Seoul: A record 17.8 million people visited royal palaces, tombs, and Jongmyo Shrine last year, officials said Monday, as public interest in traditional Korean culture continued to rise.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Korea Heritage Service reported that a total of 17,805,664 people visited these major heritage sites in 2025. This figure represents a 12.8 percent increase from the 15.78 million visitors the previous year.

The number marks the highest annual count on record and the first time combined visitors to the four main palaces-Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyeong, and Deoksu-as well as Jongmyo Shrine and the royal tombs, have surpassed 17 million. Jongmyo is where the ancestral tablets of the royal family of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) are enshrined.

Visitor numbers had plunged to just 6.7 million in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic but have since rebounded, staying above 10 million for four consecutive years. Annual figures reached 14.37 million in 2023, 15.78 million in 2024, and 17.81 million in 2025, each setting a new record, the agency noted.

Gyeongbok Palace, the largest of Seoul's royal complexes, attracted the largest crowds, with 6.89 million visitors, accounting for 38.7 percent of admissions to all royal palaces and tombs. It was followed by Deoksu Palace with 3.56 million visitors, Changdeok Palace with 2.22 million, and Changgyeong Palace with 1.60 million.

The number of foreign visitors also saw a significant rise, reaching 4.27 million last year, up 34.4 percent from 2024. Foreign tourists made up nearly a quarter of the total visitors. At Gyeongbok Palace, foreigners accounted for 40.4 percent of all visitors, while at Jongmyo Shrine, the proportion was estimated at 16.8 percent, the agency stated.