At a glance
| Days | SaturdaysApr–Jun, Sep–Oct |
|---|---|
| Schedule | Every Saturday from April to October, except during the June–August heat, with the same hour staged twice: 11:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:00. In each hour the yeolmu military review and martial-arts show runs 11:00–11:25 (afternoon 14:00–14:25), photo time with the performers 11:25–11:30 (14:25–14:30), and the pre-booked martial-arts experience 11:30–12:00 (14:30–15:00). The seunggyeongdo board game is open 10:30–12:00 and 13:30–15:00. The 2026 season opened on 11 April, paused after 6 June, resumed on 5 September and ends on 31 October.2026 season: 11 April to 31 October (KTO), with a special event on 5 May (Children's Day). The booking page lists Saturday sessions from 11 April to 6 June and from 5 September to 31 October. The first season, in 2025, had a different format: a martial-arts demonstration from May on Fridays to Sundays at 15:20–16:30, and from 6 September after the summer break 13 shows on weekends and Chuseok holidays, opening with a Bukcheong lion dance. A yeolmu re-enactment was also staged at the opening of the Uijeongbu-ji Relics Exhibition Hall on 16 October 2026. The 2027 season had not been announced as of 19 October 2026. |
| Not held | Held on Saturdays only, and not at all in the June–August heat. Sessions may be cancelled or postponed in rain or other bad weather; the city posts changes on the Seoul Culture Portal and the programme's Naver Cafe. |
| Admission | Free. Watching the yeolmu show and playing seunggyeongdo need no ticket; the martial-arts experience is free too but has limited places, by advance booking or on-site sign-up. |
| Venue | Uijeongbu-ji Historic Site Plaza서울특별시 종로구 종로1길 45 (세종로) |
| Nearest station | Gwanghwamun Station (광화문역), Seoul Subway Line 5, Exit 2385 m from Exit 2 (Seoul city, 2024); a family listing points instead to Exit 9 and the Haechi Madang underground passage, which has lifts and escalators |
| From Seoul | In Seoul · SubwayFull route |
| Organizer | Seoul Metropolitan Government (host); Yemungwan Co. (operator)서울시 (주최) · ㈜예문관 (주관) |
| First held | 2025 |
| Last checked | 19 October 2026Checked against 15 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Under the Joseon dynasty the Uijeongbu, or State Council, was the highest office of government, led by the three state councillors, and it stood on the east side of the broad avenue in front of Gwanghwamun Gate that was lined with the six ministries. Its foundations were excavated between 2013 and 2019, and in 2024 Seoul opened the site as the Uijeongbu-ji Historic Site Plaza: an open, free space where low outlines mark the old halls, with a rebuilt round well, a lotus pond and a pavilion at the back. A museum on the plaza, the Uijeongbu-ji Relics Exhibition Hall, opened on 16 October 2026.
Since 2025 the city has used the plaza for a free outdoor programme of traditional martial arts. The first season, from May 2025, was a demonstration on Fridays to Sundays in the late afternoon, and after the summer break it came back in September with a Bukcheong lion dance; the city counted about 10,000 viewers by September. In 2026 the programme was reshaped as a Saturday event and renamed the Uijeongbuji Traditional Culture Programme.
Each Saturday the same hour is staged twice, at 11:00 and 14:00. The core is the yeolmu (閱武), a review in which officers and soldiers show their formations and weapons: a host dressed as the Chief State Councillor opens it, and soldiers of the Samgunbu, the Joseon military command once stationed on the same avenue, perform drills on the king's order. The 25-minute show takes in the flag spear, staff, Korean sword, rattan shield and sword, crescent glaive, twin swords and trident, with sparring bouts of twin swords and of glaive against spear. Five minutes of photos with the performers in their martial-arts dress follow, and then a half-hour session in which visitors try the sword, shield, staff or traditional archery with the performers. From half an hour before each show, families can play seunggyeongdo, a Joseon board game in which you throw yut sticks to climb or fall through the ranks of officialdom, from promotion to exile.
