[On-site Video] From VIP Reception Venue to Public Cultural Space... Samcheonggak Transformed After 50 Years

[Asia Economy PD Yoon Jin-geun] The Seoul Metropolitan Government has newly renovated Samcheonggak and reopened it on the 27th.

Samcheonggak was built on the foothills of Bukaksan Mountain shortly after the July 4th North-South Joint Statement in 1972, intended as a banquet venue for the North-South Red Cross delegations. The site covers 20,115 square meters and includes the main building Ilhwadang, as well as five annexes: Yuhajeong, Cheonchudang, Cheongcheondang, Chwihandang, and Dongbaekheon, along with two outdoor gardens.

From the 1970s to the 1980s, Samcheonggak was operated as a venue for hosting national VIPs. In 2000, Seoul City purchased Samcheonggak and operated it as a traditional culture complex space. From October 2020, the interior and exterior of the Samcheonggak buildings underwent renovations for about one year and nine months to renew aging facilities.

The main building, Ilhwadang, houses a performance hall with a total of 150 seats, and the indoor space along with the outdoor lawn can be used for performances, international conferences, and conventions. Ilhwadang also features a restaurant where visitors can enjoy traditional Korean cuisine and a terrace caf? offering panoramic views of Bukaksan Mountain and the Hanyangdoseong Fortress.

A view of Dongbaekheon, one of the annexes of Samcheonggak. This place operates as a hanok cafe. Photo by Yoon Jin-geun, PD

Among the annexes, Dongbaekheon operates as a hanok caf?, and Chwihandang has been transformed into an exhibition-only space. Yuhajeong is planned to be used as an educational and experiential venue for citizens, hosting traditional Korean food-making experience events and wine lectures every Thursday. Cheongcheondang, connected to the outdoor lawn, can host traditional weddings, corporate meetings, exhibitions, and other events.

The opening ceremony was held from 6 p.m. at Ilhwadang and the lawn in front of Ilhwadang. Domestic and international guests attended the event, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Ersin Er?in, Ambassador of T?rkiye to Korea, Edgar Gaspar Martins, Ambassador of Angola to Korea, and Bakyt Dusenbayev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Korea. Performances held in the hall inside Ilhwadang included a Samulnori performance by Kim Deok-su, pansori by traditional musician Oh Jeong-hae, and a hanbok fashion show.

Guests leaving after the opening ceremony on the afternoon of the 27th at Ilhwadang, the main building of Samcheonggak. Photo by Yoon Jin-geun PD

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon delivered a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony, stating, “I hope Samcheonggak becomes a world-class Korean cuisine restaurant, a space for the transmission of traditional culture, and a cultural hub.”