Deoksu Palace to relive 1901 diplomacy of Korean Empire

Deoksu Palace will host the immersive reenactment Audience with Foreign Envoys of the Korean Empire in central Seoul from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4. The Korea Heritage Service and Korea Heritage Agency are staging the program to recreate the spring of 1901, with visitors joining as press correspondents for the Korean Empire. The event marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France and is themed The Korean Empire: Embarking on Diplomacy Toward the Future.

The program is free of charge and each session is limited to 40 participants.

Reservations open on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. through Ticketlink on a first-come, first-served basis.

Direct phone bookings are available for seniors aged 65 and over, visitors with disabilities and national veterans.

The 90-minute reenactment spans four locations inside Deoksu Palace, historically known as Gyeongungung.

Published Sep 16, 2026 3:33 pm KST

A view of Hamnyeongjeon Hall, the imperial bedchamber and official audience hall for foreign envoys during the Korean Empire, at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul. Hankook Ilbo

Step through the grand gates of Deoksu Palace this autumn, and the year is no longer 2026, but 1901. Amid the looming shadows of regional empires, Emperor Gojong is entertaining foreign envoys, desperately leveraging diplomacy to safeguard his nation's sovereignty.

Beginning Oct. 2, the Korea Heritage Service, alongside the Korea Heritage Agency, will host an immersive historical reenactment titled "Audience with Foreign Envoys of the Korean Empire" at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul. Running through Oct. 4, the event invites visitors to step directly into a pivotal chapter of modern Korean history.

Timed to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, this year’s program, themed "The Korean Empire: Embarking on Diplomacy Toward the Future," reconstructs the tense geopolitical landscape of the spring of 1901.

Rather than serving as passive spectators, participants will take on the role of press correspondents for the Korean Empire. Equipped with press notebooks and dedicated web applications, audience members will follow historical reenactments across the palace grounds and draft their own dispatch stories.

The 90-minute narrative unfolds across four distinct locations within Deoksu Palace, known historically as Gyeongungung.

Correspondents first gather at Gwangmyeong Gate to cover the arrival of foreign diplomats before moving to Hamnyeongjeon Hall, where Emperor Gojong officially grants an audience to Victor Collin de Plancy, the French minister to Korea, and John Harington Gubbins, the British charge d'affaires.

The narrative then shifts to Jeonggwanheon Hall as imperial officials Hyeon Sang-geon and Yi Han-eung engage in candid diplomatic talks with foreign envoys over pressing international issues. Finally, the narrative culminates in the courtyard of Jeukjodang and Junmyeongdang with a festive banquet featuring traditional dance performances and music by the Korean Empire’s military band.

The timing carries rich historical symbolism.

In 1901, the Korean Empire sought to assert its neutral standing on the world stage, relying on diplomatic ties with Western powers like France and Britain to counter encroaching regional influences. Figures like Yi — who would later serve in London as a diplomat — personify the tragic yet resolute diplomatic efforts of the era.

Reservations open on a first-come, first-served basis starting Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. via Ticketlink . The program is free of charge, with each session limited to 40 participants to maintain an intimate, interactive experience. Direct phone bookings are available for seniors aged 65 and over, visitors with disabilities and national veterans.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

10月2日至4日，首尔市中心的德寿宫将举办沉浸式体验活动“接见大韩帝国外国使节”。韩国文化遗产厅和韩国文化遗产服务处联合举办此次活动，旨在重现1901年春天的场景，届时游客将扮演大韩帝国的新闻记者。此次活动是为了纪念韩法建交140周年，主题为“大韩帝国：开启外交新篇章，迈向未来”。

该项目免费，每期课程限40人参加。

9月17日下午2点起，可通过Ticketlink网站预订，先到先得。

65岁及以上的老年人、残疾人士和退伍军人可直接通过电话预订。

这场 90 分钟的重现表演横跨德寿宫（历史上称为庆宫）内的四个地点。

发布于2026年9月16日下午3:33（韩国标准时间）

位于首尔市中心德寿宫的咸宁殿，曾是朝鲜帝国时期皇室的寝宫和接见外国使节的正式场所。（图片来源：《韩国日报》）

今年秋天，踏入德寿宫的宏伟大门，仿佛时光倒流，回到了1901年，而非2026年。在地区帝国的阴影笼罩下，高宗皇帝正在接见外国使节，竭尽全力运用外交手段来捍卫国家的主权。

自10月2日起，韩国文化遗产服务中心将联合韩国文化遗产厅在首尔市中心的德寿宫举办名为“接见大韩帝国外国使节”的沉浸式历史重现活动。该活动将持续至10月4日，邀请参观者亲身感受韩国近代史上一个至关重要的篇章。

为纪念韩国与法国建交140周年，今年的活动以“大韩帝国：开启外交新篇章，迈向未来”为主题，重现了1901年春季紧张的地缘政治格局。

参与者不再是被动的旁观者，而是扮演大韩帝国的新闻记者。他们将配备新闻笔记本和专用网络应用程序，跟随历史重现场景在宫殿内进行报道，并撰写自己的新闻稿。

这部 90 分钟的影片以德寿宫（历史上被称为景宫）内的四个不同地点为背景展开叙事。

记者们首先聚集在光明门，报道外国使节的到来，然后前往咸宁殿，在那里，高宗皇帝正式接见了法国驻朝鲜公使维克托·科林·德·普朗西和英国临时代办约翰·哈林顿·古宾斯。

随后，叙事转向正官殿，玄尚建和李汉荣两位官员在此与外国使节就紧迫的国际问题进行坦诚的外交会谈。最后，叙事在赤祖堂和纯明堂的庭院中达到高潮，一场盛大的宴会上，韩国帝国军乐队演奏并表演了传统舞蹈。

这一时机蕴含着丰富的历史象征意义。

1901年，大韩帝国力图在世界舞台上保持中立，依靠与法国和英国等西方列强的外交关系来对抗不断扩张的地区势力。像李承晚（后来在伦敦担任外交官）这样的人物，正是那个时代悲剧而又坚定的外交努力的化身。

活动将于9月17日下午2点起通过Ticketlink网站开放预约，先到先得。活动免费，每场限40人参加，以确保互动性强、氛围亲密的体验。65岁及以上的老年人、残障人士和退伍军人可直接致电预约。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。