[2024 Seoul Attraction] Travel Guide for Gwanghwamun Square (Updated Dec)

@ GWANGHWAMUN SQUARE.

Gwanghwamun Square (also known as Gwanghwamun Plaza; Korean: 광화문광장) is a public square on Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Serving as a public space and at times road for centuries of Korean history, it is also historically significant as the location of royal administrative buildings, known as Yukjo-geori or Street of Six Ministries; and features statues of Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Joseon Dynasty and King Sejong the Great of Joseon.

Where Flowers and History Flourish: Gwanghwamun Square in Bloom 🇰🇷

#flowerblossom #seoul #100waysoftravel Gwanghwamun Square is a prominent public plaza located in the heart of Seoul, South Korea, stretching along Sejong-ro, one of the city's main boulevards. It serves as a cultural and historical hub, connecting modern Seoul with its rich past. During spring and autumn season, Gwanghwamun Square transforms into a vibrant display of cherry blossoms and azaleas, adding a beautiful contrast to its historical surroundings. The square becomes a popular spot for leisurely strolls, photography, and springtime festivals, attracting both locals and tourists. The blooming flowers enhance the charm of this iconic Seoul landmark, offering a serene escape amidst the bustling city.

Seoul Light Gwanghwamun Square

If you are heading to Seoul now don’t miss out the 2024 Seoul Light Gwanghwamun. This is to celebrate the beginning of 2024 with light and music at Gwanghwamun Square. Dont miss out this spectacular light show in you happen to be in Seoul now till 21st. Period: Jan 2, 2024 (Tue) ~ Jan 21, 2024 (Sun) # Every Monday to Thursday, only the 'Gwanghwamun Light Show' will be screened (starts on the hour, and lasts for approximately 8 minutes).* Every Friday to Sunday, the 'Gwanghwamun Media Façade Show' will be screened (starts on the hour, and lasts for 35 minutes). #Seoul #winterlights #2024 #hiddengems

🌃 5 Secret Hidden Attractions in Seoul!🌟

1️⃣Bukchon Hanok Village 🏠 Strategy: Check the map in advance and plan your walking route. Mornings are better because there are fewer tourists. Highlight: See traditional hanoks and explore hidden craft shops and art galleries in the alleys. 2️⃣Cheonggyecheon Stream 🌊 Strategy: Walking along the river at night is the most romantic. The lights and art pieces add to the charm of the river. Highlight: Relax and enjoy the peace of the city at a riverside rest area. 3️⃣Hongik University Area 🎨 Strategy: Visit on the weekends. Many street artists and craft markets open at this time. Highlight: Experience the vibrant street culture, local art, and cafes. 4️⃣Gyeongbokgung Palace 🏯 Strategy: Take an English-guided tour to learn more about the palace’s history and architecture. Highlight: If you visit wearing a traditional hanbok, the entrance fee is free and you can take great pictures. 5️⃣N Seoul Tower 🗼 Strategy: Visit around sunset to enjoy the sunset and the city night view. Highlight: Enjoy a 360-degree view of Seoul from the observation deck at the top of the tower.

Last Summer Beach Festival in Seoul

#localescapes Here the last 2023 Seoul Summer Beach Festival! It's opened from late July and runs through mid-August at the Gwanghwamun Square and Sejongno Park in downtown Seoul. Both locations can be accessed using exits 7 and 9 of Gwanghwamun Station on line 5. The festival offers up a variety of fun from a large swimming pool and slide, food trucks, booths selling handcrafted goods, and more. The festival also features a collab with Hyundai Department Store where Seoul Summer Beach-goers can take in the sight of a 15-meter tall character display.

The Statue and Surroundings

#seoul The 555 meters long and 34 meters wide Gwanghwamun Square is a public square with over 600 years of history, located at the center of Sejong-ro Road, with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bugaksan Mountain in the background. Taking the subway to Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) exit via 1, 2 and 8. The area was once Yukjo-geori ( Avenue of Six Ministries ), the center of Hayang, which was the capital city during Joseon Dynasty. Nowadays, it is home to the Government's major administrative departments. The bronze Statue of King Sejong the Great of Joseon measuring 6.2 meters height and 20 ton. In front of the statue there are small models of a celestial globe, a rain guage and a sundial. The 17 meters high bronze statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin is a 16th century Korean war hero holding a sword on his right hand, with a mini turtle ship in front, which a type of Korean war vessel. Gwanghwamun Square isn't just a historical destination, it's is home to diverse cultural events, concerts and exhibitions like Buddha's Birthday and Lantern Festival.

