[2025 Audit] Foreign Visits to "Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour" Up 40%... Budget Cut by 10%

Threefold Increase in Foreign Visitors to "Saenggwabang"
Next Year’s Budget Cut by 20%... Concerns Over Reduced Operations

Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour

The budget for palace experience programs, which have seen a surge in foreign tourists, has actually been reduced for next year.

According to data released by Assemblyman Yang Moonseok of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on October 29, the number of reservations for the "Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour" increased from 3,651 in 2021 to 8,628 this year, more than doubling. The "Gogung Saenggwabang" program also saw an increase from 12,596 participants in 2023 to 14,057 this year.

The growth among foreign participants was even more significant. The number of foreign participants in the Moonlight Tour rose by 40%, from 750 last year to 1,044 this year. For the Saenggwabang program, the number of foreign visitors jumped more than threefold, from 56 to 202. In just the first half of this year, the programs already recorded 556 and 227 foreign participants, respectively, surpassing last year’s totals.

However, the budget for next year has been cut. The budget for the Moonlight Tour decreased by 10.7%, from 1.5 billion won to 1.34 billion won, while the Saenggwabang program’s budget dropped by 20%, from 970 million won to 770 million won. The National Heritage Promotion Agency stated, "With the reduced budget, it will be inevitable to decrease the number of program sessions."

Assemblyman Yang emphasized, "It is inconsistent policy to reduce the budget when demand is increasing," and stressed the need to expand funding.