Donggwol Dongnak 2026, Seoul palaces by night — ballot to 28 Oct

Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung stood east of Gyeongbokgung and were known together in the Joseon era as Donggwol, the Eastern Palaces. Donggwol Dongnak, run for the second time by the Korea Heritage Service's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Heritage Agency, joins them after dark. The first half follows a guide dressed as a painter of the Dohwaseo, the Joseon court's painting bureau, around Changgyeonggung's halls with short plays along the way; the second half lets you wander between the two palaces' rear gardens through Yeongchunmun, a gate that is normally kept shut.

Last year's first edition was first come, first served; this year it has switched to a ballot in the name of fairness. The entry window closes on 28 October and winners then have their own payment deadline, so the dates are easy to miss. Below: the steps with their dates, what has changed since 2025, and the route.

From ballot to leftover tickets, date by date

Step 3 is the one people miss. The winning text gives you the right to pay, not a seat; if you do not pay in time, the place goes to the general sale. If you are not drawn, 14:00 on 5 November is your next chance.

What has changed since last year

The price is up by KRW 10,000 and each person can buy half as many tickets, so a group of four needs two people to enter and both to win. We could not find this year's capacity per session or in total in any published material.

What is the route?

According to the Korea Heritage Service, the route leaves Changgyeonggung's Honghwamun gate, crosses Okcheongyo bridge, passes Myeongjeongjeon and Tongmyeongjeon halls, crosses into Changdeokgung at Uiduhap, goes by the Aeryeonji and Buyongji ponds, then returns through Changgyeonggung's Great Greenhouse and Daechundangji pond to Honghwamun. At four stops — Myeongjeongjeon, Tongmyeongjeon, Uiduhap and Daechundangji — short plays tell stories of people connected with each place. Who appears in them has not been announced.

New as a play location this year is Uiduhap in Changdeokgung, a plain, unpainted building known as the study of Crown Prince Hyomyeong. Last year that slot went to Hwangyeongjeon in Changgyeonggung.

Through Yeongchunmun into the rear gardens

The last 40 minutes are yours. Yeongchunmun, a gate visitors cannot normally pass, is opened so you can walk freely between the rear gardens of Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung; there is a gugak (traditional music) concert at Yeonghwadang pavilion, and actors play out royal daily life around the gardens. With late-autumn nights in mind, refreshments are served and a tumbler filled with tea is given as a souvenir.

The finish: the Great Greenhouse and Daechundangji

During the free time you can stop at the Great Greenhouse in Changgyeonggung for a drink, then watch the fourth play at Daechundangji before returning to Honghwamun to hand back the equipment you were lent. While the event runs, Changgyeonggung's usual evening opening is suspended and the palace is open by day only (09:00–17:30). From 29 October to 15 November the palaces, Jongmyo and the royal tombs are free to enter, so you could see Changgyeonggung in daylight and come back for your evening session.

Discounts and who can take part

• 50% off, with ID and proof checked on the night: people with severe disabilities plus one companion, people with mild disabilities, and holders of national merit or veterans' registration cards. These are Korean registrations, so in practice the discount does not apply to overseas visitors.
• Age: anyone born in 2020 or later cannot take part; those born 2008–2019 must come with a guardian.
• The KRW 40,000 price is from the press release; the Ticketlink ballot page shows only a KRW 0 entry, so confirm the amount on the winners' payment screen.
• The press release and its attachment describe the phone-booking group slightly differently. If it applies to you, check with Ticketlink on +82-1588-7890 beforehand.
• Programme enquiries: palace programme line +82-1522-2295 (Korean).

Getting there, and what to expect without Korean

Everyone meets at Honghwamun, the main gate of Changgyeonggung on Changgyeonggung-ro. The usual approach is from Hyehwa Station on Line 4, about a 15-minute walk south. The guides' narration and the four plays are in Korean and no English session has been announced, so a visitor without Korean is paying mainly for the setting: palaces lit at night, the normally closed Yeongchunmun, the gardens and the concert. Booking is the harder part. The ballot is on Ticketlink's Korean site and needs an account, and signing up usually involves Korean mobile verification; we could not confirm whether this event is sold through Ticketlink's English-language global site, so ask Ticketlink, or have a Korean friend enter for you. At the payment step, bank transfer is not accepted.