Japan doubled heritage revenue by raising prices. Korea's palaces still cost less than a coffee.

Visitors to Seoul's four historic palaces topped 14 million last year, yet admission fees have not changed in 21 years. As revenue falls despite record attendance, the government is weighing a long-overdue price overhaul — but disagreements over how much to charge, and who should pay more, are clouding the timeline.

Gyeongbokgung's Geunjeongjeon throne hall [Korea Tourism Organization]

Annual visitors to Seoul's four historic palaces have surpassed 14 million, yet admission fees have not moved in 21 years. While major heritage sites abroad have adjusted their prices to reflect rising costs, South Korea's near-zero-cost ticketing structure has left palace managers grappling with shrinking revenue and worsening finances. The government has begun pushing for a fee overhaul, but disagreements over how large an increase to impose — and who should qualify for discounts — have left the actual implementation date uncertain.

More visitors, less revenue: the fiscal paradox

Visitors at Changdeokgung [Korea Tourism Organization]

Data submitted to the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Cultural Heritage Administration show that the four palaces drew about 14.27 million visitors last year, a record high. The figures were released Friday by Jin Seon-mi, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on the committee.

Gyeongbokgung drew the most visitors — about 6.89 million, up 6.88 percent from the previous year — followed by Deoksugung (about 3.56 million), Changdeokgung (about 2.21 million) and Changgyeonggung (about 1.6 million). Foreign visitors drove much of the growth: the number of overseas tourists at Gyeongbokgung jumped 37.34 percent year-on-year to about 2.78 million, while the total foreign visitor count across all four palaces surged from roughly 50,000 in 2021 to about 4.09 million last year, cementing the palaces as a must-see stop on the Korean tourism circuit.

Yet the financial picture has deteriorated even as attendance climbed. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration's Palace and Royal Tomb Management Office, about 12.29 million of the roughly 17.81 million people who visited the four palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and the Joseon royal tombs last year — 69 percent of the total — entered free of charge. Overall attendance rose 12.9 percent compared with 2024, but the number of paying visitors fell 5.2 percent and admission revenue dropped 4.1 percent.

Growing crowds drive up the cost of cleaning, crowd management and emergency repairs, yet income shrinks — a structural imbalance that has deepened over time. Observers say the situation has exposed the limits of the current model's ability to reflect the cultural value of these sites or fund their upkeep.

Cheaper than a burger: Korea's fees lowest among major heritage nations

The primary culprit is a fee structure frozen since 2005. Adult admission currently stands at 3,000 won for Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, and just 1,000 won for Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Jongmyo and the Joseon royal tombs. A Big Mac index comparison by the Korea Heritage Planning and Evaluation Institute found that the 3,000-won Gyeongbokgung ticket is worth only half a Big Mac, priced at 5,700 won. By contrast, France's Palace of Versailles charges the equivalent of 52,510 won ($39) — 9.2 Big Macs — while the United Kingdom's Buckingham Palace charges 117,600 won (20.6 Big Macs), China's Forbidden City 11,780 won (2.1 Big Macs), Vietnam's Hue Imperial Citadel 10,700 won (1.9 Big Macs) and Japan's Nijo Castle in Kyoto 6,860 won (1.2 Big Macs). The gap is so stark that admission to Fujita Memorial Garden in Aomori Prefecture — a private garden turned municipal park — costs 320 yen, or roughly 2,760 won, barely less than a Korean palace ticket.

Meanwhile, physical damage to the sites is mounting. More than 10 holes were recently found in a single door panel at Gyeongbokgung's Geunjeongjeon throne hall, and similar damage has been spotted at Gyotaejeon and Sajeongjeon at heights reachable by hand. The Gyeongbokgung Management Office estimates that roughly 60 percent of all paper-screen damage is caused deliberately by visitors. Last November, a foreign visitor was fined for urinating against the north gate wall, and graffiti on the Yeongjumun gate wall and illegal dumping have continued. The Cultural Heritage Administration has run on-site awareness campaigns, but a shortage of funding for round-the-clock monitoring and repairs limits its ability to respond effectively.

Half the public backs a hike; the right price? About 9,200 won

Himeji Castle in Japan, which has introduced a two-tier admission system [Himeji Castle Management Office]

A public survey of 6,635 people conducted by the Korea Performance Research Institute found that 50 percent of respondents support raising admission fees — citing the need to reflect the cultural value of the sites — while only 19 percent oppose an increase. Respondents said the appropriate fee would be an average of 9,203 won for palaces and 7,196 won for royal tombs, roughly three times the current rates.

Caution prevailed, however, on the question of charging foreign visitors more than domestic ones. Among experts, 60 percent favored a uniform rate, as did 58 percent of the general public. Only 40 percent of experts and 34 percent of the public supported higher fees for foreign tourists.

Japan has moved in the opposite direction. Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, introduced a two-tier pricing system in March, keeping the fee at 1,000 yen for residents while charging non-residents and foreign tourists 2,500 yen ($16). Total visitor numbers fell 16 percent in the first month, but the higher per-visitor revenue roughly doubled overall admission income compared with the same period the previous year.

November announcement planned, but delays possible

Gyeongbokgung [Korea Tourism Organization]

The government has set a target of announcing new admission fee standards in November, with the changes taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. The National Museum of Korea, which draws about 6.5 million visitors a year, is also reviewing whether to reintroduce paid admission for its permanent exhibitions after 18 years of free entry following the abolition of its 2,000-won adult fee in 2008.

The timeline, however, remains uncertain. Disagreements persist over the size of the increase, as well as the structure of discounts and exemptions. Concerns include not only how much to raise fees but also the potential discrimination controversy that a two-tier system for domestic and foreign visitors could trigger. When broader prerequisites — such as revamping the discount framework and building public consensus — are factored in, the actual fee increase could still be a long way off.

"Beyond the debate over differential pricing for foreign visitors, there are many interlinked issues — such as whether to maintain free entry for visitors wearing hanbok — that go well beyond simply raising the price," a Cultural Heritage Administration official said. "Given that we are overhauling a fee structure that has been frozen for more than 20 years, we expect the decision will be made through careful deliberation rather than rushed implementation."

terry@heraldcorp.com