After the opening of the Blue House, which I’ve always wanted to visit every now and then, I finally got around to making a reservation to see it. Here’s everything you need to know about reservations, parking, observation decks, and more.
We visited the Blue House, which used to showcase Korea’s past, present, and future. Now that it’s open, it’s a recommended tourist destination for visitors to Gyeongbokgung Palace and the surrounding Bukchon and Seochon neighborhoods.
Today, I’m writing a real review of the Blue House, a place that was the future of Korea. I hope it will be helpful to those who are considering visiting the Blue House.
Blue House, South Korea
Blue House Address Location
The full opening date is May 23, 2022.
Hopping-off the bus and towards the entrance, there were a lot of security officers. Bags will be thoroughly checked and cameras will be tested as zoom-in lens are not allowed (Security 2). For foreigners, english materials will be provided.
Tour is actually, on the outside area only, so mostly, gardens. We can only take pictures on specific spots (as seen on the material) (Security 3).
After the tour, they gave us souvenirs.
Blue House is located in the center of Bukchon, Seochon, north of Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Address: 1 Cheongwadaero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
** Visiting the Blue House is free! **
Blue House Hours
(March – November) 9:00 – 18:00 (last entry at 17:30)
(December – February) 9:00 – 17:30 (last entry at 17:00)
* Not open on Tuesdays.
(However, if a Tuesday falls on a national holiday or an alternative holiday, it will be open as normal, and the following day will be the closing day).
Additional information
1. Anyone who has made a reservation through the Cheongwadae Viewing Reservation System can visit.
2. Seniors over the age of 65, people with disabilities, national veterans, and foreigners can apply for admission on-site. Up to 2,000 people per day can be accepted at the General Information Center at Jeongmun Gate and the General Information Center at Chunchu 37 Gate.
3. You can enter through the Main Gate and Chunqiu Gate. When entering, please show your ID and the admission barcode you received when making your reservation.
* Entrance for group visitors: Main gate
How to reserve and apply to visit the Blue House
The Blue House, which opened to the public on May 10, 2022, is now open to the public, and you can make a reservation to visit through the website.
Website address for Blue House tour application :
http://reserve.opencheongwadae.kr/
If you go to the ‘Cheongwadae, In the Hands of the People‘ website, you will see a shortcut to apply for a visit to Cheongwadae. You can apply for a visit to Cheongwadae and make a reservation here.
Access the homepage (see link above) – Go to the tour application – Make a reservation
(Once you have made a reservation, you can check your reservation in the photo in the same way)
You can make a reservation by date and time, and if you look at the reservation status of Blue House by time zone, you can see which time zone will be more crowded.
I made a reservation for the last time slot on a weekday because I wanted to see the Blue House when it wasn’t as crowded.
Also, it’s free to visit the Blue House if you make a reservation, so it’s recommended to make a good schedule.
How to get to the Blue House
Once you’ve made a reservation to see the Blue House, you’ll need this: directions to the Blue House.
How to board: Tag your transportation card and board (free)
* There are 19 regular seats and 2 wheelchair accessible seats.
* Children under the age of 6 can ride on seats equipped with child restraints (car seats) when accompanied by a guardian (legal representative). (1 seat)
* Children aged 6 to 13 years old can ride only when accompanied by a guardian (legal representative).
* Strollers are not permitted.
* Service dogs and pets in special crates are allowed on board.
Operating Period : December 22, 2022 – November 9, 2023
Daily service (no holidays)
* Not operated during vehicle maintenance and bad weather.
Service Area : Gyeongbokgung Palace Station ~ 5 stops around the Blue House
1 – Gyeongbokgung Station (Hyojaro Entrance)
2 – National Palace Museum (Yeongchumun)
3 – Blue House
4 – Chunchumun Gate
5 – Gyeongbokgung National Folk Museum
Operating Hours: 09:30 ~ 17:00
* (Saturday and Sunday) 09:30, 10:00~17:00 every 20 minutes
* (Friday) 09:30~17:00 every 15 minutes
* 12:00~13:00 Excluding lunch breaks
Inquiries about autonomous buses: Seoul Future Advanced Transportation Division ( 02-2133-4978 )
Blue House Parking Lot Parking Information
Many people travel by car these days, and for those who do, here is information on parking at the Blue House parking lot.
