146 Days Since Cheongwadae Opening... Visitor Count Surpasses 2 Million

Last Year's Total Visitors to Gyeongbokgung Palace Reached 1.9 Times

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] It has been revealed that 2 million people have visited Cheongwadae, which has been open to the public since May 10, the inauguration day of President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The Cultural Heritage Administration's Cheongwadae Public Opening Promotion Team announced at around 10:35 a.m. on the 2nd that the number of visitors to Cheongwadae surpassed 2 million. This record was set on the 146th day since the opening of Cheongwadae.

In terms of visitor numbers alone, this is about 1.9 times the number of visitors to Gyeongbokgung Palace last year. A promotion team official said, "Considering that the annual number of visitors to Gyeongbokgung Palace last year was about 1.08 million, this is an unprecedented figure."

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration opened Cheongwadae, which had been regarded as the exclusive domain of the highest power in modern Korean history, to the public starting May 10. From May 23 of the same month, the interiors of major buildings such as the Main Hall and the State Guest House were also opened.

Since the opening, it is known that an average of about 20,000 people visit Cheongwadae on weekends and about 10,000 on weekdays.

The promotion team has continuously expanded signboards, resting chairs, and other facilities so that visitors can comfortably tour Cheongwadae. Additionally, on weekends and public holidays, a 'car-free street to Cheongwadae' is implemented.

Last month, a total of six trees?including one Korean red pine in the Cheongwadae Green Garden, three pagoda trees near the Green Garden forest, and one Chinese scholar tree in front of Sangchunjae?were designated as natural monuments under the name 'Cheongwadae Old Giant Trees (老巨樹, old and large trees).'

The promotion team stated, "We will do our best to ensure that Cheongwadae can be a place that offers a special experience to the public and receives much love."