The Cultural Heritage Administration announced that a public forum aimed at discussing appropriate admission fees for palaces and tombs will take place on September 8 at 2 p.m. in the auditorium of the National Palace Museum of Korea in Jongno, Seoul.
This forum is being organized to incorporate the voices of citizens who directly use these sites into policy decisions. The government will publicly recruit 45 participants for a 'citizen discussion group.'
Citizens interested in joining the discussion group can submit their applications from August 12 to 20 through a QR code found in promotional materials posted on the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Palace and Tombs Heritage Headquarters websites and social media. Selection will consider factors such as gender, age, region, and experience visiting the palaces. Results will be communicated individually by September 1.
Members of the citizen discussion group will attend the forum, listen to expert presentations, and freely express their opinions.
Anyone can also participate in the forum by registering on-site. There will be an opportunity for comments during the Q&A session later in the event. The forum will be live-streamed on the Cultural Heritage Administration's YouTube channel.
Concerns have been raised that the admission fees for palaces, which have remained unchanged for 20 years, do not adequately reflect inflation and rising maintenance costs. Currently, the admission fee for Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung is 3,000 won per adult, while Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, Jongmyo, and the royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty charge 1,000 won each. The Sejong site charges 500 won. In comparison, admission to Buckingham Palace in the UK is £65.7 (about 120,000 won), and the Palace of Versailles in France charges between €25 and €35 (about 43,000 to 60,000 won), highlighting a significant disparity.
Cultural Heritage Administration Commissioner Heo Min stated, “It is time for the wisdom of the public to enhance the value of our precious heritage and create a sustainable viewing environment. I encourage everyone to take an interest and participate, especially through the citizen discussion group, so that diverse voices can be directly reflected in policy.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.