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Hi, I’m SeoulAslanN Seoul Tower: History, Hours, Tickets, How to Get There (2026)
Checked Oct 11, 2026
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N Seoul Tower (N서울타워) started as Korea's first general broadcasting tower: construction began in December 1969, and the public could go up from October 1980, when it was called Seoul Tower. It was renamed N Seoul Tower in December 2005, after a full renovation, and the N stands for NEW and NAMSAN. Today the observatory is open every day, costs 29,000 won for an adult and needs no reservation. You get there by cable car, or by bus 01A or 01B from Chungmuro or Dongguk Univ. Station. Prices and hours below come from the tower's own pages, checked on Oct 11, 2026.
I'm from Korea. Years ago, before it was called N Seoul Tower and long before there was a wall of padlocks in front of it, I went up Namsan in winter with my uncle. We went for exercise, and we hurried up the stairs, panting the whole way. On the way down there was a small snack shop on the stairs path that boiled ramyeon for you. That ramyeon was so good that I don't remember what I saw from the top. When I think of Namsan Tower, I still think of that ramyeon.
This guide answers the questions I had afterwards: why the tower exists, why the name changed, when the padlocks started, and what a visit costs now. Part of the answer comes from the tower's English and Korean pages, which I read side by side.
Jump to: Why it was built · The name · Love locks · Hours and tickets · Getting there · FAQ
Why was N Seoul Tower built?
It was built to send out TV and radio signals. The tower's official overview calls it Korea's first general broadcasting tower, from 1969, serving the Seoul metropolitan area. The observatory came second.
The official timeline runs like this. Construction started in December 1969. The concrete tower body was finished in August 1971 and the steel tower in October 1971. MBC-TV began transmitting from it in April 1972 and KBS-TV in August 1972. The observatory was completed in July 1975.
If you see 1971 given as the completion year in one place and 1975 in another, both match the official timeline: 1971 is the tower body, 1975 the observatory.
The official tower data gives the height as 236.7 m, made of a 135.7 m tower body and a 101 m steel tower. It stands on Namsan, which is 270 m high, so the top is 506.7 m above sea level.
When could the public go up?
From October 1980. The official timeline lists "Opening of Seoul Tower (opening to the public)" for 1980.10. The observatory was finished in July 1975, so by my count from those two dates the public waited about five years.
The Namsan Cable Car is older than the tower. It opened on May 12, 1962, and calls itself Korea's first passenger cable car. That is more than seven years before tower construction began. Its own timeline lists a 1984 upgrade from 20-seat to 38-seat cabins and a 2005 upgrade to 48-passenger cabins.
I can't remember whether the cable car was running when I climbed those stairs. Looking at these dates, it was.
Why is it called N Seoul Tower?
It opened in 1980 as Seoul Tower. The tower had a full renovation from April to November 2005 and was renamed from Seoul Tower to N Seoul Tower in December 2005. The official page on the brand identity explains the letter: the N represents NEW and NAMSAN. The observatory floor reopened after another renewal in April 2011.
When did the love locks start, and how heavy are they?
Around the mid-2000s, with no exact day. A JoongAng Daily column from August 2012 says the trend began in 2006 (English version). In a Hankook Ilbo article from December 2021, a photographer who has worked in front of the Palgakjeong pavilion since 1964 recalled locks appearing a few at a time from about the early 2000s. He said a major renovation of the outdoor deck in 2005 was followed by more locks, and that by 2010 they almost filled the rooftop terrace.
Weight. The same Hankook Ilbo article reports an estimate of about 82 tons. A researcher at the Korea Structural Diagnosis Research Institute, who ran a safety inspection in April 2018, did the sum: about 100 m of railing on the rooftop terrace and about 100 m on the cable car side, at roughly 400 kg per cubic metre, gives about 80 tons, and five "lock trees" add about 2 tons. The paper calls it an estimate, not a measurement.
Are they thrown away every year? Not according to the sources I found. A July 2023 Money S article quotes Seoul city officials: they wash the locks when rust and dirt get severe, typically once or twice a quarter, plan to remove rust before the heavy rainy season, and take down an old lock only after posting a notice and waiting a set period.
Where to hang one. The tower's FAQ says a "Love Tree" is set up in the plaza for love locks, and that locks are sold at the N Gift shop on Plaza 1F (02-3455-9256). A January 2025 Seoul city citizen-reporter article says visitors hang locks they bought there or brought from elsewhere.
What are the hours and ticket prices?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Observatory hours | Open 365 days. Mon–Fri 10:00–22:30. Weekends and holidays 10:00–23:00. The observatory stops admitting visitors 30 minutes before closing. Hours can change with the weather. |
| Adult (13+) | 29,000 won |
| Child (3–12) and senior (65+) | 23,000 won |
| Under 36 months | No ticket (limited to 1 child per caretaker) |
| Reservation | Not needed for the observatory. Buy a same-day ticket at the Tower 1F ticket booth or the Plaza 5F information desk. The ticket is valid on the day you buy it. |
| Questions | Information desk 02-3455-9277 / 9288 |
For one adult, the observatory plus a cable car round trip is 44,000 won (15,000 + 29,000, my sum). With a 1,500 won bus ride up instead, it is 30,500 won (1,500 + 29,000, my sum).
The tower sells same-day tickets at its own booth, so you do not have to book ahead. If you would still like the ticket on your phone before you arrive, the plain observatory ticket was listed at US$15.39 on Klook's US English page when I checked on Oct 13, 2026 (get the N Seoul Tower observatory ticket on Klook). That is about ₩20,600 at the Oct 12, 2026 exchange rate (US$1 ≈ ₩1,340), roughly ₩8,400 less than the ₩29,000 adult price at the booth, before any card foreign-transaction fee; Klook's page does not split its price by age, so this compares against the adult price only. Klook's page says it is a mobile voucher with instant confirmation, and that it cannot be cancelled, refunded or changed.
