K-Royal Culture Festival opens reservations for foreign visitors

Reservations specifically for foreign visitors for the upcoming K-Royal Culture Festival opened on Creatrip on Monday, the Korea Heritage Agency said the same day.

This year's spring edition of the festival will take place from April 25 to May 3.

The biannual event, now in its 12th edition, offers traditional performances, exhibitions and hands-on programs across the Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu, Changgyeong and Gyeonghui Palaces and Jongmyo Shrine, all located in the central Seoul area.

Last year, the event received a record-breaking 1.37 million visitors for the spring and fall festivals combined.

In the upcoming edition, organizers expanded the number of programs targeting foreigners to six.

On April 24, a large-scale performance featuring traditional dances, media facades, a hanbok (traditional Korean dress) fashion show and gugak (traditional Korean music) fused with EDM will take place at Gyeongbok Palace. The program will accommodate 300 international visitors, and participation will be free.

Changdeok Palace will host English-language nighttime tours from April 28 to 30, exploring the artistic world of the royal court during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Another program at Changdeok Palace, running from April 28 to May 3, will allow participants to walk through the palace buildings and garden with a guide and learn about the palace’s architecture. Each Changdeok Palace program will accept 40 foreign visitors, with a participation fee of 10,000 won ($7) per person.

Deoksu Palace will host a food-tasting program from May 1 to 3, in which participants will learn about royal banquet cuisine from the Korean Empire (1897-1910). The event is set to take place twice a day, with each session allowing up to 20 participants at a fee of 15,000 won per person.

Traditional music performances will take place at both Changdeok Palace from May 1 to 3 and in the evenings at Jongmyo Shrine from April 28 to 30.

All programs require reservations.

Bookings for Korean participants for the K-Royal Culture Festival will open via Ticketlink on April 2.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]