The Fall K-Royal Culture Festival for Everyone Special programs for foreigners, children, teenagers, and seniors will be held at the four major palaces and Jongmyo Shrine (October 8-12)...Advance reservations start (September 11, 12:00 PM) The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service (Director Lee Jaepil), together with the Korea Heritage Agency (President Lee Gwiyoung), will host the 2025 Fall K-Royal Culture Festival for five days from October 8 to October 12 at Seoul’s four major palaces—Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung—and Jongmyo Shrine.   Now in its 11th year, the K-Royal Culture Festival is Korea’s largest national heritage festival. It presents traditional cultural contents in the palaces, including performances, exhibitions, and hands-on experiences. This year, the festival broadens its scope by strengthening collaboration with holders of intangible cultural heritage and traditional cultural brands. Introducing tailored programs for the audience including the youth and seniors aged 60 and over, and offering special programs to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Liberation and the restoration of Jongmyo Main Hall.   ■ Hanbok Royal Banquet (Yeonhyang): A Special Day at Gyeongbokgung wearing Hanbok At Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Hanbok Royal Banquet (Yeonhyang) (Oct 8–9) returns following last year’s enthusiastic response. Visitors dressed in hanbok can stroll through the northern area, including Jibokjae Hall and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, while enjoying a wide range of programs.   This year for the first time, the festival introduces the "Hanbok Storytelling" program featuring live demonstrations by designated intangible cultural heritage holders: Park Young-ae (traditional sewing educator), Yoon Jung-sook (embroidery apprentice), and Park Soo-young (gold-leaf apprentice). There will also be docent talks by the Eochimjang, the chief court tailor of the Sanguiwon, sharing expert insights into hanbok craftsmanship. In addition, contemporary reinterpretations of UNESCO-listed intangible heritage including court dances (Jeongjaemu), Ganggangsullae, and pansori will add a modern touch to these traditions.   * Eochimjang: The highest position at Sanguiwon, responsible for the king and queen’s attire during the Joseon Dynasty. * Jeongjaemu: The collective name for dances performed at palace banquets.   Alongside these, in collaboration with local small business owners, the festival offers diverse experiences such as the second-hand hanbok pop-up store “Take home a Hanbok!” and the “Hanbok Arcade,” where visitors can freely enjoy hanbok-themed games and activities, allowing everyone to discover the charm of hanbok in multiple ways.   ■ New Generation-Specific Programs at Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung At Changgyeonggung Palace, a new program tailored for seniors aged 60 and over, Donggwol Jangwonseo (Oct 8–12), invites participants to pot their own plants while experiencing traditional horticultural culture. * Jangwonseo: The bureau historically responsible for managing the palace’s gardens, flowers, and fruit trees.   Throughout Changgyeonggung Palace including Myeongjeongjeon, Tongmyeongjeon, and Gyeongchunjeon, the “Time Travel at Changgyeonggung” program (October 11–12) vividly reenacts daily life in the Joseon royal court. In the evening, a special nighttime guided tour titled “Joseon Nights: Sky and Wind” (October 11–12) will be offered. Centered around the Gwancheondae astronomical observatory, science communicators Hangseong and Exo will share engaging stories about astronomy and history.   At Junmyeongdang Hall in Deoksugung Palace, a brand-new hands-on program for children, “Junmyeongdang Children’s School” (October 11–12), will be introduced. Set in the space where Princess Deokhye, daughter of Emperor Gojong, once studied, child participants can enjoy learning palace etiquette, exploring nature, and traditional craft games, making royal culture fun and accessible.   At Jeonggwanheon Hall in Deoksugung Palace, two humanities concerts will be held. On October 10, Professor Jang Yoo-jung from Dankook University will revisit the meaning of our 80th anniversary of liberation through the theme “Songs Against Imperialism, Deoksugung and Modern Korean Music.” On October 11, Professor Jeon Kyung-wook from Korea University will present “Traditional Korean Masked Drama,” introducing the audience to the depth of Korea’s traditional performing arts.   ■ Experience the K-Royal Culture Festival at Changdeokgung and Jongmyo Shrine At Changdeokgung Palace, the popular “Awakening the Morning Palace” program returns this fall from October 8 to 12. Guided by commentary from museum essayist Kim Seoul, participants take a leisurely walk through the Secret Garden while learning about the daily life and culture in the royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty.   