Deoksu Palace to relive 1901 diplomacy of Korean Empire
Summary
Deoksu Palace will host the immersive reenactment Audience with Foreign Envoys of the Korean Empire in central Seoul from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4. The Korea Heritage Service and Korea Heritage Agency are staging the program to recreate the spring of 1901, with visitors joining as press correspondents for the Korean Empire. The event marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France and is themed The Korean Empire: Embarking on Diplomacy Toward the Future.
Key Facts
- The program is free of charge and each session is limited to 40 participants.
- Reservations open on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. through Ticketlink on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Direct phone bookings are available for seniors aged 65 and over, visitors with disabilities and national veterans.
- The 90-minute reenactment spans four locations inside Deoksu Palace, historically known as Gyeongungung.
A view of Hamnyeongjeon Hall, the imperial bedchamber and official audience hall for foreign envoys during the Korean Empire, at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul. Hankook Ilbo
Step through the grand gates of Deoksu Palace this autumn, and the year is no longer 2026, but 1901. Amid the looming shadows of regional empires, Emperor Gojong is entertaining foreign envoys, desperately leveraging diplomacy to safeguard his nation's sovereignty.
Beginning Oct. 2, the Korea Heritage Service, alongside the Korea Heritage Agency, will host an immersive historical reenactment titled "Audience with Foreign Envoys of the Korean Empire" at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul. Running through Oct. 4, the event invites visitors to step directly into a pivotal chapter of modern Korean history.
Timed to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, this year’s program, themed "The Korean Empire: Embarking on Diplomacy Toward the Future," reconstructs the tense geopolitical landscape of the spring of 1901.
Rather than serving as passive spectators, participants will take on the role of press correspondents for the Korean Empire. Equipped with press notebooks and dedicated web applications, audience members will follow historical reenactments across the palace grounds and draft their own dispatch stories.
The 90-minute narrative unfolds across four distinct locations within Deoksu Palace, known historically as Gyeongungung.
Correspondents first gather at Gwangmyeong Gate to cover the arrival of foreign diplomats before moving to Hamnyeongjeon Hall, where Emperor Gojong officially grants an audience to Victor Collin de Plancy, the French minister to Korea, and John Harington Gubbins, the British charge d'affaires.
The narrative then shifts to Jeonggwanheon Hall as imperial officials Hyeon Sang-geon and Yi Han-eung engage in candid diplomatic talks with foreign envoys over pressing international issues. Finally, the narrative culminates in the courtyard of Jeukjodang and Junmyeongdang with a festive banquet featuring traditional dance performances and music by the Korean Empire’s military band.
The timing carries rich historical symbolism.
In 1901, the Korean Empire sought to assert its neutral standing on the world stage, relying on diplomatic ties with Western powers like France and Britain to counter encroaching regional influences. Figures like Yi — who would later serve in London as a diplomat — personify the tragic yet resolute diplomatic efforts of the era.
Reservations open on a first-come, first-served basis starting Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. via Ticketlink. The program is free of charge, with each session limited to 40 participants to maintain an intimate, interactive experience. Direct phone bookings are available for seniors aged 65 and over, visitors with disabilities and national veterans.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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