One of the top Attraction in Seoul

#seoul This Square is very accessible as it connected with subway station Gwanghamun. Before or after you visit the palace I recommend stopping by here . The great naval admiral & King Sejong’s statues are prime photography spots.There is also a museum about King Sejong right behind his statue and the entrance is free.It is also bigger than you think and you will be surprised by the large buildings surrounding the area.

Korean Christmas Light Festival

The annual light and shadow festival has moved from Cheonggyecheon to Gwanghwamun Square. In addition to tourists, there are also many locals taking pictures. Coinciding with Christmas Eve, there are also different Christmas decorations, which are dazzling. #Korea Attractions #Festival in the Local #Christmas

Amazing place to celebrate new year

#yearofrabbit Gwanghwamun Square is located right in front of the Gyeongbokgung palace. It is one of the places that must be visited in Seoul, where there are different sculptures from each other. Since 2023 is the year of rabit, you can see rabbit figures everywhere in the current concept. Wishing you a year full of longevity, peace and prosperity! #newyear #rabbit #koreatravel #seoultravel #asiatrip #travelinspiration

Korean style Chinese restaurant, Sandong

When talking about Chinese restaurant in Korea, many will think off Black Soilsauce noodles and Seafood noodles. This Chinese restaurant in Gwanghwamun called Sandong, serves a variety of Chinese food well liked by the locals. In lunchtime people will flock in to enjoy various dishes. My personal favourite is Jaengban Jjajang (plated Soilbean paste noodles). It usually comes in minimum 2 portions and this upgraded version of Jjajangmyeon comes with pork slices, squid, shrimp and mushrooms. Their specialty dishes such as Dried chilli chicken, Dongpo pork, fried shrimp is also a hit. Do expect some waiting timw during lunch time. #tripblazers

Christmas Market at Gwanghwamun Square

#2023travelwish This year 2022 is the first Christmas whereby reopened Gwanghwamun Square hosted Christmas event, and this year they organized a Christmas Market. There are around 30 stalls selling different items and ornaments and visitors from around the city flocked in to enjoy the lights and decorations. There is a huge Christmas Tree situated in the middle of the square and you also see overseas visitors visiting as year end is also the season of traveling. Though weather is freezeing and frightful but this doesn't stop visitors from flocking in. My 2023 wish is to visit a Christmas Market in England.

Cast park event in gwanghamun square

to CAST PARK, a space where you can see the unique and attractive products of the CAST business, K-POP performances, and various events at once, which is celebrating its 3rd year this year! TA CAST PARK Period & Venue Event Period | October 22, 2022 (Sat) - October 23, 2022 (Sun) Venue | Gwanghwamun Square Amusement Centre & Yukjo Madang ICAST PARK program CAST PARK STAGE KPoP performance pounding the heart 2 CAST PARK BOOTH Hallyu Icons and Corporate Cooperation Idea Product Exhibition 3 CAST PARK EVENT Exciting experience and gift bomb with Hallyu Icons CAST PARK prepared by 16 companies and Hallyu Icons! #celebratewithtrip

Felt Coffee: Good Coffee in downtown Seoul

Felt Coffee is found in the basement of the KT Gwanghwamun East building. The staff are kind, polite and cheerful and the coffee is prepared quickly. There is an open space to have your coffee on site but I prefer taking it out and having it along the stream, especially when the weather is good. The decor of the store is very open and airy, with dark subtle tones that remind you of the boldness of their coffee. Their coffee is refreshing, tasty and bold, especially when it comes to their americano. Stop by for a higher than normal priced coffee albeit a tastier and stronger blend than usual! #coffee #explore #cafe #seoul #korea

Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square is located in 172 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. There are attractions can be found here like The Statue of Sejong the Great, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul, Gwanghwamun Gate, Sejong Center, Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, Seoul Musuem of History, National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, National Folk Museum of Korea, and many more. It is a cultural space for all which linking the past and present. Gwanghwamun Square features a waterway of 630-year history flowing from 1392 when Joseon was founded. The square, which has been expanded and partially refurbished into a park, opened to the public at 11 a.m., according to the Seoul city government. Construction began in November 2020 to expand the square with new historical and cultural attractions. The square is now 2.1 times larger than before at 40,300 square meters after an adjacent road that had been located to its west was covered. Over 5,000 trees have been planted across the square, with around a quarter of it covered by greenery. A performance spot has also been installed in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The square also includes a new 40-meter-long tunnel fountain as well as a 53-meter media wall near the Sejong Center. #fallingforfall #tripblazers #nationalpark #urbanexplorer

