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Jeongdong Observatory

You can visit Jeongdong Observatory by wheelchair, and the indoor visit involves little walking. It is a downtown observatory on the 13th floor of Seoul City Hall's Seosomun Building 1 (서소문청사 1동), 15 Deoksugung-gil.

Wheelchair
Wheelchair accessibleYou can enter by the main entrance, ride the elevator to the 13th floor, and use an accessible toilet in the building.
Walking load
LowThe elevator goes straight to the 13th floor, and indoor paths have no steps or slopes. This does not cover the trip from the subway.
Source
Checked online · Oct 2026
Wood-framed observation room where several people stand at large windows looking out at city buildings and distant mountains
KTO, KOGL Type 1

Getting there

  • City Hall StationLine 1 and Line 2Street elevators at Exit 9 and near Exits 1 and 2.About 140 m in a straight line.
    Station
  • City Hall Station toiletsLine 1: Outside the gates, B1, by Exit 5. Wheelchair-usable.Line 2: Outside the gates, B2, by Exit 11. Wheelchair-usable.Line 2: Inside the gates, B1, by Exit 10. Wheelchair-usable.
  • Euljiro 1(il)-ga StationLine 2Street elevators at Exits 1 and 5.About 610 m in a straight line.
    Station
  • Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station toiletOutside the gates, B1, by Exit 4. Wheelchair-usable.

Accessible toilets near here

Heads-up

Do not plan a weekday morning visit, because the observatory opens at 13:30 from Monday to Friday. On weekends it opens at 09:00.

The observatory is closed on public holidays, including substitute holidays. Sources differ on whether it opens every day with no closed days. Call the Dasan Call Center on 02-120 (+82-2-120).

Friday and Saturday late opening is a trial that began on September 4, 2026, and no end date has been announced. Regular hours end at 17:30, while the trial notice gives later hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Before an evening visit, call the Dasan Call Center on 02-120 (+82-2-120), or plan to arrive well before 17:30.

Getting in

Entrance
You can enter the main entrance by wheelchair. Sources differ on whether it has a ramp or is flat with no slope. The path to it has no steps and a gentle slope.
Admission
You do not need to book, as of August 2026. Entry is free.
Parking
Accessible parking is in the Seoul City Hall visitor parking lot. Parking at the Seosomun building is very limited, so public transport is recommended.
Route
Official directions use City Hall Station Exit 1 on Line 1, or Exit 11 or 12 on Line 2. Exits 11 and 12 have no street elevator, so see Getting there. Whether Line 1 Exit 1 has a street elevator is not known. One source gives about 3 minutes on foot from Exit 11 or 12. Another gives 6 minutes from Exit 11. These are not wheelchair travel times.

Inside

Elevator
Take dedicated Elevator No. 3 in Building 1 from the 1st floor straight to the 13th floor. One travel guide says that if the elevator entrance is blocked, you can ask a security guard to let you in.
Paths
Indoor paths are wide, with no steps or slopes. The viewing space is 322 m².
Toilets
The building has an accessible toilet.
Seats
Seats are arranged mainly by the windows. As of October 2024, weekends could be busy and window seats could fill up. Tables can be a little hard to reach in a wheelchair.
Cafe
The observatory has a separate cafe space, open during observatory hours as of April 2024. Drinks cost money, as of October 2024.

Also useful

Hours
As of October 2026: Monday to Thursday 13:30–17:30, Friday 13:30–22:00, Saturday 09:00–22:00, Sunday 09:00–17:30. Friday and Saturday late hours are a trial, ending at 21:00 from November to February. Last entry is 10 minutes before closing.
Closed days
As of October 2026, the observatory closes on public holidays, including substitute holidays. Sources differ on whether it opens every day with no closed days. Call the Dasan Call Center (다산콜센터) on 02-120 (+82-2-120).
Views
The view appears to include Deoksugung Palace from above. This may be a good option if walking through the palace is hard.
Rules
You cannot bring in disposable items or pets, as of November 2025.

Not known yet

  • Steps, slopes and crossings between the station elevator exits and the building
  • Which floor the accessible toilet is on, and its size
  • Size and button height of Elevator No. 3
  • Whether you can see the view from a seated height in a wheelchair
  • Where to enter the parking lot, where the accessible spaces are, and how they connect to the observatory

Sources

The summary, the notes and the lists on this page draw on these sources.

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Tell us

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