Why Seoul Has Five Palaces, and What Each One Is For

Working near Gyeongbokgung, I heard a particular sentence several times a day. “There are other palaces too?” There are. Five of them. And they sit within walking distance of each other.

Here is why there are five, and which ones you should actually see — all on one page.

The Five Palaces at a Glance

Palace	Founded	Role	Fee	Closing Day
Gyeongbokgung	1395	Beopgung — the primary royal palace	3,000 won	Tuesday
Changdeokgung	1405	Igung — secondary palace that served as primary for 270 years	3,000 won	Monday
Changgyeonggung	1483	Living quarters for royal elders	1,000 won	Monday
Deoksugung (Gyeongungung)	1611 (as a formal palace)	Temporary quarters → imperial palace of the Korean Empire	1,000 won	Monday
Gyeonghuigung	1620	Seogwol — the western palace, mostly lost, partially restored	Free	Monday and 1 January
Jongmyo Shrine (not a palace)	1395	Shrine housing the spirit tablets of kings and queens	1,000 won	Tuesday

Why Five — The Two-Palace System

The first reason is institutional. Joseon operated on a one primary, one secondary basis called the yanggwol system. The king did not stay in the main palace at all times. The secondary palace was kept ready for relocation at any moment — fire, epidemic, renovation, coup. Think of it as redundancy for the state: the country did not hang on one building.

Gyeongbokgung was the beopgung, the primary. Changdeokgung was the igung, the secondary. Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung were connected without a wall between them and functioned essentially as one complex, which is why they were collectively called Donggwol (the Eastern Palace). Gyeonghuigung to the west was Seogwol (the Western Palace).

The second reason is family. Changgyeonggung began as Suganggung, a residence that Sejong built in 1418 for his father Taejong, who had stepped down as king. In 1483, Seongjong expanded it, renamed it Changgyeonggung, and made it living quarters for the queen dowagers. This was not a political space but a home for the royal elders.

The third reason is accident. Deoksugung was never built as a palace. After the 1592 war burned everything, the court moved into the private residence of Prince Wolsan and called it Jeongneung-dong Temporary Quarters. In 1611, under Gwanghaegun, it became the formal palace Gyeongungung. Much later, Gojong declared the Korean Empire from here, and it became the imperial palace.

1592: Everything Burned

This is the single most important year in this article. The Japanese invasions reduced every palace in Hanyang to ash.

The first one rebuilt was not Gyeongbokgung. It was Changdeokgung, in 1610 (the second year of Gwanghaegun’s reign). Changgyeonggung was rebuilt at the same time, and its Myeongjeongjeon Hall — built then — is the oldest surviving throne hall among the five palaces today.

And Gyeongbokgung? It sat as bare ground for about 270 years. The palace that people now picture when they think of “the Joseon palace” did not exist for more than half of the dynasty’s history. The later Joseon kings lived at Changdeokgung and ran the country from there.

Gyeongbokgung’s reconstruction began in 1865, led by Heungseon Daewongun, and reached its palace form by 1867–68. To supply the materials, most of Gyeonghuigung’s buildings were dismantled and repurposed. This is the first reason Gyeonghuigung, of the five, has so little left.

The Colonial Period — What Was Lost

Palace	What Happened
Gyeongbokgung	From 1915, over 90% of its buildings demolished; the Japanese Government-General building erected on the site in 1926
Changgyeonggung	Degraded from 1907; a zoo and botanical garden installed; renamed "Changgyeongwon" in 1911
Changdeokgung	A major fire in 1917 destroyed Huijeongdang and Daejojeon — Gyeongbokgung's Gangnyeongjeon and Gyotaejeon were dismantled and moved here to replace them
Deoksugung	After Gojong's forced abdication in 1907, renamed Deoksugung; its grounds were turned into a park and drastically reduced
Gyeonghuigung	Remaining buildings demolished; a Japanese school built on the site. Sungjeongjeon Hall was sold to a Japanese temple in 1926 (now housed at Dongguk University)

One by one: demolish a palace and put a zoo in its place, lay tram tracks across the front gate. The Gwanghwamun woldae — the ceremonial stone platform — had its balustrades pulled up and buried in 1923 to make way for streetcar rails.

