Palace museum opens outdoor wedding season under gingko trees
Visitors take part in a special tour of Hyangwonjeong Pavilion inside Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
Beneath the brilliant autumn canopy of a century-old ginkgo tree, the National Palace Museum of Korea is opening its historic grounds to a new generation of newlyweds.
Starting Friday, the royal courtyard adjacent to Gyeongbok Palace will transform into an outdoor venue where dozens of couples will tie the knot surrounded by centuries of Korean heritage.
The program, dubbed "Gogyeol" — a blend of Korean words meaning "marrying at the palace museum" — will host 28 free outdoor weddings every weekend and holiday through Nov. 8. With two daily slots at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the initiative aims to ease financial burdens for young couples while celebrating the nation’s cultural legacy in everyday life.
To launch the season on Friday afternoon, the museum welcomed its inaugural wedding couple, including bride Mai, a high-profile Estonian content creator who gained national fame as the first foreign contestant crowned Miss Chunhyang . Now a prominent cultural ambassador sharing Korean traditions with millions online, Mai celebrated her wedding alongside distinguished guests, including Huh Min, head of the Korea Heritage Service, and Tanel Sepp, the Estonian ambassador to Korea.
Mai’s ceremony is the first of 28 selected from an overwhelming pool of 293 applicant couples in April. The final roster spans a diverse cross-section of society — including international pairs, multicultural families, military service members, firefighters, police officers and young adults overcoming personal hardships.
To support the couples, the museum is providing both the ginkgo courtyard and a newly restored annex, adorned with colorful dancheong architectural painting, as a reception space for guests.
Following enthusiastic public response to the debut season, cultural authorities plan to expand the initiative next year to 80 outdoor ceremonies across both spring and autumn 2027.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.