Cheongwadae, 5 Million Visitors in 1 Year and 9 Months Since Opening to the Public

Transformed into a Dynamic Space Achieving Results
Changing the Viewing Paradigm with Differentiated Content
Consistently Offering Performances Including Story Concerts

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 14th that the cumulative number of visitors to the Blue House surpassed 5 million on Lunar New Year’s Day, the 10th. It has been 1 year and 9 months since it was opened to the public on May 10, 2022.

On the 30th, ahead of the 1st anniversary of the Blue House opening to the public, citizens are moving to view at the entrance of the Blue House in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

This achievement was made by transforming the Blue House into a dynamic space where history, culture, and nature come alive. The Ministry plans to develop the Blue House into a world-class tourist landmark by linking it with nearby historical, cultural, and natural resources. Moving away from sightseeing focused solely on scenery, they are developing dynamic programs and operating content based on the national philosophy of freedom and solidarity and a spirit of being friendly to the vulnerable. They also encourage participation from the MZ generation through public-private cooperation. The goal is to change the viewing paradigm with new and differentiated content.

The most popular content was the exhibition "Stories of Our Presidents ? Here Were the Presidents," held for three months from June last year in the Main Building and the Chunghugwan. It showcased small items that encapsulate the lives of past presidents along with related photos, such as an English typewriter (Syngman Rhee), a pet dog sketch (Park Chung-hee), a tungso flute (Roh Tae-woo), jogging shoes (Kim Young-sam), gardening scissors (Kim Dae-jung), and a book stand (Roh Moo-hyun). The exhibition space in the Main Building was also restored to the period when the president received state guests and conducted official duties. The removal of covers revealed a red carpet, and artworks installed at the time of construction were placed back in their original positions, attracting much attention.

The Ministry also consistently offers high-quality performances outdoors at locations such as the Grand Garden, Nokjiwon, Helipad, and Sojeongwon, where visitors can feel the essence of K-culture and broaden their horizons. During the Lunar New Year holiday from the 9th to the 11th, cultural events titled "Blue House, a Bold Lunar New Year" were held, featuring storytelling concerts and tea ceremonies with experts on the Blue House’s history, culture, and nature. The average daily number of visitors during this period was 15,000 (a total of 45,734 visitors over three days).

On the 6th, Bukaksan Mountain and the Blue House in Jongno-gu, Seoul, presented a winter landscape resembling an ink wash painting in the city after a night of snowfall. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

A Ministry official said, "All schedules for the tea ceremony event, which teaches traditional Korean tea culture, were fully booked from the first day of advance reservations," adding, "It is encouraging that people of all ages, from children to the elderly, participated, gathering as three generations of families to drink tea and exchange well-wishes." One visitor said, "Visiting the Blue House during the Lunar New Year holiday and learning about tea culture with my children and parents, making traditional sweets ourselves, was a meaningful time that will become a special memory."

The Ministry is also expanding convenience facilities to enhance visitor satisfaction. In particular, in October last year, responding to feedback about a lack of resting places, they expanded restrooms and converted the first floor of Yeomin 1-gwan, which had been restricted, into a visitor lounge and opened it to the public. A Blue House Foundation official stated, "300 to 400 visitors come daily," and added, "We plan to actively expand convenience facilities through consultations with the Cultural Heritage Administration, Jongno District Office, and other agencies, following administrative procedures."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.