Deoksugung, City Hall and Jeong-dong: A Palace-and-Art Walk in Central Seoul

Deoksugung offers an unusually close encounter between a palace and the working city. Traffic moves past Daehanmun Gate, office towers rise behind the roofs, and a subway exit brings you almost to the entrance. Inside, a traditional throne hall shares the grounds with a Western-style stone palace. Outside, Jeong-dong's wall-side streets lead to red-brick architecture and art museums. This is a particularly good choice if you want history without a long journey or a strenuous walk. Deoksugung's association with Emperor Gojong and the Korean Empire gives it a character distinct from Seoul's larger palaces. Add one museum and a stroll through Jeong-dong, and you have an afternoon that moves between royal history, early modern architecture and contemporary art. A straightforward route starts at City Hall Station, visits Deoksugung, then follows the palace wall toward the Seoul Museum of Art and Chungdong First Methodist Church. If you want a guided interior visit at Seokjojeon, organize that first and arrange the rest around it.

Start at City Hall Station

City Hall Station serves Lines 1 and 2. Exit 2 is the palace's recommended approach to Daehanmun. The interchange has exits on several sides of the surrounding roads, so follow the Deoksugung signs before leaving the station. For step-free access, use the elevator route rather than treating the exit number as the only option. Across the road, Seoul Plaza provides a useful introduction to the area. The former city hall, now Seoul Metropolitan Library, stands in front of the newer building's sweeping glass facade. Seeing them together makes a good architectural prelude to the mix of building styles inside Deoksugung. Events can occupy the plaza, in which case the surrounding sidewalks still give you a view. An interior visit to the city hall complex is optional rather than essential to this walk. Public tours have their own arrangements, and the whole building isn't a freely accessible sightseeing space. With a palace and museum ahead, it's easy to keep this first stop brief. Public transit is also simpler than driving between stops: Deoksugung has no visitor parking.

Why Deoksugung is worth visiting after another Seoul palace

Junghwajeon, the main throne hall, provides the familiar elements of a Korean palace: painted wooden beams, a tiled roof, a stone platform and a ceremonial courtyard. Take in the whole composition from across the courtyard before moving closer. Its proportions become easier to appreciate when the surrounding open space is part of the view. The surprise lies a short walk away. Deoksugung preserves the history of the Korean Empire as well as traditional palace architecture, so Western-style buildings sit near the wooden halls. You don't need a detailed royal genealogy to follow the contrast. The different buildings show how the court's architectural world was changing as Seoul entered the modern era. Seokjojeon's columns, garden and interior tours

Seokjojeon's pale stone facade, tall columns and formal garden create a very different setting from Junghwajeon's courtyard. Walk far enough back to see the building with the garden in front; the office buildings beyond are a reminder that the palace remains part of downtown Seoul rather than a secluded historic estate. The main rooms of Seokjojeon, now the Korean Empire History Museum, are visited through guided sessions. General palace admission doesn't let you enter them whenever you choose. For English-speaking visitors, the official schedule checked on October 12, 2026 lists English tours at 11:50 a.m. and 2:50 p.m., with first-come, on-site registration at the Seokjojeon information desk. Bring a passport or other accepted proof of foreign nationality, and confirm the day's session before arranging the rest of your visit around it. If the interior isn't a priority, the exterior and gardens fit easily into a palace walk. Deoksugung normally closes on Mondays, with public-holiday exceptions, and the indoor facilities close earlier than the palace grounds. An evening palace ticket therefore isn't a substitute for a daytime Seokjojeon visit.

Follow the wall into Jeong-dong

After leaving through Daehanmun, follow the outside of the palace wall toward Jeong-dong. The wall-side street, often called Deoksugung Doldam-gil, is a separate route from the paths inside the palace. The museum and church are useful landmarks as the broad roads around City Hall give way to smaller streets and mature trees. Chungdong First Methodist Church's historic Bethel Chapel dates to 1897. Its red brickwork and pointed windows make it a strong stop on an architecture-focused walk. It's still an active place of worship, so plan on viewing the exterior from the public walkway unless an interior opening is specifically indicated. This is also a convenient stretch for a cafe break between the palace and a museum. The surrounding office district can make lunchtime busy; visiting an exhibition first is a simple way to avoid spending the most useful sightseeing time in a restaurant line. If you'd like to see Deoksugung's roofs from above, Jeongdong Observatory is an optional detour in the Seosomun government office building. It isn't a viewing deck in the glass City Hall building. Check its current visitor-access schedule before making the detour, especially if you're fitting it around a timed museum or palace visit.

Choose the right art museum

The Seoul Museum of Art's Seosomun Main Branch, often labeled SeMA, stands outside Deoksugung. Its preserved former Supreme Court facade fronts modern gallery spaces, making the building itself part of Jeong-dong's architectural story. An exhibition here is a natural continuation of the neighborhood walk, particularly if the weather turns wet. Don't confuse it with MMCA Deoksugung, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art branch inside the palace. Save the institution and branch name when choosing an exhibition. “The museum near Deoksugung” isn't specific enough to get you to the right entrance. SeMA's general admission is free, though special exhibitions may charge separately. As checked on October 12, 2026, its normal closing day is Monday, with an exception when Monday is a public holiday. That overlaps with Deoksugung's usual closure, so Monday requires a different plan from the standard palace-and-museum combination. Check the exhibition itself as well: galleries may change between shows. End with an evening wall-side walk

After dark, the lit stone wall and trees give the outside walk a different mood. You don't need to attend a special palace event to enjoy the public street, although decorative lanterns and event lighting vary by date. Parts of the route carry traffic, so keep to the walking space rather than lingering in the roadway for a photograph. If you want to go inside Deoksugung at night, plan for the palace's last admission separately. Otherwise, finish along the wall and return to City Hall Station. A traditional hall, a columned stone palace, a brick chapel and a museum can all fit into this short section of Seoul without the day becoming a race between distant sights.