In the streets around Gyeongbok Palace, rage gives way to tranquility as families, tourists return
Published: 09 Apr. 2025, 07:00
![The Gyeongbok Palace grounds in central Seoul on April 5, top, and April 8 [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/09/e857dae7-6f4e-4c71-b9b0-5f8c6ed15530.jpg)
The Gyeongbok Palace grounds in central Seoul on April 5, top, and April 8 [JOONGANG ILBO]
On Tuesday afternoon, 41-year-old Ko was walking around the Gyeongbok Palace neighborhood in central Seoul with her kindergarten-aged daughter.
“If the impeachment ruling hadn’t come out last week, we would have gone somewhere else for our spring outing,” she said, looking around. “I figured the protests would have subsided by now, and with such beautiful weather, it just felt right to come back to Gyeongbok Palace.”
Four days after the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the once protest-filled Gwanghwamun Square in front of the palace had returned to its usual rhythm — filled with smiling tourists and office workers rather than tents and demonstrators.
Max, a 28-year-old Russian tourist posing in matching orange T-shirts with his partner, said, “I’d heard about Korea’s political situation through YouTube and was a little concerned, but I figured it would still be much safer than Russia. Now that I’m here, I find Gyeongbok Palace so beautiful and peaceful.”
According to the Gyeongbok Palace management office, visitor numbers rose sharply following the court ruling on Friday. During the last weekend of March, 35,839 people visited. This past weekend, that number jumped to 49,806 — a 39 percent increase.
![Tourists near the Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on April 8 [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/09/1f76f887-1c41-4a13-9ed0-49f1e4f59bf1.jpg)
Tourists near the Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on April 8 [JOONGANG ILBO]
“On Monday alone, more than 30,000 visitors came through the gates, and we’re expecting as many as 50,000 per day this coming weekend,” said one official. “With protests now cleared and flowers beginning to bloom, we’re seeing a strong uptick in visitors.”
Nearby, the Blue House — also known as Cheong Wa Dae — has also seen a rise in foot traffic. The recent confirmation of June 3 as the date for the snap presidential election has reignited public interest in what could very well be the future location of the presidential office, adding a sense of urgency to visit.
“I figured if the administration changes and the president moves back into the Blue House, it might no longer be open to the public,” said a 75-year-old surnamed Kim, who had traveled from Incheon’s Namdong District with her husband. “We made a reservation online and plan to come again soon.”
The Cheong Wa Dae Foundation reported that about 16,000 people visited over the weekend — roughly twice the daily average of 4,000 seen in March.
![The Blue House in central Seoul on April 6 [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/09/97ee556a-4d32-4626-8682-ff21308fc474.jpg)
The Blue House in central Seoul on April 6 [YONHAP]
Meanwhile, the streets around Anguk Station and the Constitutional Court — once ground zero for daily protests opposing the impeachment — were visibly quieter.
Police buses and transparent barricades remained in place, but pedestrian access was no longer restricted and enforcement had eased. Protesters, once seen holding megaphones and chanting slogans, had disappeared, and lines once again formed outside neighborhood cafes and shops. The roughly 1,200 floral wreaths — a traditional gift seen at new business storefronts, funerals and other personal milestones — bearing messages opposing Yoon's ouster that were once stacked and neglected in front of the Constitutional Court had also been removed.
A 70-year-old security guard at a building near Exit 1 of Anguk Station recalled the chaos of the prior week.
![The Constitutional Court in central Seoul on April 8 [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/09/3c402c19-ad18-483b-b7ba-62edb2619255.jpg)
The Constitutional Court in central Seoul on April 8 [JOONGANG ILBO]
“Protesters would come in late at night demanding to use the bathroom or start fights inside the building. It was a mess,” the guard said. “But starting this week, it’s finally quiet again. It really feels like life is back to normal.”
Outside Jaedong Elementary School, located near the Constitutional Court, children’s laughter echoed once again. A school security officer posted near the back gate said, “Last week it felt like a war zone — people were banging on drums and blowing vuvuzelas. But since Monday, it’s like the storm passed overnight. The parents and kids look so much more relaxed now."
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE AH-MI [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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