What it actually is
Cheongwadae — known in English as the Blue House for its distinctive blue roof tiles — served as the official residence and office of Korea's president for decades. Following a change in the country's political administration, the site opened to public visitors in 2022 for the first time in its history, after the presidential office relocated elsewhere in Seoul.
What to actually see
- The main residence building — the recognizable blue-roofed structure itself, with interior rooms open to visitors that were previously never accessible to the public.
- The surrounding grounds — landscaped gardens and grounds behind Gyeongbokgung, offering a rare angle on the palace and the mountains behind it from a vantage point that was off-limits for generations.
- Reception and state event spaces — rooms used for official state functions, giving a sense of the building's functional history beyond just being a residence.
Should you visit
Worth it for the novelty and historical significance alone — very few visitors to Seoul have any memory of this being an accessible site, since it simply wasn't one until recently. It pairs naturally with a Gyeongbokgung visit given the shared location behind the palace; see our palaces guide.
Good to know: Advance booking has been required for entry since opening, with visitor numbers and specific open areas subject to change — confirm the current reservation process before planning a visit around it.