Museums and palaces across South Korea are inviting visitors with free admission and diverse programs during the extended Lunar New Year holiday.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Service on January 14, the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul will offer free admission to its special exhibition "Our Yi Sun-sin" on January 15, 16, and 18. The exhibition is considered the largest-ever display of artifacts related to Admiral Yi Sun-sin. While the permanent exhibition halls are normally free, the special exhibition halls require paid tickets.
The National Museum of Korea is also hosting "Ipchun Maehyang," a spring plum blossom exhibition that opened on January 3 and runs through January 18. Visitors who share photos on Instagram after viewing the exhibition can win cultural merchandise "MYUTZ" through a lottery.
Regional national museums are also hosting Lunar New Year events. The Gwangju National Museum will offer a multi-stamp bookmark-making program from January 14-16 at its Ceramic Culture Hall, which opened in December last year. The Daegu National Museum will operate on-site experience programs including card-holder mape (horse-shaped official badges) making and gat (traditional hat) keyring crafting for 500 visitors daily on a first-come, first-served basis from January 14-16. The National Museum of Korea and its regional branches will be closed on January 17, Lunar New Year's Day.
The National Folk Museum of Korea in Jongno-gu, Seoul will host "2026 Lunar New Year Festival Bok-it-Seol" on January 16. Visitors can have their fortunes told through yut divination in the main lobby and write New Year's greetings for family and neighbors. Hands-on activities include making New Year's money envelopes and lucky pouches, as well as traditional games such as jegichagi (shuttlecock kicking), ddakjichigi (slap-match), and paengi (spinning tops). Special performances include the family sound drama "Princess Bari's Search for Sound," and visitors can view the Year of the Horse commemorative exhibition "So Much Talk About Horses," which opened late last year.
Gyeongbokgung Palace, the four major palaces in Seoul, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty will be open free of charge for five days from January 14 to 18 with no closures. However, the Secret Garden at Changdeokgung Palace is not included in the free admission. Gyeonghuigung Palace, one of the five grand palaces, is always free. Jongmyo Shrine, which normally operates with timed entry, will also allow free-flow visits during the holiday. On January 19, after the free admission period ends, all four major palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Royal Tombs will be closed.
At Heungnyemun Plaza in Gyeongbokgung Palace, 2,000 copies of "sehwa" — traditional New Year paintings believed to bring good fortune — will be distributed daily from January 16 to 18. Sehwa are paintings meant to ward off illness, disaster, and misfortune while bringing luck for the year ahead. Joseon kings traditionally bestowed sehwa upon their subjects at the start of the new year, and the custom later spread among the general public. This year's sehwa features "Red Horse of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits," painted by Jung Gwi-ja, a designated holder of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Seoul for folk painting.