At Nakseonjae, Seokbokheon, and Sugangjae Halls in Changdeokgung Palace, the program “Nakseonjae: 100 Years of Time and Scenery” (October 8–12) will take place. Featuring exhibitions and hands-on crafts, the program highlights the lives of imperial women of the Korean Empire including Empress Sunjeonghyo, Yi Bangja, Crown Princess Uimin, and Princess Deokhye. Special educational activities will also be offered for invited guests.   At Yeongnyeongjeon Hall in Jongmyo Shrine, history lecturer Choi Tae-sung will give a “Jongmyo Humanities Concert” on October 8, focusing on the restoration of Jongmyo’s Main Hall and its significance. Yeongnyeongjeon will also host the “Palace Concert: Ritual Music Meets Pungryu” (October 9–12), a series of performances blending traditional ritual music with the beauty of Jongmyo Shrine.   A new youth program, the “Jongmyo Architecture Expedition” (October 11–12), will allow participants to explore the shrine’s buildings, learn about their architecture and complete missions.   ■ Diverse Festive Side Events During the K-Royal Culture Festival, the Royal Court Games Playroom offers interactive games and activities led by festival volunteers, Goong-ee Doong-ee. At Changgyeonggung Palace, experience a magical evening with the "Moonlight Lotus Show", a nighttime media art program that transforms the palace scenery after dark.   The festival also features the K-Royal Culture Festival Stamp Tour, connecting the four major royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine, and the Gilnori: Traditional Performance Parade (October 9 at Deoksugung; October 12 at Changgyeonggung), adding excitement and energy to the celebration. The popular Palace Pass Norigae, a special souvenir much loved in spring, returns with a fresh design to delight festival goers.   ■ Participate in the K-Royal Culture Festival Online An online interactive program, “Genre Painting for All 2025”, will be operated. From September 12 to October 26, Participants can create their own Joseon Dynasty characters on the website(www.pungsokdo.com), and experience Korean traditional culture in a fun and fresh way. This year, special photo frames for “Genre Painting for All” will also be available at Photoism booths nationwide from October 1 to 14, allowing people across Korea to enjoy the festival’s atmosphere wherever they are.   Programs requiring advance reservation can be booked from September 11, 12:00 PM, via Ticketlink (www.ticketlink.co.kr). Foreign guest programs are available via Creatrip (www.creatrip.com).   For details, refer to the official website of the festival (kh.or.kr/fest), Instagram (@royalculturefestival_official), or contact the Festival Program Information Center (☎ 1522-2295).   The Korea Heritage Service and Korea Heritage Agency aim to make the K-Royal Culture Festival a celebration that unites generations and the global audience, strengthening the wave of K-culture around the world.

2025 Fall K-Royal Culture Festival has opened ticket sales exclusively for foreigners. Please refer to the following notice for booking and participation details.     Festival Overview   - Period: 10.8.~10.12.(5 days)   - Locations: 4 Royal Palaces in Seoul (Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace) and Jongmyo Shrine   - Programs: Traditional contents including performances, exhibitions, and ritual enactments, cultural& historical experiences etc.     Exclusive Programs for foreigners   1. Awakening the Morning Palace(10.8.~10.12.)   A brief summary of the program   -A peaceful guided walk through Changdeokgung with no crowds.   -Ticket Price: 7.2 USD   Link for reservation➝ https://creatrip.com/en/spot/14742       2. Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Royal Banquet(10.8.~10.9.)   A brief summary of the program   -Nighttime special Hanbok festival in Gyoengbokgung Palace(Performances, Exhibitions, Traditional experiences) * Participation Requirement: Wearing Traditional Hanbok   -Ticket Price: Free entry if you’re wearing Hanbok   Link for reservation➝ https://creatrip.com/en/spot/15095     3. 2025 Gyeongbokgung Palace Court Music Concert <Ballet x Sujechoen>(9.25.~9.28.)   A brief summary of the program   - Traditional korean music performance with ballet in the stunning night views of Gyeongbokgung & Jibokjae   - Ticket Price: 14.4 USD   Link for reservation➝ https://creatrip.com/en/spot/14393       Overview of Royal Palace Programs, Exclusively for foreigners   - English https://creatrip.com/en/landing-area/1827   - Japan https://creatrip.com/jp/landing-area/1823   - Taiwan https://creatrip.com/landing-area/1825   - Hong kong https://creatrip.com/zh-HK/landing-area/1826