There are no parking lots or parking facilities for visitors inside the Blue House, and the website encourages visitors to use public transportation as much as possible.
However, there are quite a few people looking for parking information for the Blue House parking lot.
Here is the parking information for public parking lots near the Blue House. As of September 30, 2023, there are a total of three parking lots.
Parking information for parking lots near Cheongwadae
1. Chunchumun Public Parking Lot
Location: 157-69 Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Parking fee: 300 won per 5 minutes
Available 24 hours a day
* Reduction Status
– If a person with a disability registered under the Disabled Persons Welfare Act is driving a car with a disability sign and presents a disability registration card, the parking fee is reduced by 80%.
– For those who are registered under the relevant laws and regulations and those with defoliant aftereffects, 80% of the fee is reduced.
– Light vehicles (less than 1000cc displacement) and vehicles with low-emission stickers will receive a 50% reduction.
– Multi-child Happiness Card holders will receive a 30% reduction for two children and a 50% reduction for three or more children. (Only Seoul-issued multi-child Happiness Cards are eligible for the discount.)
– For those who have been recognized as model taxpayers and whose vehicles display a sincere tax payment certificate, the fee will be exempted for one year.
– Other exemptions and detailed conditions follow the parking fee table stipulated in the Jongno-gu Parking Lot Installation and Management Ordinance.
2. Hyo-dong Public Parking Lot
Location: 68-1 Hyo-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Parking fee: 1500 won for 30 minutes / 3000 won for 60 minutes / 6000 won for 120 minutes / 12000 won for 240 minutes
Additional fee: 250 won per 5 minutes
Available 24 hours a day
3. Sejong Village Shingyo Public Parking Lot
Location : 89, Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Parking fee: 1500 won for 30 minutes / 3000 won for 60 minutes / 6000 won for 120 minutes / 12000 won for 240 minutes
Additional fee: 250 won per 5 minutes
Available 24 hours a day
While organizing the parking information for the Blue House parking lot, I thought it would be good to compile a list of places to visit around Seochon, Bukchon, Samcheong-dong, Buam-dong, and Gwanghwamun while you’re here.
As this is important information, I would like to remind you once again that there is no parking lot inside the Blue House.
If you are looking for information on parking at the Blue House, please don’t just look for parking inside the Blue House, but use the public parking lots around the area.
Map of the Blue House
Recommended route 1 – Historical and cultural spaces (60 minutes)
Nokjiwon – Sangchunjae – Former Main Building Site – Main Building – State Guest House
Recommended Route 2 – Cultural Heritage (30 minutes)
Chimryugak – Ounjeong – Gyeongju Banghyeongdae Seat – Stone statue of Nyorae
Recommended Route 3 – Trees (Memorial Trees of Past Presidents) (60 min)
Sangchunjae – Official Residence – Former Main Building Ruins – Small Garden – State Guest House
Recommended Route 4 – Children and Families (30 min)
State Guesthouse – Main Building – Nokji-won Garden – Chunqiu Hall
Places to go together
* The website introduces places to visit together around the Blue House.
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul , National Folk Museum , National Museum of Korean History , National Palace Museum , Cheongwadae Sarangchae , Gyeongbokgung Palace , Gwanghwamun Square , Samcheong-dong , Bukchon Hanok Village , Insadong , Tongin Market , Park Nosu Art Museum , Seochon Sejong Village , Cheongwoon Literature Library
Cheongwadae – Photos and Information
The name Blue House. I’ve heard it on the news, but I’ve never actually been to the Blue House while living in Seoul (I’m probably not the only one, right?).
It wasn’t until September 2023 when I heard about the opening of the Cheong Wa Dae in 2022 and thought, “I’ll have to visit sometime.
Let’s take a look at the history of Cheong Wa Dae on that day.
history
The address of the Blue House is 1 Cheongwadaero, Jongno-gu, Seoul. With Bukhansan Mountain behind it, it is located in the north of the downtown area where offices are concentrated, including City Hall and Jongno Euljiro.
On December 20, 1911, during the Japanese occupation, the address of Cheongwadae was first established as ‘Gwanghwamun 1-gil’, and on January 1, 1946, the year after Korea’s liberation, it became ‘Sejong-ro 1-gil’, a Korean-style address.
In 2014, the address was switched to the street name addressing system, resulting in the current address of ‘Cheongwadaero 1’.
