic part of history in which the infamous Eulsa Treaty (Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty), an illegal treaty forced by Japan, was signed in 1905. Its exhibition hall serves as a place for historical education.