Four grand palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and Joseon royal tombs to open free during chuseok

Royal palaces and tombs will open free of charge for the chuseok holiday, giving the public a chance to reconnect with Korea's traditional heritage.

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Friday that it will open palaces and royal tombs free of charge over the chuseok holiday and run programs featuring intangible heritage and folk games.

The administration's Palace and Tomb Management Division will open the four grand palaces — Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung — along with Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon royal tombs at no charge for four days from Sept. 24 through Sept. 27. Jongmyo, which normally requires advance reservations, will be open for free walk-in visits throughout the holiday period. The rear garden of Changdeokgung is excluded.

Beyond free admission, visitors can watch the Gyeongbokgung royal guard-changing ceremony at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the guard patrol ceremony at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the night-watch patrol ceremony at 3 p.m. — all without prior reservations. For those unable to visit in person, the administration has prepared an online interactive program called "Everyone's Genre Painting 2026," running from Friday through Nov. 1 on its dedicated website, where participants can create their own Joseon-era character.

The Cultural Heritage Administration's National Intangible Heritage Center will hold the "2026 Chuseok Folk Games Festival" at 1 p.m. Saturday at the center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.

The event will feature a yutnori (traditional board game) tournament for families and adults, with 32 teams competing in a single-elimination format. The top four finishing teams will receive products.

Other activities include intangible heritage programs such as rice-cake pounding and farmers' music performances, traditional craft workshops — making miniature traditional hats and dancheong-patterned keyrings — folk game experiences including gonu, ssangnyuk and tuho, and photo booth sessions.

All events are free. Registration for the yutnori tournament is available in advance or on the day for canceled slots and remaining spots, while other folk games and hands-on activities operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information on the free palace and tomb openings and cultural events over the chuseok holiday, the public can contact the Palace and Tomb Management Division or its program consultation office. Details on the intangible heritage folk games festival are available on the National Intangible Heritage Center's website or by phone.

"We hope families, friends and couples will enjoy traditional culture together this chuseok and visit our representative cultural heritage sites — the royal palaces and tombs — without hesitation, for a joyful and abundant holiday," the Cultural Heritage Administration said.