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Outdoor ginkgo tree at the National Palace Museum of Korea. / Korea Heritage Service

Outdoor weddings set against the beauty of national heritage will take place beneath ginkgo trees in downtown Seoul. The National Palace Museum of Korea is hosting its outdoor wedding support program, "Go-Gyeol" (meaning "Marry at the Palace Museum"), every weekend and public holiday from the 2nd to November 8 at the ginkgo tree shelter in front of the museum. The initiative is designed to ease the financial burden of wedding costs while allowing citizens to appreciate the value of national heritage up close in their everyday lives.

A total of 28 couples will tie the knot through this initiative. In an open recruitment held by the museum in April, 293 couples applied, from which the final participants were selected. Ceremonies will take place twice daily throughout weekends and public holidays during the program period, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The museum will open the outdoor ginkgo shelter free of charge as a wedding venue to alleviate ceremony expenses for the newlyweds.

The participating couples represent a diverse range of backgrounds. Selections include multicultural families, international couples, service members in the military, fire, and police departments, young adults who have overcome adversity to inspire their communities, and workers in cultural heritage and the arts. The museum provides not only the ceremony space but also a reception hall for guests free of charge. By utilizing the annex newly refurbished with traditional dancheong paintwork, the venue combines the atmosphere of traditional culture while hosting both the ceremony and the reception.

On the opening day, the 2nd, Estonian YouTuber Mai holds her wedding. Having actively promoted hanbok and traditional Korean culture globally, Mai began running a YouTube channel introducing Korean culture while studying abroad in South Korea. She also drew wide attention after becoming the first foreign contestant selected as Miss Chunhyang. At the wedding, Korea Heritage Service Head Heo Min and Estonian Ambassador to South Korea Tanel Sepp are scheduled to deliver congratulatory addresses.

Building on the positive response to this year's inaugural program, the National Palace Museum of Korea plans to expand outdoor weddings to spring and autumn next year, hosting a total of 80 ceremonies. While the program began with 28 couples this year, the aim is to increase the frequency next year to offer more prospective newlyweds the opportunity to marry in national heritage spaces. The museum also intends to manage on-site operations attentively so as not to cause inconvenience to regular museum visitors.

Based on the operational outcomes of the outdoor weddings and public feedback, the National Palace Museum of Korea plans to continuously develop programs utilizing national heritage. A museum official stated, "We will continue to identify diverse programs utilizing cultural heritage and practice proactive administration so that the public can experience and enjoy the value of national heritage more closely in their daily lives."

                                                                                                            Jeon Hye-won