Goryeo period
The site of Yi Palace
The area around the Blue House was first recorded in history books around 1104, during the reign of King Sukjong of Goryeo. The Goryeo Dynasty had three capital cities, West Gyeong (Pyongyang) and East Gyeong (Gyeongju), along with the city of Kaegyeong (now Kaesong, North Korea), but King Sukjong installed the palace here instead of East Gyeong and made it Namgyeong.
Namgyeong means “Seoul in the south.
Joseon Dynasty
Records of the area around Cheongwadae reappear when Lee Sung-gye founded Joseon and discussed relocating the city.
In 1394, Joseon’s founder, King Seonggye, had his officials search for a new palace site, and they reported to the king that the location of the palace under Goryeo King Sukjong was too small, and that he should build a palace further south.
Taejo commissioned Jeonggyeon to build the palace in December of that year, and Gyeongbokgung was completed in September of the following year.
Until the Imjin War, most of the kings of Joseon lived in Gyeongbokgung Palace, and on the site of the current Cheong Wa Dae, a ceremony was held in which the king, along with his subjects, swore an oath before Heaven, Earth, and the Divine Principle and performed a nonaggression ceremony.
The Gyeongbokgung Palace Patronage (also known as Geumwon or Senate) during this period, as described in the Shilok, was located inside the wall on the north side of Gyeongbokgung Palace, close to today’s Blue House.
During the Imjin War in 1592, Gyeongbokgung Palace was completely destroyed and left unattended for about 270 years until it was rebuilt by the Heungseon Daewon army in the second year of Gojong (1865). At this time, a palace (also spelled Bukwon) was built in the area of today’s Cheongwadae outside of Gyeongbokgung’s Shinmu Gate.
A pavilion (also spelled Bukwon) was built in the area of today’s Cheongwadae outside Shinmun Gate.
From 1868, Yongmundang and Yongmudang, which had previously served as examination centers, were built, followed by Oungak, Okryeonjeong, and Gyeongnongjae, and it was called Gyeongmudae from 1869.
The Japanese Occupation Period
After the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1910, most of the buildings were demolished in 1929, when the Korean government organized the Joseon Exposition at Gyeongbokgung and Huwon to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its rule. On the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which had been a park for some time after the fair ended, the Japanese built the official residence of the Joseon governor from 1937 to 1939, and the area continued to be called Gyeongmudae.
From Gyeongmudae to Cheongwadae
For two years after the liberation of Korea in 1945, the palace was used as the official residence of the American military commander, but after the establishment of the South Korean government in 1948, President Syngman Rhee and his wife moved their residence from Hwajang to Gyeongmudae, using the first floor as an executive office and the second floor as the official residence.
President Yun Bo-sun, who took office in August 1960, felt that the name Gyeongmudae was not well-received by the public, so in 1961, he changed the name to Cheong Wa Dae, meaning “covering”.
During the presidency of Park Chung-hee, many changes were made to the building, including the construction of the Sangchunjae and the State Guest House, as the Blue House organization expanded.
President Roh Tae-woo decided to build a new, bright and progressive Blue House to match the country’s status and democratic era, and the current main building was constructed in September 1991.
Then, in 1993, the old main building, where the governor general of the Joseon Dynasty resided, was moved to Yongsan under the direction of President Kim Young-sam, and the Blue House was fully opened to the public when President Yun Suk-yeol, who took office on May 10, 2022, moved his office to Yongsan.
Cheong Wa Dae main entrance
On this day, we entered through the main gate. If you go to the main gate, you can see this long road. I was visiting at the end of the day, so there were fewer people.
‘Cheongwadae-daero 1. I don’t usually see ‘1’ in addresses like this, so I took a picture of it.
Entrance
Once you pass through the main gate, you realize you’re at the Blue House. If you go there, there are quite a few people taking commemorative photos here.
There are two roads based on ‘Cheongwadae National Form’ here, but you can go wherever you want because they are connected.
This is the front of the main building. Sometimes, when I’m near Gwanghwamun Station, if the weather is good, I can see part of the Blue House, so maybe the Blue House I’ve been seeing is the main building here.
This is the Blue House, the roof, and the main building of the Blue House.
You can see many people near the main building like this.
Main building
Built in 1991, the main building has been used by seven presidents, from Roh Tae-woo to Moon Jae-in, to hold office and receive foreign guests.