Restoration — When Was What You See Built

• Gyeongbokgung: Restoration began in earnest in the 1990s. The Japanese Government-General building was demolished in 1995. The Heungnyemun complex, Geoncheonggung and Gwanghwamun were restored in stages. In October 2023, the Gwanghwamun woldae and the black-and-gold plaque were restored.
• Changdeokgung: Restoration from the 1990s onward. In 1997, the only one of the palaces to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Changgyeonggung: The name “Changgyeonggung” was restored in 1983. The zoo moved to Gwacheon. The cherry trees were transplanted to Yeouido and Seoul Grand Park.
• Deoksugung: Restoration from the 1980s. Buildings from the Korean Empire period — Seokjojeon, Dondeokjeon, Jungmyeongjeon — remain alongside the palace structures.
• Gyeonghuigung: The school was relocated in 1978, then excavation and restoration followed. Heunghwamun, Sungjeongjeon, Jajeongjeon and Taeryeongjeon now stand.

This means a good portion of what you see at Gyeongbokgung was rebuilt after the 1990s. Knowing this actually makes the visit more interesting. Buildings from the 19th-century reconstruction, like Geunjeongjeon, stand on the same axis as structures rebuilt in the 1990s, like Heungnyemun.

Which Palace, How Much Time

I do not recommend trying to hit all five in a single day. You can physically do it, but you will not remember much. The integrated ticket is valid for six months — spread the visits out.

A few practical points:

• Deoksugung is open 09:00–21:00 year-round (last admission 20:00). It is the only palace that easily fits into an evening schedule.
• Changgyeonggung also stays open until 21:00, but the night-time area is restricted.
• Jongmyo: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are timed-entry guided tours only — you enter at a fixed time, walk the route with an interpreter for about an hour, and leave. Self-guided visits are allowed only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. However, for the 2026 summer heat period (1 July to 31 August), free self-guided entry has been in effect temporarily.
• Gyeonghuigung is free and is managed not by the Korea Heritage Service but by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (the Seoul Museum of History). The information is therefore listed in a different place. It is a ten-minute walk from Seodaemun Station (Line 5), Exit 4.

What Is the Best Way to Pay for Entry

The integrated ticket costs 6,000 won and covers the four palaces plus Jongmyo, one visit each, valid six months. You will still find plenty of pages online saying “10,000 won.” That figure is old. Changdeokgung’s Huwon garden is not included.

If you buy each individually: Gyeongbokgung 3,000 + Changdeokgung 3,000 + Changgyeonggung 1,000 + Deoksugung 1,000 + Jongmyo 1,000 = 9,000 won. So the integrated ticket wins if you are going to three or more.

But there is a third option. Wear hanbok and all four are free. I have done the arithmetic comparing all three approaches in a separate piece: Is the Integrated Palace Pass Worth It.

Free admission days are also changing in 2026. Deoksugung shifts to free every Wednesday starting in August, and Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo from October. Gyeongbokgung alone has been deferred due to crowding and safety concerns: for now, only the last Wednesday of each month is free.

Why a Hanbok Site Covers Palaces

My customers came to rent hanbok, but the information they actually needed was “is that gate open today.” Hanbok is clothing for entering a palace, and the free-entry policy means the admission fee disappears. So the opening schedules and pricing — these were things we checked every day.

Four of the five palaces do not charge you if you are wearing a proper hanbok. The standard is straightforward. You need a top (jeogori) and a bottom (skirt or trousers), and the jeogori must have an overlapping collar. A durumagi coat alone, or a hanbok bottom with a T-shirt, does not qualify.

The fees, hours and policies listed here are current as of the posting date and may change. 2026 in particular is a year when the free admission day system is being overhauled in stages, so check the official notice just before your visit.

Compare 28 hanbok shops at Gyeongbokgung →