How To Visit The Blue House In Seoul: A Guide To Cheongwadae

Did you know you can visit the Blue House in Seoul now? Actually, there were tours before, but now you can see more. Formerly the president’s home, the newly elected Korean president no longer lives there, so they’ve opened it for people to see for the first time in 74 years. If you’re interested in seeing Korea’s government buildings, you should go take a tour of The Blue House, or Cheongwadae (청와대) as it’s called in Korean.

Citizens and tourists can see the Blue House but the process to see it is a bit different, so make sure you read carefully. If you’ll be visiting downtown Seoul soon, this is definitely something you should see. Who knows? Maybe the next president will move back in and it won’t be public anymore. It might be your only chance!

• How To Get There
• Basic Info
• The importance of Cheongwadae opening
• History of The Blue House
  • Notable South Korean Presidents
• What To See
• What To Do Nearby

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How To Get There

Situated snuggly behind Gyeongbokgung Palace with Bugaksan behind it, you can easily add this to a day in downtown Seoul.

Address: 1 Cheongwa-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 청와대로 1)
By Public Transportation: Take Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung station, exit 4. Then, take bus 1711, 1020, 7018, 7016, 7022, or 7212 to Hyoja-dong, and it’s a short walk from there.

Alternatively, you could walk through Gyeongbokgung Palace and exit out the back gate to find the Blue House as well. Make sure to check when you buy tickets that the back gate will be open by the time you get there though.

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Basic Info

Days: Wednesday – Monday

Hours: 9:00am ~ 6:00pm

Admission: Free

How to visit: Currently, reservations are required to visit the Blue House. However, if you’re a tourist you cannot make a reservation on the website. Keep reading though because you CAN still visit.

If you’re a citizen of South Korea or a resident of South Korea:

• You can register on the Cheongwadae website in order to visit.
• Registration can be made up to four weeks in advance.
• Up to 6 people can be registered per reservation.
• A local mobile number is required to verify your identity.
• Website: https://reserve1.opencheongwadae.kr/

If you are a tourist visiting South Korea:

• There are two times a day when 500 walk-ins are allowed to enter and this is when you can get in.
• Walk-in times: 9:00am & 1:30pm
• Note that you should arrive at least a half hour in advance. On popular days, the line can get long fast.
• You must bring your passport to show at the ticket booth to enter.

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The importance of Cheongwadae opening

Because every South Korean president lived here, The Blue House was always pretty closed off to the public. There were special events held sometimes, but it was much like the American White House where few people have seen the interior. The new President Yoon Suk-Yeol, who was elected in 2022, decided not to live there and opened the residence up to the public.

Opening up Cheongwadae was a controversial decision but President Yoon strongly voiced his opinions that the Blue House was a symbol of Korea’s legacy of imperial presidencies. He vowed to return the compound to the public and move his office to the defense ministry building in Yongsan. It could be that this tourist attraction is limited to this president’s 5-year term though, so you should go see it while you can!

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History of the Blue House

The land that the Blue House is on was originally a royal villa in Hanyang, the capital of the Goryeo Dynasty. Once Joseon took over and Gyeongbokgung Palace was built, it became the back garden of the palace. During the Japanese occupation, they built a government administrative building there.

When the Republic of Korea was established in 1948, the first president Syngman Rhee renamed the building to “Gyeong Mu Dae” and he used it as an office as well as a place of residence. The fourth president of South Korea, Yun Bo-seon, changed the name to Cheongwadae, which literally means “The Blue House” after the signature blue tiling on the roof.

All of the Korean presidents have used this for both their residence and official offices until the latest one, President Yoon Suk-Yeol. After a Presidential decree, The Blue House was declared a public park this year, 2022, and opened to the people for the first time since it was built. You can imagine how excited citizens and tourists have been to visit. There is a limit of 6,500 people that can enter every two hours by reservation for this reason.

Notable South Korean Presidents

• Rhee Syngman (이승만) – The first president of South Korea
• Yun Bo-Seon (윤보선) – President with the shortest term at 1 year and 224 days.
• Park Chung-Hee (박정희) – The longest-serving president at 15 years, 10 months, and 10 days. This is about 3 times the length of a current presidential term in Korea.
• Roh Tae-Woo (노태우) – The first president of the sixth and current Republic of Korea.
• Park Geun-Hye (박근혜) – The first female president of South Korea, also inspired the largest weekly protest in South Korean history with 10 million people joining.
• Moon Jae-In (문재인) – Stepped over the demarcation line at JSA and similarly welcomed Kim Jong Un to step into the south marking the first time since the Korean War a North Korean leader had entered South Korea.

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What To See

Walking into Cheongwadae, you can feel the excitement of everyone there to see a building that’s been closed for so long. It feels like an incredibly fancy building, and it’s always cool to see cultural sites because you can feel all of the history in a place when you walk around.

Main Office Building (청와대 본관)

This is probably the most recognizable place in all of Cheongwadae. It’s the building that has the blue tiles on the roof that gave the property its name. It has been used as the official presidential office since it was built in 1911 to 2022. Since it’s been opened to the public, it’s been made into a museum of the lives of presidents while they used this space.

Each room in the building shows a different purpose for it, while at the end there’s a display of all of the First Ladies of South Korea. This is also the most popular building, and the line tends to be long. If you want to see it, it should be either the first or last thing you visit while at Cheongwadae.

Yeongbingwan (영빈관)

Yeongbingwan is the state reception hall. This was the place where the president would host guests from other countries. There would be traditional dance performances and banquets here to welcome other heads of state.

Presidential Residence (대통령관저)

This was the home of presidents and their families while they were in office, kept separately from the main building. It includes three sections: Bonchae, which is the actual living space; Byeolchae, which is the reception space, and Sarangchae. This last room is traditionally used as a study by the men of the house.

Sangchunjae (상춘재)

Designed similar to the Presidential Residence, Sangchunjae is a place where traditional Korean artwork is displayed to guests. It’s also a place where receptions and unofficial meetings are held.

Nokjiwon (녹지원)

This is a massive outdoor space that’s perfect for sitting with a picnic blanket and relaxing on a nice day which they might start allowing any day. There are a lot of different trees here, including commemorative trees planted by each president.

Chunchugwan (춘추관)

Built in 1990, this building is the newest addition to Cheongwadae. It’s used for official presidential announcements and for the Press Secretary to give news briefings. The name comes from the record-keeping office of the Goryeo Dynasty.

Chilgung Palace (칠궁)

The name of this building literally means “Seven Palaces”. It’s the place where the spirit tablets of the seven concubines who birthed kings of the Joseon Dynasty are enshrined. According to Confucian beliefs, it’s incredibly important to respect your elders in life and honor them in death, so it’s a necessity for their spirits to be preserved in tablets like this. If you’re wondering where everyone else’s spirit tablets are, you can visit Jongmyo Shrine, which is nearby. That is where all of the kings and queens of the Joseon dynasty’s spirits are preserved.

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What To Do Nearby

So you made it out to the Blue House and you want to spend the day in the area. Well there’s plenty to do!

Tongin Market

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Seoul Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

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