Gwanghwamun Square, remodeled and better

Many who previously visited Seoul will definitely drop by Gwanghwamun Square as it is a symbol of heritage and culture of Korea, with the statue of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Shun Shin, but the City Hall has decided to remodel it to extend the pedestrian walkway and adding many amenities. After a 2 year long refurbishment work, the plaza was finally reopened to the public, and it is much more cozy and comfortable to hang out with much more spaces, benches and tables for vositors to hang out. There are alsoany events taking place every weekend to showcase the Korean culture to visitors and tourists, and the walkway to Gyeongbokgung is also fascinating. #fallingforfall#tripblazers#seoultour#MeetSeoul

🇰🇷 Gwanghawmun Gyeongbokgung

In Gyeongbokgung, there are too many places and gates but this Gwanghawmun is the first and main entrance located on the south side. It is also the largest gate and you can witness guards changing ceremony here too. If you know a little bit about Korean history or from K-drama, The King Sejong is represented as a statue at Gwanghawmun.So be sure to be there to witness the guards changing ceremony and it is free of charge. It is only when you want to enter Gyeongbokgung that you will have to pay. Otherwise, wear your hanbok and enter for free. Have a seoul-prise in South Korea. #bucketlistreboot #southkorea #seoul #liveyourdreams #takethattrip

A cafe with pretty trees in Seochon_Stepix

#Let's go on a trip #Cafe#Picnic#Terrace#Summer#Outing 22, Sajik-ro 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 102ho Hot cafe Stepix located in Seochon, Sajik-dong A space where you can enjoy coffee with a picnic feel in the wide yard in front of the cafe A cafe with delicious coffee and desserts that I really want to recommend A tree standing in the center of the cafe provides shade It feels like drinking coffee in a meadow #Hot place #Cafe recommendation

[Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun Branch, a must-visit place in Seoul]

📚Address: Kyobo Life Insurance Building, B1, Jongno 1, Jongno-gu, Seoul 📚Operating hours: Every day 09:30-22:00 📚Review: Introducing 'Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun', a must-visit course in Seoul filled with the scent of books. Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun is a representative cultural rest area in downtown Seoul and is also famous as a must-visit course in Seoul. It is a bookstore in Seoul that is so loved that many people visit here because the scent of books inside makes them feel at ease. Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun is a complex cultural space that not only has books, but also exhibitions, pop-up stores, and F&B. Highly recommended as an indoor activity in Seoul ;) #Bookstore #SeoulBookstore #SeoulTravel #GwanghwamunMustCourse #Gwanghwamun #SeoulBookstore #KyoboBookstore #DateCourse #GwanghwamunBookstore #PlacesToVisitInSeoul #Bookstore #ComplexCulturalSpace #HotPlace #SafeTravel #VacationTravel

Gwanghwamun Square is in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Very easy to get there. During October, The Arirang Festival is held here. #holidayvacation #tripmoments #tripinspired #happynewyear

The Gwanghwamun (or Gwang-Hwa-Mun) Plaza One cannot help but to compare the Gwanghwamun Plaza of Seoul with the Trafalgar Square of London, where The Nelson’s Column was erected to commemorate Admiral Horatio who died in the battle Trafalgar. The imposing status of Admiral Yi Sun Sin, a highly decorated and much revered, or even worshipped Korean naval commander, a legendary national hero, stands majestically at southern end of Gwanghwamun Plaza.  #GiveThanks

The symbols of Korea are present - the most brilliant monarch, with a copper statue of King Sejong the Great, as well as a statue of the loyal admiral Yi Sunshin, which are located in the center of Seoul, in Gwanghwamun Plaza. This was the front gate of the Gyeongbokgung royal palace during the reign of King Taejo of Korea, and is the national gate. Gwanghwamun “illuminates all and civilizes all” and the directly opposite Gwanghwamun Square area is one of Seoul’s most flourishing districts. The city gate tower of Gwanghwamun is clearly in the Chinese style, since over hundred of years, the buildings, writing, culture, and customs have all been heavily influenced by China, and thus received the name of “little China.” Several hundred years have passed quickly for Gwanghwamun Square, which has clearly become a bustling district. Here, we saw an open-air Korean band, using traditional Korean and Western instruments in their performance, which is an entirely different interesting matter.

