경복궁 영추문 43년만에 전면개방

Today, a special ceremony hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration was held.
It was to celebrate the reopening of the Yongchumun Gate of Gyeongbokgung palace.
Hong Yoo takes us there.
One of the four doors that lets people into Gyeongbokgung Palace, a royal palace built during the Chosun dynasty, has reopened to the public after being closed for 43 years.
Yongchumun Gate, located on the western side of the palace, had been closed to the public since 1975.
"To protect government branches located near this gate, such as the Blue House, there was a special security force guarding Youngchumun gate making it hard to keep it open until now."
But starting from Thursday, people can freely use this door to move in and out of the palace.
And this passage is expected to make it easier for tourists and locals to visit nearby galleries, restaurants and cafes.
"Before this door was open, we had to go all the way around the palace to enter it because there was no entrance on the west side. But now, we can take a look around Sejong Village and visit the palace much more easily."
In the past, Yongchumun Gate was mostly used by civil servants and military officers.
"The current Yongchumun Gate is actually a restored version.
The original gate was burnt down during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, and the rebuilt gate was torn down during the Japanese colonial era in 1926."
A special ceremony took place to celebrate the gate's reopening.
There were perfomances prepared by the Cultural Heritage Administration,... and a ceremony involving people marching through the gate.
" We hope the reopening of this gate can provide a convenient passage for tourists and Koreans and we also expect this new passage to revitalize the local economy of Sejong Village on the western side of Gyeongbokgung Palace."
From now on, people can use the gate to enter the palace during opening hours by paying an entrance fee of 3 U.S. dollars.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.