4,000 reenactors to march 32 km in Korea's largest historical reenactment
Summary
More than 4,000 people and 108 horses will join a 31.8-kilometer reenactment of King Jeongjo’s royal procession from Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul to Yungneung in Hwaseong this Sunday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, Gyeonggi Province, and the cities of Suwon and Hwaseong are jointly staging the daylong festival. The route will include Nodeul Island, Hwaseong Fortress, ritual ceremonies at the royal tombs, and public performances along the way.
Key Facts
- The parade starts at 8:30 a.m. at Gyeongbok Palace with a formal departure ceremony.
- Around 700 pre-registered citizens will march to Nodeul Island, and about 1,200 local residents will join another 1,000 marchers at Hwaseong Fortress.
- Road closures will begin at 3 a.m. and continue along the route until the evening in Seoul, Suwon and Hwaseong.
- The event will include Bongsan Talchum, martial arts demonstrations, robot acts and K-pop dance performances.
- The reenactment will end with ritual ceremonies at the Yungneung Royal Tombs and the distribution of ceremonial rice cakes.
Performers dressed in traditional Joseon Dynasty attire participate in a mini reenactment of King Jeongjo's royal procession during a press day event for the 63rd Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival at Hwaseong Haenggung Palace in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap
In the autumn of 1795, King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty set out on an unprecedented eight-day royal pilgrimage from his palace in Seoul to his father’s memorial site in Hwaseong. Escorting his mother, Lady Hyegyeong, the monarch marched with thousands of soldiers, officials and horses in a historic display of filial piety and royal authority.
That grand journey will return on a monumental scale this Sunday.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government, Gyeonggi Province, and the cities of Suwon and Hwaseong announced a joint historic reenactment of King Jeongjo’s 31.8-kilometer procession. The 2026 King Jeongjo Royal Parade will begin from Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul and cross the Han River to end at Yungneung, the royal tomb complex in Gyeonggi Province.
Featuring more than 4,000 participants and 108 horses, the daylong festival is one of Korea’s largest living history spectacles. The procession bridges four major municipal boundaries, transforming modern urban thoroughfares into dynamic outdoor stages for traditional pageantry, street theater and cultural performances.
The journey begins at 8:30 a.m. at Gyeongbok Palace with a formal departure ceremony. Around 700 pre-registered citizens clad in period attire will march alongside official reenactors to Nodeul Island on the Han River, a journey that is expected to take approximately two hours. Masked performers will entertain crowds along the route with Bongsan Talchum, a traditional Korean mask-dance drama recognized by UNESCO, while historians and theater troupes will give dynamic presentations about King Jeongjo’s legacy on Nodeul Island.
As the parade moves south into Suwon, 1,200 local residents will join another 1,000 marchers at Hwaseong Fortress. The procession will feature martial arts demonstrations by reenactors playing the king’s elite guard alongside traditional percussion ensembles, robot acts and K-pop dance performances.
The parade finishes in Hwaseong, where reenactors will conduct ritual ceremonies at the Yungneung Royal Tombs before distributing ceremonial rice cakes to attendees.
Beyond the spectacle, the parade is meant to honor King Jeongjo’s celebrated policy of "sharing joy with the people." During the original 1795 march, the king frequently paused his procession to hear directly from commoners through "gyeokjaeng"— a traditional system where citizens petitioned the sovereign directly, ringing gongs to gain his attention.
"This reenactment allows citizens to directly walk the path of King Jeongjo's filial devotion," a Seoul city official, advising travelers to use public transit due to rolling road closures across Seoul, Suwon and Hwaseong starting at 3 a.m. and continuing along the route until the evening.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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