Foreign visitors flock to Seoul's royal palaces as tourism rebounds

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.

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.

Published Sep 25, 2026 5:19 pm KST

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.

2025年，景福宫接待了创纪录的278万外国游客，首尔四大宫殿的游客数量持续增长。景福宫共接待游客689万人次，其他主要宫殿的游客数量也达到数百万。去年，随着新冠疫情后旅游业的复苏，四大宫殿的总游客量达到1427万人次。

2025年景福宫接待游客689万人次，比2024年的644万人次增长6.88%。

到访景福宫的外国游客总数为 278 万人次，比上年的 203 万人次增长了 37.34%。

德寿宫吸引了 356 万游客，其中约有 37.8 万外国游客；昌德宫吸引了 222 万游客；昌庆宫吸引了 160 万游客。

2021 年至 2025 年，这四座宫殿的游客总数从 384 万人次增加到 1427 万人次，同期外国游客人数从 5.9 万人次增加到 410 万人次。

发布于2026年9月25日下午5:19（韩国标准时间）

9月2日，外国游客参观首尔钟路区的景福宫。（韩国时报 沈贤哲 摄）

去年，景福宫吸引了创纪录的 278 万外国游客，成为韩国国际游客访问量最高的旅游景点，而首尔四大皇家宫殿的游客数量也持续增长。

根据韩国文化部和韩国遗产服务中心的数据，2025年景福宫的游客总数为689万人次，比上年的644万人次增长6.88%。

外国游客占总数的 278 万人次，比 2024 年的 203 万人次增长了 37.34%。国内游客也增长了 7.11%，达到 410 万人次。

其他三大宫殿——德寿宫、昌德宫和昌庆宫——去年也吸引了数百万游客。庆熙宫没有游客数量统计。

德寿宫吸引了 356 万游客，比上年增长 5%，其中外国游客约 37.8 万人，增长 1%。

昌德宫接待游客 222 万人次，其中外国游客约 66.6 万人次；昌庆宫接待游客 160 万人次，其中外国游客约 27 万人次。

随着新冠疫情后旅游业的复苏，这四座宫殿的游客总数稳步增长。游客数量从2021年的384万人次增加到2022年的805万人次，2023年的1140万人次和2024年的1272万人次，去年达到1427万人次。

外国游客数量增长速度更快，从 2021 年的 59,000 多人增至 2022 年的 501,000 人，2023 年达到 192 万人，2024 年达到 307 万人，去年达到 410 万人。