Everything is free. Watching needs no ticket, but the hands-on session takes 20 advance bookings and up to 10 walk-ins per session, and the advance places were fully booked for most of 2026. The honest caveats: it happens only on Saturdays, sessions can be called off or postponed in rain, and there is nothing in June, July and August. The plaza is just across the road from Gwanghwamun, so it pairs easily with the Gyeongbokgung changing of the guard, a separate programme run by the national heritage service on its own timetable.
Highlights
- Yeolmu (閱武): a 25-minute re-enactment of a Joseon military review by Samgunbu soldiers, at 11:00 and 14:00 every Saturday in season
- Martial-arts displays with flag spear, staff, Korean sword, rattan shield, crescent glaive, twin swords and trident, plus sparring bouts against the spear
- Photo time with the performers in martial-arts dress straight after each show
- A free hands-on session (11:30 and 14:30) to try the sword, shield, staff or traditional archery, by advance booking or on-site sign-up
- Seunggyeongdo, the Joseon board game of climbing the ranks of government, open to families from 10:30 and 13:30
- Staged on the excavated site of the Uijeongbu, Joseon's State Council, just east of Gwanghwamun Gate, with a new free relics museum on the plaza since 16 October 2026
- Free to watch, with no ticket
Who it suits. Families with children, martial-arts fans and anyone spending a Saturday around Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung who wants a free, hands-on taste of Joseon military culture; an hour is enough. Only on Saturdays from spring to autumn, and not in summer; book the hands-on session early, as places fill fast.
Getting there
From Seoul
Take Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station and leave by Exit 2; Seoul city gives the plaza as 385 m from that exit. The plaza is on the east side of the road in front of Gwanghwamun Gate, at the north end of Gwanghwamun Square. From Seoul Station, ride Line 1 to Jongno 3-ga and change to Line 5 for Gwanghwamun, or take Line 1 to City Hall and walk north along Sejong-daero through the square.
From Busan
KTX from Busan Station to Seoul Station, about 2 h 30 min (standard fare ₩54,400 since 1 September 2026), then Line 1 to Jongno 3-ga and Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 2.
From Incheon Airport
AREX all-stop train to Gongdeok, then Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 2.
Last leg from Gwanghwamun Station
Seoul Subway Line 5, Exit 2. 385 m from Exit 2 (Seoul city, 2024); a family listing points instead to Exit 9 and the Haechi Madang underground passage, which has lifts and escalators
Getting home
Not a concern: the last session ends at 15:00 in central Seoul.
Parking
No parking at the plaza; the booking page asks visitors to come by public transport. A family listing mentions the Sejong-ro public car park nearby but warns it gets busy at weekends.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
- Booking
- Only the martial-arts experience (11:30 and 14:30) needs a place: book it free on Event-us, linked from the Seoul Culture Portal and the programme's Naver Cafe (cafe.naver.com/ujbj2025), or sign up on site. There are 20 advance places and up to 10 on-site places per session; in May 2026 the advance places were reported fully booked through 31 October, and most autumn sessions showed a waiting list. Enquiries: +82-2-737-6444 (KTO listing).
- English on site
- No foreign-language commentary or information was found; KTO's listing and the city's notices are in Korean only.
- Crowds
- The hands-on places go quickly: in 2026 almost every session on the booking page showed a waiting list. The 2025 shows drew about 10,000 viewers between May and early September.
- Best time to go
- Arrive at 10:30 for a game of seunggyeongdo before the 11:00 show, then cross to Gwanghwamun for the Gyeongbokgung changing of the guard at 14:00, or see that one at 10:00 first. September and October Saturdays are the reliable months.
- What to bring
- Comfortable clothes and shoes if you plan to try the martial arts; sun protection and water, as everything is outdoors; a family listing notes that archery may be hard for young children.
