SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) -Royal palaces in Seoul drew record crowds last year, led by a surge in foreign visitors to Gyeongbok Palace as interest in Korean pop culture increasingly spilled over into traditional heritage sites.
Gyeongbok, the largest of Seoul’s four main royal palaces, attracted 6.89 million visitors in 2025, up 6.9 percent from 6.44 million a year earlier, according to data submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Service to Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sun-mee.
The rise was driven disproportionately by overseas visitors.
Foreign attendance at Gyeongbok jumped 37.3 percent to 2.78 million from 2.03 million in 2024. Domestic visitors also increased, rising 7.1 percent to 4.10 million.
The figures reinforce Gyeongbok’s position as one of Seoul’s most prominent tourism destinations, increasingly drawing visitors whose interest in Korea was first sparked by K-pop, television dramas and other Korean cultural exports.
The other major palaces also maintained steady traffic.
Deoksu Palace drew 3.56 million visitors, up 5 percent from a year earlier, including 378,069 foreigners.
Changdeok Palace received 2.22 million visitors, of whom 665,893 were from overseas, while Changgyeong Palace drew 1.60 million visitors, including 269,970 foreigners.
Combined attendance at Seoul’s four major palaces reached 14.27 million in 2025, continuing a rapid recovery from the pandemic.
The total stood at just 3.84 million in 2021 before climbing to 8.05 million in 2022, 11.40 million in 2023 and 12.72 million in 2024.
Foreign attendance grew even faster.
The number of overseas visitors to the four palaces rose from 59,125 in 2021 to 501,296 in 2022, 1.92 million in 2023 and 3.07 million in 2024. It reached 4.10 million last year.
The trend extended beyond royal heritage sites.
The National Museum of Korea drew 6.51 million visitors in 2025, up 68.3 percent from the previous year, making it the country’s second-most visited major attraction after Gyeongbok, according to government tourism statistics.
KINTEX convention center ranked third with 5.94 million visitors, while Suncheonman National Garden and Wetland attracted 4.80 million, up 11.5 percent. Kangwon Land casino received 2.48 million visitors, an increase of 4.4 percent.
Jin said the global spread of K-pop and other Korean cultural content was increasingly feeding interest in the country’s traditional heritage.
“Interest generated by the global K-culture boom is extending to Korea’s traditional national heritage,” she said, adding that palace walks and museum visits were becoming popular forms of cultural leisure for both Koreans and foreign visitors.
AJP Takeaways
- Foreigners are driving the palace boom. Gyeongbok’s overseas visitors jumped 37.3 percent last year to 2.78 million, far outpacing growth in domestic attendance.
- Seoul’s royal palaces have moved well beyond their pandemic recovery. Combined attendance at the four main palaces reached 14.27 million in 2025, nearly four times the 2021 level.
- K-culture tourism is broadening into heritage and museums. The National Museum of Korea drew 6.51 million visitors, while lawmakers say global interest in K-pop and other Korean content is increasingly translating into demand for traditional cultural experiences.
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