Seonjeongneung Royal Tombs

Learning that Joseon royal tombs exist within walking distance of COEX and the Gangnam MICE tourism district comes as a genuine surprise to a lot of first-time visitors. This site holds two tombs, Seolleung and Jeongneung, within a single burial complex.

Seolleung is the tomb of Seongjong, the 9th king of Joseon, and his third queen, Queen Jeonghyeon. It follows the "dongwon-igang" layout — one shared shrine building (jeongjagak) serving two separate burial mounds on different hills. Standing in front of the shrine, the hill to the left (west) holds Seongjong, and the one to the right (east) holds Queen Jeonghyeon. It was built in 1495, the year after Seongjong's death.

Jeongneung is the tomb of Jungjong, Seongjong's son and the 11th king of Joseon. It originally sat elsewhere, in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, before being relocated here in 1562.

In 2009, all 40 Joseon royal tombs in South Korea were jointly inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Seolleung and Jeongneung are part of that listing — recognized for preserving a royal tomb system and its original form spanning nearly 600 years.

Surrounded by dense pine forest, it's remarkably quiet for a spot right in the middle of Gangnam, and pleasant for a walk. Note that the actual burial mounds are off-limits up close for preservation reasons — you view them from a distance along a designated path.

Hours are 6am–9pm (may vary slightly by season), closed Mondays.