The exterior of the main building has a traditional eight-pitched roof with more than 150,000 tiles, while the interior is equipped with modern architecture and facilities.
The two-story hanok-style main building is located in the center of the building, with single-story hanok-style outbuildings on the left and right.
On the first floor of the main building, there is an executive office and the Mugunghwa Room, a space used by the royal family and the first lady for meetings and small dinners.
The second floor contains the President’s office, the reception room, and the house reality, which was used as a meeting place.
The west wing contains the Sejong Room, where state meetings were held, and the east wing contains the General Secretariat, which was used for appointment ceremonies.
The presidential residence
The Blue House is huge, so I had to make some choices, but when I came here after searching for the Blue House, I knew what I wanted to see, so I went straight to the President’s Office.
This is what used to be the presidential residence.
The official residence is where the president and his family lived. When the president lived in the old main building, he used the second floor of the old main building as his living space.
When President Roh Tae-woo decided to build a new main building, it was inaugurated as the official residence in October 1990, and the president’s public and private spaces were separated.
When building the official residence, the traditional wooden construction style was adopted, and the overlapping eaves were topped with a cheonggiwa roof.
The main house, a living space, and the outbuilding, a reception space, are arranged in an “A” shape, with a courtyard and a love house in the front yard.
The main gate of the official residence is a traditional hanok three-gate structure, and the inscription on the plaque reads ‘Insanmun’, which means ‘to live a long and healthy life’.
Cheong Wa Dae Ounjeong
There is a small trail next to the presidential residence. If you go up here, you can see both Ounjeong and the Gyeongju Banghyeongdaejeok stone statue of Nyorae.
This is Ounjeong.
Ounjeong is a pavilion built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and its name means “the scenery with five-colored clouds is like a place where fresh water plays.
The plaque at Ounjeong is inscribed with the handwriting of President Syngman Rhee. It was designated as a tangible cultural property of Seoul in 1997 and is managed as such.
Gyeongju Banghyeongdaejwa stone statue of Nyorae
If you continue to follow the mountain road past Ounjeong, you will reach here.
This is the Gyeongju Byeonghyeongdaejwa stone statue of Nyorae.
It is a stone Buddha statue with the characteristics of a 9th century Unified Silla Buddha statue and was designated as a treasure in 2018. It was moved from Gyeongju to Seoul during the Japanese occupation.
The imposing and balanced body proportions show the excellent sculptural sense of the Unified Silla Buddha statues.
View from the Blue House Observatory
In fact, quite a few visitors will want to go to the Cheongwadae Observatory.
Usually, if you’re looking for information on the Blue House Observatory, they’re referring to the Baekakjeong, which is outside of the Blue House, so it’s not currently accessible from the inside.
And if you’re a late afternoon visitor like me, you might be hesitant to go up to Baekakjeong as the sun is setting quickly.
It’s not easy to go out to Chunchumun Gate and then climb back up to the top of the observatory, Baekakjeong.
To be honest, I also wanted to see the Blue House Observatory, but I gave up on the Baekakjeong course because I was exhausted from various things that day.
In other words, I was giving up on the view of the Blue House in Seoul because I didn’t go to the course to Baekakjeong, which is called the Blue House Observatory. However, I found a new observatory.
The Presidential Residence, Ounjeong, and Gyeongju Banghyeongdaejeok stone statue of Nyorae at the end of the course, and I was able to see the view of Seoul.
Although it wasn’t from the observation deck of Baekakjeong or Cheong Wa Dae, but from a slightly lower position, it was enough to enjoy the view. If it’s late and you can’t go to Baekakjeong, it’s a great ‘observatory’, right?
If you stop by Cheongwadae Ounjeong and go to the Gyeongju Banghyeongdaejeok stone statue of Nyorae, you can enjoy the view of Seoul like this, so I think it would be good to refer to those who visit here.
Cheongwadae Helipad
I chose a course that starts from the main gate, stops at the main building, the official residence, Ounjeong, and the stone statue of Nyorae in Gyeongju, and then heads towards Chuncheomun to go to Samcheongdong.
But before I got to Chuncheomun Gate, I saw this large area of land. At first, I thought it was just a park, but it turned out to be the Blue House Helipad.
Chunchumun Chunchugwan
This is the last stop on my Blue House course. This is Chunchugwan.
Built in 1990, Chunchugwan was used as a press conference center and an entrance to the Blue House.
