Deoksugung's Seokjojeon opens autumn nights for tours, musical debut

A nighttime program offering visitors a taste of the imperial atmosphere of the Korean Empire will open this autumn at Seokjojeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace.

The Palace and Royal Tomb Management Office under the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Friday that it will hold the second-half 2026 edition of "Deoksugung Night at Seokjojeon" from Sept. 9 to Oct. 18, in partnership with the Korea Heritage Foundation. The program runs Wednesday through Sunday each week, with three showings per day beginning at 6 p.m., 6:40 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Each showing lasts 100 minutes, and a total of 1,620 participants can take part across the full run.

The program offers a combined cultural experience — taking visitors inside Seokjojeon Hall, which is not easily accessible during regular nighttime visits, and pairing the tour with performances and hands-on activities. Participants follow a court lady guide into the hall, then explore the interior exhibition with commentary from a professional docent.

On the second-floor terrace, guests can take in the nighttime view of Deoksugung while listening to a live classical performance and sampling "gaebae (coffee)" and refreshments enjoyed by Emperor Gojong. The refreshments include a plum-blossom castella, a lemon mini pound cake and a chocolate butter cookie. Guests may choose one drink from hot gaebae, iced gaebae, gambi tea or mulberry tea.

Gaebae was a Korean rendering of the English pronunciation of "coffee" at the time; its dark color and bitter taste resembled traditional herbal medicine, earning it the nickname "yangtangguk" (Western broth). Gambi tea is a health tea brewed with Job's tears, buckwheat, tangerine peel and mulberry leaves, known for its nutty and refreshing flavor.

Starting this fall, a new musical set in the Korean Empire's imperial court — "Night at Seokjojeon" — will receive its world premiere. The performance takes place in the reception hall, and after the showing, participants can take commemorative photos with Seokjojeon as the backdrop in a dedicated photo opportunity called "Ingung Shot."

Participants will be selected by lottery. Applications open Wednesday at 2 p.m. and close Aug. 25 at 11:59 p.m. through Ticket Link, with a limit of one application per account. Winners will be announced Thursday at 5 p.m.

Winners may purchase up to two tickets from Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. through Aug. 31, at 35,000 won ($25) per person. Remaining seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting Sept. 2 at 2 p.m., when phone reservations will also open for those aged 65 and older, people with disabilities, and holders of national merit or national veterans registration certificates.

Further details are available on the websites of the Palace and Royal Tomb Management Office and the Korea Heritage Foundation.

The Palace and Royal Tomb Management Office and the Korea Heritage Foundation said they hope the event gives visitors a deeper experience of the history of Deoksugung, the imperial palace of the Korean Empire, and that they plan to continue expanding palace programs that allow the public to appreciate and enjoy the sites' historical value.