Changdeokgung Palace opens royal chambers on 20 October
Published on 10/18/2026 at 08:04 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Changdeokgung Palace and its inner chambers will feature The King's Living Quarters guided programme in Seoul from 20 to 31 October 2026. The palace management office is opening Daejojeon Hall to the public for the first time this year alongside Huijeongdang.
Royal chambers open at Changdeokgung Palace on 20 October
The Changdeokgung Palace Management Office, under the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service, will run the programme from 20 to 31 October 2026. It is scheduled from Tuesday to Saturday, with two sessions each day.
The programme takes visitors through Huijeongdang and Daejojeon, buildings that served as living quarters and offices for kings and queens. The announced programme dates place the opening within the current autumn visitor calendar. The palace authority lists the same event in its official Changdeokgung notice.
Why Daejojeon matters to the palace visit
Daejojeon and Huijeongdang were destroyed by fire in 1917 and rebuilt in 1920. Their interiors combine traditional Korean architectural elements with early twentieth-century features, including glass windows, wallpaper, lampshades, carpets and traces of radiators.
The opening gives the October programme a direct connection to the buildings rather than presenting a separate event in the grounds. Huijeongdang contains reproductions of landscape paintings associated with Mount Kumgang, while Daejojeon includes facsimiles of Phoenixes and White Cranes. The programme also includes Huijeongdang's guest bathroom and a barbershop in Daejojeon.
Changdeokgung Palace became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Its buildings, ponds and pavilions are arranged within a landscape setting, a feature highlighted by the Korea Heritage Foundation in its heritage description of the palace.
Visiting Changdeokgung Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The King's Living Quarters takes place at Changdeokgung Palace from 20 to 31 October 2026, Tuesday to Saturday, with two sessions each day.
- Daejojeon is being opened to visitors for the first time in 2026, together with Huijeongdang, as part of a guided inner-chambers programme.
- The palace is at 99 Yulgok-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The official language is Korean and the national currency is the South Korean won.
- The visit concerns historic interiors, including rooms with fragile furnishings and architectural details. Visitors should follow the route and instructions given by the palace management office.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Changdeokgung Palace
When does The King's Living Quarters take place at Changdeokgung Palace?
The guided programme runs from 20 to 31 October 2026, Tuesday to Saturday, with two sessions each day.
What is opening at Changdeokgung Palace on 20 October 2026?
Daejojeon Hall is opening to visitors for the first time in 2026, together with Huijeongdang, through a guided programme.
Where is Changdeokgung Palace and how do you get there?
The palace is at 99 Yulgok-ro in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Its official visitor information identifies the site as part of Seoul's royal heritage precinct.
