Public access to Chilgung Shrine complex to be restricted

Public access to the Chilgung Shrine complex, a collection of royal shrines near the Blue House, will be restricted starting next month as the presidential office returns to the former presidential compound after nearly three and a half years.

Daebingung Shrine inside the larger Chilgung Shrine complex near the Blue House in central Seoul [ROYAL PALACES AND TOMBS CENTER]

Public access to the Chilgung Shrine complex, a collection of royal shrines near the Blue House, will be restricted starting next month as the presidential office returns to the former presidential compound after nearly three and a half years.

Starting Feb. 1, Chilgung Shrine will no longer allow free, unguided visits and will instead operate on a reservation-only basis, the Korea Heritage Service announced on Wednesday.

Chilgung Shrine houses the memorial tablets of royal concubines who were mothers of kings from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and the Korean Empire (1897-1910) but who never held the title of queen. Located southwest of the Blue House, the complex was closed to the public for decades after 1968 before it was opened for limited public viewing in November 2001. It became freely accessible following the opening of the Blue House grounds.

However, with President Lee Jae Myung's office and related presidential facilities relocating back to the Blue House, the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center decided to introduce safety and crowd management measures, such as reservations.

From next month, visits to Chilgung will only be possible through online reservations. Tours will be held five times a day — at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. — and will each last about 40 minutes. A maximum of 30 people will be allowed per session, with a daily cap of 150 visitors.

Yuksanggung and Yeonhogung Shrines inside the larger Chilgung Shrine complex near the Blue House in central Seoul [ROYAL PALACES AND TOMBS CENTER]

A center official said that each tour will be led by a cultural heritage guide and accompanied by a safety officer.

Chilgung Shrine originated as a shrine for Lady Choi, the mother of King Yeongjo (reigned 1724-76), and was initially known as Sukbinmyo, or Sukbin Tomb. It was later renamed Yuksanggung Shrine. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1882 during the late Joseon period and rebuilt the following year. In 1908, several other shrines for royal concubines were consolidated into one location, forming the current Chilgung Shrine.

Today, the complex consists of seven shrines in total: Yuksanggung, Jeogyeonggung, Daebingung, Yeonhogung, Seonheegung, Gyeongugung and Deokangung. The “chil” in “Chilgung Shrine” means seven in Korean.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG JAE-HONG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]