Watchmen Ceremony

[Anchor Lead]

The re-enactment of the Sunggnyemun Gate watchmen ceremony has been restored after an eight year break, and is expected to become a popular tourist spot. The ceremony was suspended after the blaze in 2008 that claimed the city gate, the nation’s number one national treasure.

[Pkg]

Watchmen, or ancient soldiers who protected the capital city in the past, appear in front of the renovated Sungnyemun Gate. They show off their impressive sword skills and bravery. Then an exciting musical performance begins. The commander of guards checks the watchmen's IDs and holds the ancient watchmen ceremony that dates back to the Joseon period. Suspended after the Sungnyemun blaze in 2008, the ceremony has been re-enacted for the first time in eight years.

[Soundbite] Taiwanese Tourist : "It's very spectacular. It's my first visit to Korea and it was fun to watch this ceremony."

During the Joseon period, watchmen patrolled the capital city and notified the public about curfew times. In addition to the watchmen ceremony, various royal ceremonies of the Joseon Dynasty were held together to mark the 20th anniversary of the changing ceremony of the royal guards.

[Soundbite] U.S. Tourist

With the resumption of the watchmen ceremony, the Sungnyemun Gate is expected to contribute to publicizing Joseon's ancient royal guard ceremonies along with Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung palaces.