A wedding for members of the public was held at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty, on the afternoon of the 2nd — the first in 631 years, the Korea Heritage Service said. The palace was built in 1395, 631 years ago, meaning this was effectively the first wedding for ordinary citizens ever held there.
The Korea Heritage Service launched the palace wedding program as a way to promote Korean cultural heritage at home and abroad, selecting the outdoor ginkgo tree rest area in front of the National Palace Museum of Korea inside Gyeongbokgung as the most suitable venue. The first couple was married there on the 2nd.
At 4 p.m., Mai, an Estonian-born YouTuber who promotes hanbok and Korean traditional culture around the world, held her wedding at the ginkgo tree rest area. Mai drew attention as the first foreigner selected as Miss Chunhyang. She came to Korea as an international student and now runs a YouTube channel under the name "Kimchi Ghost Mai," serving as an ambassador introducing Korean culture to the world. As it happened, she said she arrived in Korea on this same date 10 years ago.
The ceremony followed Korean customs, with the groom in a tuxedo and the bride in a white dress. When the Korean groom and Estonian bride read their marriage vows aloud together, applause broke out from the guests, and the mothers in attendance were moved to tears. "My heart raced at the fact that we could get married at Gyeongbokgung," Mai said. "I thought it would be wonderful to share our wedding with more people, and through that, to get more people interested in the palaces."
The event, named "Get Married at the Palace Museum," is the Korea Heritage Service's signature initiative to expand the use of cultural heritage sites. The agency held an open call for couples wishing to marry, drawing 293 applicants. From those, 28 couples from a range of backgrounds were selected, including multicultural families, international couples, members of the military, firefighters, police officers, young people who have overcome difficult circumstances to bring energy to society, and workers in the cultural heritage and arts fields. They will hold free weddings twice a day on every weekend and holiday from the 2nd through Oct. 8.
In congratulatory remarks, Korea Heritage Service Administrator Heo Min said: "Today's event brings happiness to the couple starting out, but I also see it as another event showcasing Korea's palaces at home and abroad. Just as people who lived in different cultures and different places are joined together as one, I expect Korea's cultural heritage to play that same role."
The Korea Heritage Service said it launched the project to ease the burden of wedding costs for younger generations and to let people enjoy the value and beauty of national heritage in their daily lives. Building on this year's success, the agency plans to expand the program next year to a total of 80 outdoor weddings in the spring and autumn.
Meanwhile, Kim Hye-kyung, wife of President Lee Jae-myung, drew attention by visiting the site ahead of the event and presenting a congratulatory orchid. Kim had previously met Mai at a hanbok-related event. According to the Korea Heritage Service, Kim said: "I am very pleased to join in celebrating the new start of these two in such a beautiful cultural heritage space. This project is highly meaningful in that it brings precious cultural heritage close to people's daily lives while also easing the financial burden on young people preparing to marry."
Kim added: "With the program expanding from 28 couples this year to 80 couples next year, I hope more young people will share special moments here with the ones they love."