Chunchugwan is the name of the government office that compiled history during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties, and it embodies the spirit of ‘free press’ to strictly record history.
Leaving – Restaurants near the Blue House and more
After enjoying the view of the Blue House, we made our way back down. As I write this, it’s raining early in the morning, so I can feel the autumnal feeling on my skin. I can see Namsan Seoul Tower in the distance.
Today, we’ve covered how to make a reservation at the Blue House, parking information, directions, location, and photos of the interior.
This place must have been used by some people until relatively recently. Many people, whether presidents or high-ranking officials, have held official meetings here, but on the other hand, the Blue House I saw today was an empty building.
Seeing the empty building made me think about a lot of things, especially overlooking Seoul from the promenade I recommended earlier as the Blue House Observatory.
When it comes to restaurants near the Blue House, there are three main courses. You can go to Samcheong-dong Bukchon right next door, or you can take a short walk to Seochon Buam-dong.
Or you can walk out to the Gwanghwamun or Insadong neighborhoods. I’ll share the restaurants near the Blue House that I visited on this day soon.
If you’re looking for a family fall outing, an offbeat date, or a solo work trip… or even if you’ve been thinking about visiting Cheongwadae, now is a great time to do so.
If you were overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle during last year’s open season, you can enjoy the Blue House course without the hustle and bustle now that the open run is over and the weather is perfect for walking. Recommended.
(Additional) Blue House Bukaksan Baekaksan Hanyangdo Castle Trail Walking Course
First recommended course (about 2 hours)
Chunchugwan Side Road or Chilgung Back Road (opposite Gyeongbokgo) ⇆ Baekakjeong ⇆ Manseodongbang ⇆ Cheongwundae Shelter ⇆ Baekakmaru ⇆ Changamun Information Center
Second recommended course (about 1.5 hours)
Chunchugwan Side Road or Chilgung Back Road (opposite Gyeongbokgo) ⇆ Baekakjeong ⇆ Manse Dongbang ⇆ Sookjeongmun ⇆ Malbawi Information Center
Third recommended course (about 1.5 hours)
Chunchugwan Side Road or Chilgung Back Road (opposite Gyeongbokgo) ⇆ Baekakjeong ⇆ Samcheong Information Center
* From June 14, 2022, new trails will be closed every Tuesday.
* Six information centers (Changamun Information Center, Cheongwundae Information Center, Gokjang Information Center, Sookjeongmun Information Center, Malbawi Information Center, and Samcheong Information Center) will operate as usual.
* Trail Hours
– Spring / Fall (March ~ April, September ~ October) : 07:00 ~ 18:00 (Last entry 16:00)
– Summer (May ~ August) : 07:00 ~ 19:00 (Last entry 17:00)
– Winter (November ~ February) : 09:00 ~ 17:00 (Last entry 15:00)
(Additional) Blue House Performance Schedule Program
https://www.opencheongwadae.kr/event-program
Currently, the performance schedule for October 2023 is posted. Please refer to the above address for information on the performance schedule program.
(Additional) Blue House Tour Commentary Hours
| Category | Start time | Courses | Where the tour starts |
| 1회차 | 10:00 | Historical and Cultural Space Program | Nokjiwon Park |
| 2회차 | 11:00 | Tree Tour Program ‘Trees of the President’ | Sangchunjae |
| 3회차 | 14:00 | History and Cultural Space Program | Nokji-won |
| 4회차 | 15:00 | Historical and Cultural Space Program | Nokji-won |
| 5회차 | 16:00 | Tree Tour Program ‘Trees of the Presidents’ | Sangchunjae |
Historical and Cultural Space Program
Nokji-won – Sangchunjae – Sugunggung Ruins – Main Building – State Guest House
Tree Tour Program ‘Trees of the Presidents’
Sangchunjae – Baekak Bridge – Official Residence – Former Residence – Main Building – Small Garden – State Guest House
* Time required per program: 40 minutes to 1 hour
Notes on tour commentary
* The tour may be canceled if the weather is inclement.
* Please note that commentaries other than the official tour commentary may contain misleading information.
* Please be punctual for the departure time as the commentary cannot be reinterpreted after the departure time.
* Video recording is not allowed during the commentary.
If you came from the direction of Cheongwadae Chunchugwan –
It’s getting late, when are you going home? I’m eating outside today~ How about here?
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