Christmas Market festival at Gwanghwamun Square

#magicalxmastrip The 2024 Christmas Market is back at Gwanghwamun Square, and this year the vibes are very nice, where there are more stalls operating as compared to previous years. There is a large Christmas Tree in the middle of the square, and there are many shops and stalls selling their craft products as well as some nice ornaments for decorations. In another corner, there are stalls selling their handmade tidbits and snacks. There are also many photo taking spot for you to take very nice pictures with nice backdrops. The cold doesn't stop the crowd from visiting, and we are glad to have visited this place.

Gwanghwamun Square, a check-in point that gathers Korean history in one place

Gwanghwamun Square is another popular check-in place in Seoul. It is a place to tell historical stories about important people of the country, such as the statue of General Yi Sun-sin, an important general who was brave in war to protect the country, the statue of King Sejong, who invented the Korean alphabet or Hangul for Koreans to have their own language to communicate, and there are also various museums located around. Next to this, there is Gwanghwamun Gate, the largest entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace, decorated with Korean patterns, very beautiful. Tourists like to wear Hanbok to take pictures at the entrance and inside the palace. When looking to the back of the palace, you will see the view of Bukkaksan Mountain. The Gwanghwamun intersection is also a beautiful city viewpoint because you will see many tall buildings, showing the prosperity of Seoul well. You can also walk to Cheonggyecheon Stream, another important tourist attraction. How to get there: Subway Line 3, get off at Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5, which will be near Gwanghwamun Gate, or Line 5, Exit 2 or 3, which will be near Gwanghamun Square. #cityscape

A nice and comforting beef noodles soup at Gwanghwamun

#voyagevibes With the increase in popularity of international fares among the Koreans, we get to see many international cuisines here, especially in Seoul. This time we visited a beef noodles restaurant near Jonggak, called Jinjung Uyukmyeongwan, means original beef noodles restaurant. The chef has personally trained and learned the cuisine in Qingdao, and thus opened his restaurant here in Seoul. The soup is very nice, where the broth is cooked with lots of beef bones, and the meat portion is very generously provided. We added on a plate of dumplings which is very nice as well. We will definotely visit again. Address: 29-14, Jong-ro 7-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Unique Date Spots in Seoul Outdoor Date

Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul is currently hosting the Gwanghwamun Book Market event. The square is filled with bean bags where you can comfortably sit and enjoy reading a book with the beautiful backdrop of Gwanghwamun. The square stretches from Gwanghwamun to Gwanghwamun Station and is lined with various benches and events, making it a great place to participate in. The outdoor book market is only open until this weekend, so if you have time, it would be a great place to visit.

Peaceful and Wonderful

⭐️ Ticketing was quick and cheap. The scenic and nostalgic buildings captured my attention and filled me with peace and serenity. ⭐️Especially with its quiet and history rich environment, you are bound to be intrigued by the beautiful palace walls and intricate designs. There was a short performance that I missed. 📍#gwanghwamun PS: do come here wearing a traditional hanbok to fully immerse yourself within the walls of the historic palace. #seoul #korea

A place of remembrance and pride for the people of Seoul🇰🇷👫

#koreatrip Walking along Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul was an inspiring experience. The broad, open square is surrounded by towering buildings and iconic landmarks, creating a dynamic blend of modern and historical significance. At the heart of the square stands the impressive statues of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and King Sejong the Great, two revered figures in Korean history. The nearby Gwanghwamun Gate, leading to Gyeongbokgung Palace, adds to the grandeur of the area. As I strolled through the square, I could feel the pulse of the city while reflecting on its deep-rooted past. The square is not only a bustling hub but also a place of remembrance and pride for the people of Seoul.

Cultural Hub at Gwanghwamun Square

#koreatrip Gwanghwamun Square, situated in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, is a historical and cultural landmark in central Seoul. The square is home to impressive statues of King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin, both revered figures in Korean history. It serves as a gathering place for national events and cultural performances, creating a lively and meaningful atmosphere. Beneath the square, the Sejong Museum provides an interactive look at the legacies of these historical figures. The square is also a great starting point for exploring other nearby attractions, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Cheonggyecheon Stream. It’s a must-visit for those wanting to immerse themselves in Korea’s heritage on their #KoreaTrip.

Gwanghwamun Square Seoul South Korea

#100WaysOfTravel 📍Address:1-68, Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul 🏖️BAmbiance/Facilities:Gwanghwamun Square 💞Reasons to Recommend: Very aesthetic and nice place 🕰️Business Hours: open 24/7

It was a beautiful night

#100WaysOfTravel