Gyeongbokgung’s Geunjeongjeon terrace closed to visitors through October for preservation

연합뉴스 / 2025-09-02 09:10:35

▲ This photo, provided by Big Hit Music on Sept. 29, 2020, shows BTS posing for a photo in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea, where the band filmed a performance for the "BTS Week" special on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in the United States. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- Access to the stone terrace of Geunjeongjeon, the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, will be restricted for two months to protect cultural assets, the Korea Heritage Service’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center said Tuesday.

The restriction will remain in place until Oct. 31. “With the peak tourist season underway, we are concerned about possible damage to stone railings and other structures around Geunjeongjeon,” an official at the Gyeongbokgung Palace Office said, asking for public cooperation in preserving the heritage site.

The terrace, or woldae, is the stone platform in front of the building. Its corners and stair railings are adorned with carvings of the twelve zodiac animals and other figures, traditionally believed to guard the king’s space against harmful spirits.

▲ This image, provided by the Korea Heritage Service, shows a Joseon-period animal statue on the Woldae of Geunjeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Visitors have previously been allowed to step onto the terrace for closer viewing, but during the restriction period they will have to observe the hall from the courtyard.

The palace office has enforced seasonal terrace closures during spring and autumn since last year to prevent damage from heavy foot traffic.

According to a 2023 monitoring report on key heritage sites by the Korea Heritage Service and the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Geunjeongjeon received a “C” grade, meaning “requires close observation,” in safety and condition assessments.