Seoul Independence Movement & Democracy Dark History Walking Tour

Walk through the sites of independence and democracy
with an English-speaking guide

This walking tour follows the stories of people who fought against oppression to historic sites across Seoul. Choose one of two packages, each showing a different chapter of the freedom Korea won through hardship. You travel between sites by public transport, and fares and entrance fees are included.

Package 1: Follow the path to independence
from Seodaemun Prison to Tapgol Park

Meet your guide at 9:30 AM at Dongnimmun Station Exit 5 and head to Seodaemun Prison History Hall, where independence activists were imprisoned, tortured and executed for their resistance. Seeing the cells and torture rooms, reflect on their suffering and sacrifice. Then move on to Independence Gate, built to commemorate the nation's independence, which later witnessed Japanese colonial rule.

Next, visit Dilkusha, the former home of American journalist Albert W. Taylor, who told the world about Japan's brutal rule. The tour ends at 1:00 PM at Tapgol Park, where the first cries for independence rang out in 1919 and sparked a nationwide uprising.

Package 2: Walk the road to democracy
from the history museum to Namsan

Meet your guide at 9:50 AM at Gwanghwamun Station Exit 7 and learn about postwar reconstruction, military rule and civil resistance at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. Then stroll the lively alleys of Tongin Market and take a lunch break (meal at your own expense).

In the afternoon, visit the former KCIA headquarters site on Namsan to look into the dark side of modern Korean history. The tour ends at 4:00 PM at a place once used for surveillance, political repression and torture. These sites, once used to suppress dissent, show how hard-won Korea's democracy was.

※ The itinerary may change depending on traffic and weather.