Nighttime tour of Gyeongbok Palace to begin next month

nocturnal tour of the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in central Seoul will run from April 1 through May 31, every Wednesday to Sunday between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). The tour will not operate on April 30. The CHA said it limited the daily total of visitors to 2,000 due to concerns over the potential spread of COVID-19. Last fall, a maximum of 4,500 were welcomed to the tour each day, it said. Tickets can be reserved in advance at 3,000 won (US$2.65) each at the e-commerce website 11Street (ticket.11st.co.kr). Foreign nationals or those aged 65 or above can also purchase tickets on-site. Those who wear the traditional Korean attire "hanbok" will be eligible for free entry. Separately, a weeklong Royal Culture Festival that explores Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu, Changgyeong and Gyeonghui palaces of the Joseon Dynasty as well as Jongmyo Shrine, all in central Seoul, will take place from May 1-9. During that period, night tours of Gyeongbok Palace will be available on Monday (May 3) and Tuesday (May 4) as well. nyway@yna.co.kr (END)