- Rain
- Sessions may be cancelled or postponed in rain or other bad weather; check the Seoul Culture Portal or the Naver Cafe on the morning.
- Toilets
- A public restroom stands by the rest area on the plaza (Seoul Mediahub, 2024).
- Step-free access
- The Haechi Madang underground passage from Gwanghwamun Station has lifts and escalators (family listing). No other accessibility details are published.
Nearby
- Gyeongbokgung Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (경복궁 수문장 교대의식). Free changing of the guard at Gwanghwamun Gate and in the Heungnyemun forecourt, across the road from the plaza, every day except Tuesday.
- Uijeongbu-ji Relics Exhibition Hall (의정부지 유적전시관). Free museum on the plaza about the State Council and the excavation of its site, opened on 16 October 2026; closed on Mondays, 1 January and Seollal and Chuseok days.
- Deoksugung Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (서울 왕궁수문장 교대의식). Seoul city's own guard ceremony at Deoksugung's Daehanmun Gate by City Hall, in late Joseon costume; rests on Mondays.
- Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour (경복궁 별빛야행). Ticketed small-group night tour of Gyeongbokgung with a royal-style dinner and music, held in spring and autumn seasons.
- Gwanghwamun Market (광화문 마켓). Seoul's free Christmas market of red-roofed stalls on Gwanghwamun Square, every evening from mid-December into early January.
- Seoul Lantern Festival (서울빛초롱축제). Free winter lantern display along Cheonggyecheon stream, starting at Cheonggye Plaza at the south end of Gwanghwamun Square, from mid-December into January.
Questions travelers ask
When is the Uijeongbuji traditional culture programme held?
Every Saturday from April to October, except during the June–August heat, with two sessions: 11:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:00. In 2026 it opened on 11 April, paused after 6 June, came back on 5 September and ends on 31 October.
What happens in each session?
At 11:00 (or 14:00) comes the yeolmu, a 25-minute re-enactment of a Joseon military review with martial-arts displays and sparring bouts. Five minutes of photo time with the performers follow, then a half-hour hands-on session (11:30 or 14:30) with the sword, shield, staff or bow. The seunggyeongdo board game is open from 10:30 (13:30) until the end of each session.
Is it free? Do I need to book?
Everything is free. You only need a place for the martial-arts experience: 20 places per session are booked in advance on Event-us (linked from the Seoul Culture Portal) and up to 10 more are given out on site. The advance places were fully booked for most of 2026, so arrive early for an on-site place.
What is yeolmu?
Yeolmu (閱武) was a review in which officers and soldiers displayed their formations and weapons. Here a host dressed as the Chief State Councillor opens the show, and soldiers of the Samgunbu, the Joseon military command once based on the avenue in front of Gwanghwamun, perform their drills on the king's order.
What is seunggyeongdo?
A Joseon board game about a career in government. Players throw yut sticks to move up or down the ranks of officials, starting from the civil exam, the military exam or appointment by family merit, and meet promotions, demotions, petitions and exile on the way.
Does it go ahead in rain or in summer?
There are no sessions in June, July and August, the hottest months. At other times a session may be cancelled or postponed in rain or other bad weather; the city posts changes on the Seoul Culture Portal and the programme's Naver Cafe.
Is this the same as the Gyeongbokgung guard ceremony?
No. The changing of the guard at Gwanghwamun is run by the national heritage service at 10:00 and 14:00, every day except Tuesday. This programme is Seoul city's, held only on Saturdays on the Uijeongbu-ji plaza just across the road, and centres on a military review and martial arts. You can see both on the same Saturday.
How do I get there?
