Foreign visitors flock to Seoul's royal palaces as tourism rebounds
Summary
Gyeongbok Palace drew a record 2.78 million foreign visitors in 2025 as attendance at Seoul’s four major royal palaces continued to rise. The palace received 6.89 million visitors in total, while the other major palaces also posted millions of visits. Overall attendance at the four palaces reached 14.27 million last year as tourism recovered after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Facts
- Gyeongbok Palace had 6.89 million visitors in 2025, up 6.88 percent from 6.44 million in 2024.
- Foreign visitors to Gyeongbok Palace totaled 2.78 million, a 37.34 percent increase from 2.03 million a year earlier.
- Deoksu Palace drew 3.56 million visitors, including about 378,000 foreign visitors, while Changdeok Palace had 2.22 million visitors and Changgyeong Palace had 1.60 million.
- Combined attendance at the four palaces rose from 3.84 million in 2021 to 14.27 million in 2025, and foreign visitors increased from just over 59,000 to 4.10 million over the same period.
Foreign tourists visit Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, Seoul, Sept. 2. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Gyeongbok Palace drew a record 2.78 million foreign visitors last year, making it the most visited tourist attraction among international visitors to Korea, as attendance at four of Seoul’s major royal palaces continued to rise.
According to the data from the Culture Ministry and the Korea Heritage Service, a total of 6.89 million people visited Gyeongbok Palace in 2025, up 6.88 percent from 6.44 million a year earlier.
Foreign visitors accounted for 2.78 million of the total, which is a 37.34 percent increase from 2.03 million in 2024. Domestic visitors also rose 7.11 percent to 4.10 million.
The other three major palaces — Deoksu, Changdeok and Changgyeong — also drew millions of visitors last year. Visitor numbers are not tracked at Gyeonghui Palace.
Deoksu Palace attracted 3.56 million visitors, up 5 percent from the previous year, including about 378,000 foreign visitors, up 1 percent.
Changdeok Palace recorded 2.22 million visitors, including about 666,000 foreign nationals, while Changgyeong Palace drew 1.60 million visitors, of whom about 270,000 were foreign.
Combined attendance at the four palaces rose steadily as tourism recovered following the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of visitors increased from 3.84 million in 2021 to 8.05 million in 2022, 11.40 million in 2023 and 12.72 million in 2024, reaching 14.27 million last year.
The number of foreign visitors grew even faster, rising from just over 59,000 in 2021 to 501,000 in 2022, before reaching 1.92 million in 2023, 3.07 million in 2024 and 4.10 million last year.
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