Korean Period-Drama Filming Locations: Gwanghalluwon, the Garden of Morning Calm and Munheonseowon
Three gardens and historic sites featured in Korean period dramas, including The King's Affection and Love in the Moonlight. They are in different regions, so choose the one that fits your itinerary.
Language
Choose by region rather than by drama. Gwanghalluwon is in Namwon, the Garden of Morning Calm is in Gapyeong, and Munheonseowon is in Seocheon, so they do not work as a single-day route.
Visit Gwanghalluwon for a traditional garden, the Garden of Morning Calm for a day trip from Seoul, or Munheonseowon for a quieter historic setting.
Which one should you choose?
Gwanghalluwon has the most to see in one compact area, including the pavilion, pond and Ojakgyo Bridge. It fits naturally into a day in Namwon.
The Garden of Morning Calm is the easiest option to combine with a trip from Seoul. The filming location is only one part of an arboretum that changes with the season.
Munheonseowon suits travellers looking for a calm historic site away from the better-known gardens. Add it to a day in Seocheon or Gunsan.
Check elsewhere for exact scenes
The Korea Tourism Organization identifies the dramas filmed at each place but does not match individual scenes to exact spots. If you want to recreate a particular scene, you will need a production- or episode-specific source.
Add one to an existing trip
These locations are in different parts of Korea. Pick the one near a destination already on your itinerary rather than trying to connect all three.
In this list
- Nationwide
Gwanghalluwon Garden
Featured in The King's Affection, Our Blooming Youth and Captivating the King. Its pavilion, pond and Ojakgyo Bridge make it worth visiting as a traditional garden, even if you are not looking for a particular scene.
- Featured dramas
- The King's Affection, Our Blooming Youth, Captivating the King
- What it is
- A traditional garden with a pavilion, pond and Ojakgyo Bridge
- Region
- Namwon, Jeonbuk
- Best added to
- A day in Namwon
See details
- Nationwide
The Garden of Morning Calm
Featured in Love in the Moonlight and The Red Sleeve. The named filming area is the Korean Garden, but most visitors come for the wider arboretum and its changing seasonal displays.
- Featured dramas
- Love in the Moonlight, The Red Sleeve
- What it is
- An arboretum and Korean Garden that changes with the season
- Region
- Gapyeong, Gyeonggi
- Best added to
- A day trip from Seoul or a day in Gapyeong
Otherwise 08:30–19:00 (last entry 18:00) · Jan–Mar, Dec Lighting Festival 10:00–21:00 · Jan–Mar, Dec Sat Lighting Festival, extended 10:00–23:00Open year-round₩8,000–₩11,000
See details
- Nationwide
Munheonseowon Confucian Academy
Featured in Love in the Moonlight and The King's Affection. Choose it for a quieter historic setting or add it to a trip through Seocheon and Gunsan.
- Featured dramas
- Love in the Moonlight, The King's Affection
- What it is
- A quiet Confucian academy with a pond and pavilion
- Region
- Seocheon, Chungnam
- Best added to
- A trip through Seocheon and Gunsan
See details
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit all three in one day?
Not realistically. Gwanghalluwon is in Namwon, Jeonbuk; the Garden of Morning Calm is in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi; and Munheonseowon is in Seocheon, Chungnam. Rather than linking them into one route, add whichever one sits near a destination already on your itinerary.
Can I find out which scenes were filmed there?
Not from the official source this article uses. The Korea Tourism Organization records which dramas were filmed at each place, but it does not identify individual scenes or the exact spots where they were shot. To retrace a specific scene you will need a production- or episode-specific source.
Which one is easiest to reach from Seoul?
Generally the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong. That depends on where you set out from and how you travel, so check train and bus timetables and journey times for the day you plan to go.
Nearby Food
- Four Jeonju Bibimbap Houses and a Bean-Sprout Soup: Three in One Lane, One 4.7 km Out
- Eight Century Shops — and the reason the register wrote down for each
- How to Find Regional Food in Korea
- A Guide to Banchan — The Name Records How It Was Made, Not Whether You Ordered It
- A Guide to Korean Noodles — What They Are Pulled From, and How They Arrive
- How to Read Korean Soup Names: Guk, Tang, Jjigae and Jeongol
Travel Guides
- How to Use Korean Convenience Stores: From Heating a Meal to Topping Up a Transit Card
- At a Korean Convenience Store, the Thing to Read Is the Package
- Eating Alone in Korea: Choosing and Ordering a Meal
- How to Order Korean BBQ
- Emergency Numbers and Safety in Korea
- Staying Healthy While Travelling in Korea
Related articles
- Four drama filming locations in Suwon — one fortress carries four shows, the other three carry one each
- Three filming locations in Pohang — and one invented village name became a market's real one
- Descendants of the Sun Filming Locations — Two of the Three Sets Are Gone
- Itaewon Class Filming Locations — a Footbridge, a Plaza, and a Fortress in Suwon
- Kingdom Filming Locations in Korea — Four Seoul Palaces, and One Set 131 km Away
- The King: Eternal Monarch Filming Locations — Five in Busan, One in Suwon
Last verified:
Official sources
Photo credits