Take Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station and leave by Exit 2, about 385 m from the plaza. From City Hall Station (Line 1) you can also walk north along Sejong-daero through Gwanghwamun Square. There is no parking at the plaza.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- KTO TourAPI listing 의정부지 상설 전통문화행사 (contentId 3497454)kto — 2026 run 11 Apr–31 Oct; 11:00~15:00; free; 의정부지 역사유적광장, 서울 종로구 종로1길 45 (세종로); coordinates; organizer 서울시; tel 02-737-6444; homepage cafe.naver.com/ujbj2025; overview: Samgunbu soldiers stationed on Yukjo-geori (avenue of the six ministries), yeolmu re-enactment, seunggyeongdo game, traditional martial-arts experience
- KTO tourist data — 의정부지 역사유적광장 전통무예행사, contentId 3497454 (ktriptips mirror)kto — 2026.4.11 (Sat)–2026.10.31 (Sat); every Saturday, closed in the hot season; 11:00~12:00 and 14:00~15:00, twice a day; about 60 minutes; free; all ages; host 서울시, operator ㈜예문관; 02-737-6444; programme: seunggyeongdo, yeolmu martial review re-enactment, martial-arts experience
- Seoul Mediahub — 무예체험, 조선시대 보드게임…광화문 앞에서 매주 토요일 체험행사 (9 Apr 2026)municipal — From 11 Apr 2026 every Saturday; Apr–Oct except the hot season (Jun–Aug); 11:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:00; special event 5 May; seunggyeongdo 10:30–12:00 and 13:30–15:00; yeolmu 11:00–11:25 and 14:00–14:25; photo time 11:25–11:30 and 14:25–14:30; martial-arts experience (pre-booked) 11:30–12:00 and 14:30–15:00; weapons list; sword, shield, staff and archery; rain may cancel or postpone
- Seoul Mediahub — 2026 의정부지 상설 전통문화행사 visit (citizen reporter, 22 May 2026)municipal — 2026 run 11 Apr–31 Oct except the hot season (Jun–Aug); Saturdays 11:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:00; host dressed as the Chief State Councillor opens the yeolmu; experiences: archery, staff and shield-and-sword; seunggyeongdo for families; free; 20 advance places per session, fully booked through 31 Oct; up to 10 on-site places; check the Seoul Culture Portal for rain changes
- Event-us — 2026 의정부지 상설 전통문화행사 booking page (the programme's sign-up channel)official — Free martial-arts experience tickets at 11:30 and 14:30 on Saturdays: 11 Apr–6 Jun and 5 Sep–31 Oct 2026, most sessions on a waiting list; listed period 11 Apr–14 Nov, applications 1 Apr–7 Nov; sword, staff and archery; 세종로 76-14; no parking, use public transport
- 여기유.com — event listing 의정부지 상설 전통문화행사other — 2026.04.11–2026.10.31, every Saturday 11:00~15:00, closed in the hot season; two sessions 11:00~12:00 and 14:00~15:00; free; 종로1길 45; 02-737-6444; 서울시 / ㈜예문관
- mom-mom.net — 2026 Uijeongbu Site Traditional Culture Event (family listing)other — English name; Saturdays 11:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:00, 11 Apr–31 Oct 2026, not June–August and not on 3 October; free; Gwanghwamun Station Line 5 Exit 9 via Haechi Madang with lifts and escalators; no parking, Sejong-ro public car park busy at weekends; archery may be hard for young children; booking on Event-us; rain may cancel
- Seoul Mediahub — 이번엔 'K-무예'다! 신명나는 전통무예 시연 강력 추천 (citizen reporter, 9 Sep 2025)municipal — 2025 second half: 13 shows in Sep–Oct on weekends and Chuseok holidays, 15:20–16:30; opening on 6 Sep after the summer break with Bukcheong lion dance; shows began in May and drew about 10,000 viewers; archery and martial-arts experiences; free
