Cheongwadae: A Complete Guide To Seoul’s Blue House

Last Updated on April 13, 2026

Important notice — current status: Cheongwadae (청와대), Seoul’s Blue House, is closed to the public as of August 1, 2025. Following the election of a new president, the presidential residence has been reclaimed and the public access that began in 2022 has ended. This guide covers the history of the complex, what visitors saw during the three years it was open, and what remains accessible in the surrounding area.

Between May 2022 and August 2025, something remarkable happened in Seoul. For the first time in 74 years, the gates of Cheongwadae, the Blue House, Korea’s presidential compound, opened to the public. Over three years and 8.5 million visitors later, it closed again when a new president moved back in.

If you were among the millions who visited, you saw a piece of Korean history that had been closed since 1948. If you didn’t make it, this guide covers everything about the complex, its history, what was inside, and what you can still experience in the area today.

Seeing the inside of the Blue House was something special not just for foreign tourists but for millions of Koreans who made the trip to see something few had seen before. Here’s what we know about and saw in Cheongwadae:

• Basic Info
• Current Status and History of the Public Opening
• History of The Blue House
• Notable South Korean Presidents
• What Visitors Saw Inside (2022 ~ 2025)
• What To Do Nearby
• FAQ

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Basic Info

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.

Nearby: Gyeongbokgung Palace, Cheong Wa Dae Sarangchae

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Current Status and History of the Public Opening

In May 2022, newly elected President Yoon Suk-yeol made a decision that surprised many Koreans and delighted millions more: rather than move into Cheongwadae as every previous president had done, he relocated his office to the former defense ministry building in Yongsan and opened the Blue House to the public.

President Yoon’s argument was direct, Cheongwadae had become a symbol of Korea’s legacy of imperial presidencies, isolated from the people it was meant to serve. He wanted to return it to the public. The opening was controversial but the public response was overwhelming: 8.5 million people visited over three years.

In December 2024, President Yoon was impeached following a short-lived declaration of martial law that shocked the country and the world. Following the subsequent presidential election, Korea’s new president resumed residence at Cheongwadae. The public access period ended on August 1, 2025.

Whether it will open again depends on future political decisions. It has happened once, it can happen again.

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History of the Blue House

The land that Cheongwadae occupies has been significant throughout Korean history. During the Goryeo Dynasty it was a royal villa in Hanyang. When Joseon took over and Gyeongbokgung Palace was built just in front of it, the land became the palace’s back garden, a deliberate buffer zone between the seat of power and the mountain behind.

During the Japanese colonial occupation, the Japanese government built an administrative building on the grounds. When the Republic of Korea was established in 1948, the first president Syngman Rhee renamed it “Gyeong Mu Dae” and used it as both office and residence. The fourth president, Yun Bo-seon, changed the name to Cheongwadae, literally “Blue House”, after the distinctive blue ceramic tiles on the main building’s roof. Every president from 1948 until 2022 lived and worked there.

The compound sits snugly behind Gyeongbokgung Palace with Bugaksan Mountain rising behind it, a geography that made it naturally secure and naturally hidden from the city it governed for seven decades.

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Notable South Korean Presidents

• Rhee Syngman (이승만): The first president of South Korea, who established the republic in 1948 and renamed the compound.
• Yun Bo-seon (윤보선): Served the shortest presidential term at 1 year and 224 days. Renamed the compound Cheongwadae.
• Park Chung-Hee (박정희): The longest-serving president at 15 years, 10 months, and 10 days, approximately three times the length of a current Korean presidential term.
• 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. Her presidency ended in impeachment and inspired the largest weekly protest in South Korean history, with approximately 10 million people participating.
• Moon Jae-In (문재인): Stepped over the demarcation line at the JSA and welcomed Kim Jong-un to step into South Korea, the first time since the Korean War that a North Korean leader had entered the South.
• Yoon Suk-yeol (윤석열): The first president since 1948 not to reside at Cheongwadae, opening it to the public in 2022. Impeached in December 2024 following a declaration of martial law.

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What Visitors Saw Inside (2022 ~ 2025)

For those who visited during the open period, or for anyone curious about what the complex contained, here is what was accessible.

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.

Mugunghwa Room (무궁화실)

Mugunghwa is the Rose of Sharon and is the national flower of South Korea, and is the name of the First Lady’s Office is on the first floor of the main building and the most interesting thing to see there are the portraits of the many First Ladies of Korea.

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

Cheongwadae may be closed, but the surrounding area is one of the most historically rich parts of Seoul and easily fills a full day.

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FAQ

Is the Blue House open to visitors?

No. Cheongwadae closed to the public on August 1, 2025, when Korea’s new president resumed residence there. The public access period that began in May 2022 under President Yoon Suk-yeol lasted approximately three years and drew 8.5 million visitors before ending.

Will the Blue House open to the public again?

It’s impossible to say, it depends entirely on future presidential decisions. The 2022 opening showed it was politically possible for a president to choose not to reside there and open it instead. Whether a future president makes the same choice is unknown.

Can you see the Blue House from outside?

Yes. The approach road, Cheongwadae-ro, is walkable and provides views of the compound entrance and gates against the Bugaksan mountain backdrop. The exterior of the complex is visible from the road and from certain points along the Seoul Fortress Wall above.

What was the Blue House called before?

The compound was originally called Gyeong Mu Dae by the first president Syngman Rhee in 1948. The fourth president, Yun Bo-seon, renamed it Cheongwadae, the Blue House, after the distinctive blue ceramic tiles on the main building’s roof.

Why did President Yoon open the Blue House?

President Yoon argued that Cheongwadae had come to symbolize the isolation of Korean presidents from the public, a legacy of imperial presidency rather than democratic governance. He relocated his office to Yongsan and opened the compound as a public park. The decision was controversial but widely celebrated by visitors.

Is Gyeongbokgung Palace near the Blue House?

Yes, Gyeongbokgung is directly in front of Cheongwadae, separated by a short road. Historically, the palace was built first and the land behind it became the presidential compound. You can exit from Gyeongbokgung’s back gate to see Cheongwadae.

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The Blue House is one of those places in Seoul where the story matters as much as what you can see. Whether the gates are open or closed, understanding what Cheongwadae represents, the seat of presidential power for 74 years, then briefly a public park, then closed again, adds a layer to every other thing you do in this part of the city. The palaces in front of it, the mountain behind it, the market down the road, all of it exists in relation to this compound at the center of Korean political history.

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