Gwanghwamun: Why BTS Chose It, 600 Years of History and What to Do — A Local's Guide
Updated March 2026 · 8 min read
Photo by Rema on Unsplash
When BTS chose Gwanghwamun Square for their comeback concert in March 2026, the rest of the world asked: why there? Koreans didn’t need to ask. We already knew. This is the place where Korean history has always happened — and where it keeps happening.
I was born and raised in Korea, and Gwanghwamun has been a backdrop to some of the most significant moments of my life — and my country’s life. I remember standing there in the summer of 2002, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people dressed in red, screaming ourselves hoarse as Korea made it to the World Cup semi-finals. The energy that night was something I’ve never felt anywhere else. The entire nation seemed to be in one place, and that place was Gwanghwamun.
Years later, I worked at a company nearby and would walk toward Cheonggyecheon Stream on my lunch breaks — a completely different experience, quiet and ordinary, the kind of thing you do without thinking. The same area, two completely different Gwanghwamuns.
That’s what this square is. It holds everything at once.
Why BTS chose Gwanghwamun
When BTS announced their comeback concert would be held at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, 2026, the international reaction was curiosity. Why not a stadium? Why not an arena? Why this particular square in the middle of Seoul?
The answer is that Gwanghwamun is not just a square. It’s the symbolic center of Korea — the place where the country has gathered to mourn, celebrate, protest, and now, to welcome home seven of its most famous sons after completing their mandatory military service. The choice was deliberate: BTS designed the stage to frame both the Gwanghwamun gate and Gyeongbokgung Palace behind it in a single view, making the history of the place part of the show itself.
For Koreans watching, it landed exactly as intended. This wasn’t just a concert. It was a statement about identity — about being Korean in a way that reaches beyond borders. The 260,000 people who gathered in and around the square that night understood that immediately. So did the millions watching on Netflix around the world.
A square that carries 600 years of history
Gwanghwamun literally translates as “spreading the king’s virtue far and wide.” It was built in 1395 — just one year after the Joseon Dynasty established Seoul as its capital — as the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the grandest of the five Joseon royal palaces. The road stretching south from the gate was Yukjo Street, the Avenue of Six Ministries, where the central government conducted its affairs. For centuries, this was the most important street in the country.
The gate has survived an extraordinary amount of history — not always intact. It burned during the Japanese invasion of 1592, was relocated by Japanese colonial administrators in 1927 to make way for their Government-General building, burned again during the Korean War, and was rebuilt in concrete in 1968 in the wrong alignment. The current wooden gate — painstakingly restored using historical records and reopened in 2010 — represents something Koreans feel deeply: the insistence on reclaiming what was taken.
The square itself as we know it today only opened in 2009, when Seoul converted what had been a 16-lane highway back into a public space. It doubled in size after a renovation completed in 2022. Standing there now, looking north toward the gate and the mountains behind it, it’s easy to forget that this was once just a road.
The two statues: At the southern end of the square stands Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the naval commander who defeated the Japanese fleet during the Imjin War despite being catastrophically outnumbered. Closer to the gate sits King Sejong the Great, the fourth king of Joseon and creator of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. These are arguably the two figures Koreans most universally revere — and they both watch over the square.
What to do when you visit
Gwanghwamun Square is worth more than a photo stop. Here’s what I’d actually recommend spending time on.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Walk through the Gwanghwamun gate and into Gyeongbokgung — the palace immediately behind the square. It’s the largest of Seoul’s five grand Joseon palaces, and in spring the cherry blossoms against the traditional tiled rooftops are genuinely stunning. The changing of the guard ceremony happens at the main gate every hour from 10 AM to 3 PM and is worth timing your visit around. Admission is 3,000 won.
National Folk Museum and National Palace Museum
Both are located inside the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds and free to enter. The National Folk Museum traces the everyday lives of Koreans through the centuries — tools, clothing, rituals, domestic objects — and is one of those places that makes history feel tangible rather than abstract. The National Palace Museum focuses specifically on Joseon royal culture and artifacts. If you’re spending a half day at the palace, it’s worth popping into at least one of them.
Seoul Museum of History
A short walk west of the square on Saemunan-ro, this museum traces Seoul’s history from its founding as the Joseon capital through to the present day. It’s free to enter and well organized — the scale model of the old city and the exhibits on how Seoul transformed through the 20th century are particularly good. I’d recommend an hour here if you want context for everything you’ve been seeing in the square and the palace.
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Head southeast from the square and within a short walk you’ll reach Cheonggyecheon — an urban stream that was restored in 2005 after decades of being covered by an elevated highway. I used to walk along it regularly during my lunch breaks when I worked nearby, and it’s one of those places that makes you feel the city breathe. It’s cooler than the streets above, quieter, and oddly peaceful for somewhere in the middle of downtown Seoul. In spring and summer, it’s lovely.
Insadong
A 10–15 minute walk northeast of the square brings you to Insadong — one of Seoul’s most distinctive neighborhoods, known for its traditional crafts, tea houses, galleries, and street food. It’s a natural extension of a Gwanghwamun visit, and the contrast between the grand formality of the square and the narrow, shop-lined alleys of Insadong is part of what makes this part of Seoul interesting to walk.
Just walk the square
This sounds obvious but it’s worth saying: take your time in the square itself. Walk the full length from the Yi Sun-sin statue up toward the gate. Look at the mountains behind the palace. The view north from the square — with Gyeongbokgung in the foreground and Bugaksan rising behind it — is one of the defining views of Seoul, and it’s completely free.
The square is busiest during weekday lunch hours and weekend afternoons. Early morning — before 9 AM — is the best time to experience it quietly. The gate, the mountains, and the open sky feel completely different when you’re not navigating around crowds.
Frequently asked questions
Yes — the square itself is completely free and open at all hours. Gyeongbokgung Palace just behind it charges 3,000 won admission. The National Folk Museum, National Palace Museum (both inside the palace grounds), and Seoul Museum of History are all free to enter.
The easiest way is Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station — there’s a direct underground walkway connecting the station to the square. You can also take Line 3 to Gyeongbokgung Station (Exit 5) and walk south. From central Seoul, it’s a short subway ride from almost anywhere.
Early morning for quiet and atmosphere, or evening when the gate is lit up and the crowds have thinned. Midday on weekdays is busy with office workers; weekends can be crowded. The square is worth visiting in any season, but spring — when the cherry blossoms are out at Gyeongbokgung just behind it — is particularly beautiful.
Gwanghwamun is one of those places that means something different every time you visit, depending on what you bring to it. For first-time visitors, it’s a beautiful, historically layered square in the center of Seoul. For Koreans, it’s a place that holds decades of collective memory — celebration, grief, protest, pride. When BTS stood on that stage in March 2026, they were standing in the middle of all of that. That’s why the choice made sense. That’s why it landed the way it did.
If you’re visiting Seoul, don’t just pass through Gwanghwamun on your way to the palace. Stop. Look north. Give it a few minutes. It tends to reward the attention.
