Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square stretches south along Sejong-daero from Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and is Seoul's best-known public square. It occupies the site of Yukjo-geori, the "Street of Six Ministries" lined with government offices in the Joseon era, and today it is a pedestrian space with statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin, fountains and trees. From the northern end you see Gwanghwamun framed against Bugaksan behind it.

History: from the Street of Six Ministries to a public square

In the Joseon era the road in front of Gwanghwamun was the centre of the state, lined with the ministries and other government offices outside the palace. After Korea's annexation in 1910 the Japanese built the Government-General headquarters inside Gyeongbokgung and moved Gwanghwamun to the east side of the palace; it was rebuilt in concrete in the 1960s, then restored to its original position after historical research in 2008. The broad road in front of it first became a square on 1 August 2009. On opening day the square was covered with a carpet of 224,537 flowers, one for each day since Hanyang was declared the capital in 1394. That first project took 15 months and KRW 44.5 billion, narrowing the 16-lane Sejongno to 10 lanes to make room for the square in the middle. Work started again in November 2020 and the square reopened in its current form in August 2022: traffic lanes were cut, the pedestrian area more than doubled, and the plan also included restoring the woldae, the raised stone terrace in front of Gwanghwamun.

What to see

• Gwanghwamun and its woldae: from the north end you look straight at the gate with Bugaksan behind.
• Statue of King Sejong: a 6.2-metre, 20-tonne seated bronze statue unveiled on Hangul Day in 2009, the 563rd anniversary of the Korean alphabet.
• Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and the 12·23 Fountain: the 1968 statue stands behind a fountain named after the admiral's 23 battles fought with 12 ships.
• Haechi Madang and the underground exhibitions: the underground plaza linked to Gwanghwamun subway station has exhibition space and visitor facilities, and there is a small exhibition hall beneath the statues.
• Excavated remains and the water channel: remains uncovered during the redevelopment are preserved and displayed, alongside the "Waterway of Time".
• Square Forest and the Garden of Gratitude: shady seating under the trees, and the Garden of Gratitude completed in May 2026.
• East side of the square: the giant text board on the Kyobo Life building, known as the Gwanghwamun Geulpan, and the monument marking the 40th year of King Gojong's reign are both on the way.

Tripto tips

• Access: an open city square, accessible 24 hours a day all year; smoking is not allowed.
• Getting there: from Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) use the Haechi Madang passage or exit 7; from Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3) use exit 6.
• Events: festivals, concerts and street cheering during football World Cups are held here regularly, and the Seoul International Marathon starts here. On big event days it gets very crowded, so check the programme on the official Gwanghwamun Square website.
• Combine with: Gyeongbokgung to the north and Cheonggyecheon, which begins at the southern end of the square. On the east side, the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History covers Korea's modern history.
• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour for a walk past the statues and fountains.