Seosamneung Royal Tombs to fully open to public in September

An aerial view of Seosamneung's Hyoreung, the resting place of King Injong and Queen Inseong, in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province (CHA)

Hyoreung of the Seosamneung Royal Tombs in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, will soon welcome the public for the first time, as announced by the Cultural Heritage Administration's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, Wednesday. The opening marks an end to restricted access that has been in place.

Following the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon era in 2009, the CHA has consistently worked to maintain and preserve the royal tombs.

With the Seosamneung's full opening, all 40 Joseon royal tombs in South Korea will now be accessible to the public.

The Seosamneung Royal Tombs, recognized as Historic Site No. 200, occupy 224,254 square meters and comprise three distinct burial grounds: Hyoreung, Huireung and Yereung.

Hyoreung is the resting place of Joseon's 12th ruler, King Injong (1515-1545) and his consort Queen Inseong (1514-1578), while Yereung is the final resting place of Joseon's 25th ruler King Cheoljong (1831-1864) and his consort Queen Cheorin (1837-1878), both placed side by side. The complex also includes the three tombs of crown princes and crown princesses — Sogyeongwon, Uiryeongwon and Hyochangwon.

Seosamneung's Hyoreung, the resting place of King Injong and Queen Inseong (CHA)

To access Hyoreung, one had to pass through a dairy inspection office that is responsible for safe supply of milk to local farms. However, due to the nature of this function, external entry was strictly restricted. As a result, access to Hyoreung was granted only when deemed necessary, such as for maintenance and preservation works for cultural heritage and for academic research purposes.

A solution to the issue was found by creating a dedicated pathway for public access, eliminating the need for a distinct sanitization procedure.

The official inauguration ceremony is set to take place on Sept. 7, followed by the formal public opening of Seosamneung on Sept. 8.

For those interested in further exploring the site through guided tours, online reservations can be made through the CHA website.

Visitors will have the opportunity to join a 120-minute tour led by expert commentators, with three tour sessions available daily. Each session can accommodate up to 30 individuals.

By Kim Hae-yeon(hykim@heraldcorp.com)