The 2025 Fall K-Royal Culture Festival Welcomes Global Visitors Discover Korea’s Royal Heritage Across Seoul’s Palaces - Online reservations available through Creatrip beginning August 26 The 2025 Fall K-Royal Culture Festival, hosted by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service (Director Lee Jaepil) and organized by the Korea Heritage Agency (President Lee Gwiyoung), will open reservations for programs designed for international visitors on August 26 at 10:00 AM (KST) through Creatrip (www.creatrip.com).   This year’s festival expands opportunities for foreign visitors by adding two new programs compared to last year. Running from October 8 to 12 across Seoul’s major palaces and Jongmyo Shrine, the festival offers a wide range of experiences themed around royal rituals, arts, and daily life. By creatively reinterpreting traditional culture, it provides an engaging celebration that both domestic and international audiences can enjoy together.   ▲ At Gyeongbokgung Palace, the “Hanbok Royal Banquet (Yeonhyang)” (October 8–9) will be held. This large-scale program invites participants to enjoy the palace grounds dressed in traditional hanbok. A total of 3,000 people (2,400 Koreans and 600 foreigners) can join over two days. Admission is free but advance reservation is required, and wearing hanbok is mandatory.   Participants will enjoy traditional performances such as the Taepyeongmu court dance and Ganggangsullae, along with “Hanbok Storytelling,” where heritage masters share insights into hanbok craftsmanship. The program also includes a secondhand hanbok pop-up store in collaboration with local merchants and special events with leading K-culture product brands.   ▲ At Changdeokgung Palace, the popular “Awakening the Morning Palace” program (October 8–12) will return. Before the palace opens, visitors can stroll along the tranquil morning forest paths and the Secret Garden while guided by a cultural interpreter. Participants receive a walking guidebook and traditional refreshments. The international sessions are conducted in English, limited to 40 people per session, with admission set at KRW 10,000 per person by advance reservation only.   Ahead of the festival, a special performance “Palace Concert - Ballet × Sujecheon” will be staged at the Jibokjae courtyard of Gyeongbokgung Palace from September 25 to 28, with designated seating for foreign visitors. Since its 2022 debut, this fusion of Korean traditional music and ballet has been widely acclaimed by both domestic and international audiences.   The concert consists of three acts: “Ballet Court Dance,” based on Jongmyo Jeryeak and Sujecheon; “Ballet Fantasy,” combining folk songs, pansori, and romantic ballet; and “Ballet Binari,” fusing Samulnori with contemporary ballet. Each session accommodates 550 people (450 Koreans and 100 foreigners). All tickets are KRW 20,000 and available only through advance reservation.   An official from the Korea Heritage Agency stated, “This fall, we sought to share programs already popular with domestic audiences with foreign visitors as well. Through programs that blend tradition and modernity, we aim to showcase Korea’s royal culture and arts to the world.”   For more details, visit the official festival website (kh.or.kr/fest) or contact Creatrip by email (help@creatrip.com). Programs for Korean participants will open separately in September via Ticketlink (www.ticketlink.co.kr).

Korea’s largest cultural heritage festival set against the magnificent royal palaces — the “2025 K-Royal Culture Festival” seeks volunteers, Goong-ee Doong-ee. The Fall K-Royal Culture Festival offers a host of programs to immerse in Seoul’s royal palaces. We eagerly await your participation to guide visitors to every corner of the palaces! 1. Festival Details ○ Name: 2025 Fall K-Royal Culture Festival ○ Period: 5 days, Oct 8 (WED) – Oct 12 (SUN), 2025 ○ Location: Four Major Palaces of Seoul (Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace,                               Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine ○ Host: Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service ○ Organizer: Korea Heritage Agency   2. Eligibility ○ For South Korean citizens born before 2006 or Korean-speaking foreigners ※ Must be responsible for their own accommodation during the period ○ Must participate in major events, such as the opening ceremony, and must be able to actively participate during the festival period ○ (Preferred) have foreign language communication skills (English, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, etc.)   3. Recruitment Summary ○ Number of Recruitment: About 50 persons *including 10 non-Koreans quota ○ Activities: Provide support for the festival programs’ on-site operations, Plan and lead creative activities(team planning) ※ Reference: Goong-ee Doong-ee volunteers’ activities video (https://youtu.be/Tn_oBhZ8nLI) ○ Recruitment Schedule Aug 7 (THU) - 20 (WED) 23:00 ▶ Aug 27 (WED) 17:00 ▶ AUG 28 (THU) - 31 (SUN) 23:00 ▶ SEP 5 (FRI) 17:00 Recruitment announcement and application submission Announce results of application screening Video interview submission (online interview) Announce final results ○ Activity Schedule SEP 10 (WED) 16:00~20:00 ▶ SEP 10 (WED)-OCT 7 (TUE) ▶ SEP 25 (THU)-SEP 28 (SUN) OCT 8(WED)-OCT 12(SUN) ▶ End of Programs Opening ceremony (required) Plan team activities On-site activities   4. Application ○ Online submission (Fill out Google Form application) - Korean Application : CLICK  - Foreigner Application : CLICK  ※ Application also available on K-Royal Culture Festival, the Korea Heritage Service, and the Korea Heritage Agency homepages. ○ Documents for submission - Application Screening (Round 1): Fill out and submit Google Form application - Video Interview (Round 2): Online video evaluation (applicants that have