- Seoul Metropolitan Government culture news — 의정부지에서 만나는 북청사자놀음…서울시 전통 무예 시연 재개 (2 Sep 2025)municipal — 2025 programme debuted in May; 17 sessions in May–June drew about 10,000 visitors; resumed from Sat 6 Sep 2025 through October; Bukcheong lion dance; rain may cancel or postpone; Naver Cafe cafe.naver.com/ujbj2025; Seoul 문화본부 문화유산활용과, 02-2133-2634
- Seoul Mediahub — 실감나는 겨루기에 박수가 절로~ 의정부지 역사유적광장 전통무예행사 (citizen reporter, 14 May 2025)municipal — 2025: May–October, Fridays to Sundays, 15:20–16:30; opening special performance on 6 May 2025; nine martial arts from the Muye Dobo Tongji; booking via the Seoul Culture Portal; plaza on the east side in front of Gwanghwamun
- Seoul Mediahub — 3년 전 발굴 현장이 이렇게 바뀌었어요! 광화문 '의정부지 역사유적광장' (28 Jun 2024)municipal — Plaza on the east side of Gwanghwamun, 세종로 76-14; trial opening in June 2024, formal opening in mid-July 2024; open 24 hours, free; Line 5 Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2, 385 m; building outlines, round well, lotus pond and pavilion, rest area and public restroom
- Seoul Mediahub — 조선 최고 관청 터에 '의정부지 유적전시관' 개관…16일 기념 행사 (15 Oct 2026)municipal — Uijeongbu-ji Relics Exhibition Hall opens 16 Oct 2026 on the plaza; Jeongbondang, office of the three state councillors; excavated 2013–2019, plaza created 2024; free; closed Mondays, 1 January and Seollal and Chuseok days; yeolmu re-enactment at the opening event
- NOL World (Interpark Global) — Gyeongbokgung Palace Royal Guard Ceremonyother — Daily except Tuesdays; ceremony 10:00 and 14:00, 20 min; Gwanghwamun guard-on-duty 11:00 and 13:00, 10 min; training 09:35 and 13:35, 15 min; uniform try-on before and after the shows; free; in Dec–Feb and Jul–Aug a temperature rule shortens the Gwanghwamun show, ceremony as usual; rain or snow: only the Heungnyemun guard-on-duty; Exit 5 about 5 min; password exchange
- Busan → Seoul Station train timetable, 16–22 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — Same last trains on Fri 16, Sat 17 and Sun 18 Oct: 22:00 KTX 82 (arr 00:27) and 22:10 KTX 84 (arr 00:42), i.e. about 2 h 30 min Busan–Seoul; matches korail.com for 16 Oct
- Hankyung: 9월 1일부터 서울~부산 KTX 5만4400원…운임 평균 10% 인하 (31 Aug 2026)news — KTX and SRT run as KTX from 1 Sep; former SRT trainsets renamed KTX-Sancheon; Seoul–Busan ₩59,800→₩54,400, Yongsan–Gwangju Songjeong ₩46,800→₩42,000; Suseo seats +30%; booking unified in Korail+
What we could not confirm
- The organizer's own pages (the Seoul Culture Portal event page and the Naver Cafe cafe.naver.com/ujbj2025) were not opened; the schedule comes from Seoul city's Mediahub notices of April and May 2026, KTO's listing and the Event-us booking page, which agree.
- The 2027 season (dates, format, whether it continues) was not announced as of 19 October 2026; the programme changed format between 2025 and 2026.
- The booking page gives the event period as 11 April–14 November 2026, while KTO and the city give 31 October; no November session was listed.
- Age or height limits for the martial-arts experience, and whether seunggyeongdo has a cap on players, are not published.
- Best exit: Seoul city gives Gwanghwamun Station Exit 2 (385 m, 2024), while a family listing points to Exit 9 via Haechi Madang.
- Whether any commentary is given in English or other languages.
- KTO's listing gives the road address 종로1길 45; the city's notices and the booking page use the lot address 세종로 76-14.
- Japanese and Chinese names were not found on a KTO or official page.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: seasonal weekly programme (days and times, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of the opening of the Uijeongbu-ji Historic Site Plaza (Seoul Metropolitan Government, CC BY 4.0).