passed Round 1 will be contacted individually for further directions)   5. Evaluation Criteria A. Application evaluation for Korean applicants - Application Evaluation Criteria *candidate pool is double the final selection in the order of high scorers Evaluation Criteria Details Score Qualitative Motivation and activity plans - Interest and enthusiasm toward the festival (15 points) - Level of understanding toward the festival and Goong-ee Doong-ee (15 points) - Sincerity of application content (10 points) 40 points Capabilities - Ability to explain or have background in history, traditional culture, etc. (15 points) - Foreign language communication skills (15 points) 30 points Quantitative Attendance - Number of days available for on-site participation · 10-6 days (20 points) / 5-3 days (10 points) / 2-1 day (0 points) 20 points Past festival experiences - Similar experience at festival or programs hosted by another organization (10 points) 10 point Total 100 points - Video Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria Details Score General - Clear delivery of motivation for application and activity plans (15 points) - Interest in the festival (15 points) 30 points Score by Prompt - (Prompt 1) suitability of personal ability and festival activities - (Prompt 2) performance of related experiences and its relevance to the festival - (Prompt 3) originality and thoroughness of suggested activity plan 40 points Miscellaneous - Candidate’s eagerness to participate (15 points) - Communication skills, including the structure and delivery of presentation content (15 points) 30 points Total 100 points   B. Application Evaluation for Non-Korean Applicants - Application Evaluation Criteria *candidate pool is double the final selection in the order of high scorers Evaluation Criteria Details Score Qualitative Motivation and activity plans - Interest and enthusiasm toward the festival (20 points) - Level of understanding toward the festival and Goong-ee Doong-ee (20 points) - Sincerity of application content (10 point) 50 points Quantitative Attendance - Number of days available for on-site participation · 10-6 days (50 points) / 5-3 days (30 points) / 2-1 day (0 points) 50 points Total 100 points - Video Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria Details Score General - Clear delivery of motivation for application and activity plans (25 points) - Interest in the festival (25 points) - Suitability of personal ability and festival activities (20 points) 70 points Miscellaneous - Candidate’s eagerness to participate (15 points) - Communication skills, including the structure and delivery of presentation content (15 points) 30 points Total 100 points 6. Volunteer’s Benefits ○ Approved volunteer hours (hours depend on each person’s on-site participation) ※ Must join 1365 Volunteer Portal (https://www.1365.go.kr) ○ Volunteer certification issued (must meet certification requirement; certification issued by President of Korea Heritage Agency) ○ Activity supply kits for K-Royal Culture Festival volunteers ○ Free admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine during festival period (admission is non-transferable) ○ Limited transportation expense and meals provided during on-site (offline) activity period ○ Eligible to be selected and awarded Excellent Volunteer ○ Official volunteer documents can be issued for college students participating during the week   7. Inquiries ○ 2025 Fall K-Royal Culture Festival Volunteers Team (02-3011-7726) / royalculture1@kh.or.kr

We are sorry to inform you some of our programs are reduced operation due to rainy weather forecast on May 3. * As of 3th May 11am For programs held both indoors and outdoors, only the indoor portion may proceed.   Flexible operation <Gyeongbokgung Palace> - K-Royal Culture Festival-Experience Palace Job - K-Heritage Market - Royal Court Games Playroom   <Deoksugung Palace> - Royal Recreations Club - Royal Court Games Playroom   Reduced Operation <Changdeokgung Palace> - The Queen's Wardrobe - The walking of royal family(11:30, cancelled)

We are sorry to inform you some of our programs are reduced operation or cancelled due to rainy weather forecast on May 1. Below is the list of reduced operation or cancelled programs so please check it out before visting K-royal culture festival. * As of 30th April 8:00pm ✅For programs held both indoors and outdoors, only the indoor portion may proceed. ✅At Changgyeonggung Palace, some artworks in the <Embracing: Palace Atmospheres> may not be available for viewing. <Gyeongbokgung Palace> Reduced Operation - K-Heritage Market(Temporary suspension by booth if necessary) - Spring Day at Gyeonghoeru Pavilion Cancelled - Royal Court Games Playroom <Changdeokgung Palace> Reduced Operation - Awakening the Morning Palace Cancelled - The walking of royal family - The Queen's Wardrobe <Deoksugung Palace> Reduced Operation - Royal Recreations club Cancelled - Pungryu with Disney - Royal Court Games Playroom <Changgyeonggung Palace> Reduced Operation - Embracing: Palace Atmospheres Cancelled - Welcome, You in Hanbok <Gyeonghuigung Palace> Cancelled - Gilnori: Traditional Performance Parade