A few rules from the tower's FAQ. Pets are not allowed in. Food is not allowed inside the tower, and for a picnic it points you to the square in front of the Palgakjeong pavilion. On a clear day the view reaches up to 50 km. Postcards and stamps are sold at the Sky Post Office inside the observatory, and the FAQ says international mail takes about 15 days.
The tower says it can close temporarily in bad weather, and also if the park authorities restrict vehicle access to Namsan. Check the weather before you go.
How do you get to N Seoul Tower?
You can't drive up. The tower's page says general vehicle access to Namsan has been restricted since May 1, 2005, so park nearby and use the shuttle bus or walk. Your two simplest options are the shuttle bus and the cable car.
By bus. Take the Namsan shuttle bus 01A or 01B. Both start at the Namsan Yejang bus transfer parking lot and pick up at Chungmuro Station (Lines 3 and 4) and Dongguk Univ. Station (Line 3).
| Bus | Every | Hours | Fare | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01A | 9 minutes | 06:30–23:00 | 1,500 won | Stops at N Seoul Tower, Baekbeom Square, Sungnyemun Gate, Namdaemun Market (Exit 8), Gwanghwamun Station (Exit 2) and Gyeongbokgung Palace |
| 01B | 14 minutes | 06:30–23:00 | 1,500 won | Stops at N Seoul Tower and the Namsan Cable Car |
The English page of the tower says the 1,500 won fare is by transportation card only. Buy a card first: T-money vs Climate Card vs WOWPASS. Because 01A also passes Namdaemun Market, it fits well with the Namdaemun Market guide.
By cable car. The boarding station is at 83 Sopa-ro, Jung-gu. From Myeongdong Station (Line 4) Exit 3, the tower's page says to walk about 10 to 15 minutes along the street on the right side of the Pacific Hotel. The cable car's page describes the way from Exit 3 as the alley next to the 7-Eleven, then between the Pacific Hotel and the GS25. Plan on 10 minutes or more, uphill.
| Cable car | Adult | Child (36 months–12) |
|---|---|---|
| Round trip | 15,000 won | 11,500 won |
| One way | 12,000 won | 9,000 won |
The cable car runs 10:00 to 23:00 every day. Tickets are sold on site only, and service can pause in strong wind. Seniors (65+) pay the child fare on showing ID, and the tower's page adds people with national merit. Its phone is 02-753-2403. The cable car's page also lists a free shuttle bus between Myeongdong Station Exit 1 and the cable car, about 10 minutes, first bus 12:00 and last bus 20:30. The same page gives both "every 10 minutes" and "every 30 minutes" for it, so don't plan around a timetable.
There is a free alternative for the first stretch. Namsan Oreumi (남산 오르미) is an inclined elevator that starts at the monument near the Namsan No. 3 Tunnel entrance and takes about 2 minutes to reach the cable car station. The tower's page lists it as free, 09:00 to 23:00, closed Mondays 09:00–14:00 for maintenance, and paused in strong wind or heavy rain.
Naver Map pins
| # | Place | Naver Map |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | N Seoul Tower (N서울타워) | Open |
| 2 | Namsan Cable Car (남산케이블카) · boarding station | Open |
| 3 | Myeongdong Station, Exit 3 (명동역 3번 출구) | Open |
| 4 | Chungmuro Station (충무로역) · bus 01A / 01B | Open |
| 5 | Dongguk Univ. Station (동대입구역) · bus 01A / 01B | Open |
New to Naver Map? How Koreans find local restaurants explains how to use it.
What is on at Namsan this autumn?
Seoul is running the Namsan Night Festival from Oct 23 to Nov 14, 2026, with booking in advance. The next guide covers it for visitors: Namsan Night Festival 2026: Dates, Booking for Foreigners. For the rest of the month, see Seoul and Busan festivals, Oct 12–31.
FAQ
How much is the N Seoul Tower observatory?
29,000 won for an adult (13+) and 23,000 won for a child aged 3 to 12 or a senior aged 65+, on the tower's pages on Oct 11, 2026. Children under 36 months do not need a ticket.
Do I need to book N Seoul Tower tickets?
No. The tower's FAQ says no reservation is needed for the observatory. You buy a same-day ticket at the Tower 1F ticket booth or the Plaza 5F information desk.
Can I take a taxi or drive to N Seoul Tower?
General vehicle access to Namsan has been restricted since May 1, 2005. Use bus 01A or 01B, the cable car, or walk up.
How much is the Namsan shuttle bus?
1,500 won on both 01A and 01B, by transportation card according to the tower's English page.
Why is it called N Seoul Tower?
It was renamed from Seoul Tower in December 2005 after a renovation. The tower's brand page says the N represents NEW and NAMSAN.
Are the love locks removed every year?
The 2023 article I found describes cleaning once or twice a quarter and removal of old locks after a public notice, not a yearly clear-out.
Can I bring food or a pet?
No pets, and no food inside the tower. The tower suggests the square in front of Palgakjeong for a picnic.
The fare table and the love locks
The tower's fare table does not show an update date, so I'll check it again and fix this page if it changes. I'll also watch for any new Seoul announcement about the locks. Next in this pair is the Namsan Night Festival guide.
More Namsan & nearby
- Namsan Night Festival 2026: Dates, Booking for Foreigners
- Namsan Cable Car (2026): Fares, Hours, How to Get There
- N Seoul Tower at night: last entry, cable car, locks
- Namsan fall foliage and walking trail (2026)
- Namsan, Myeongdong and Namdaemun in one day
- Namdaemun Market Guide: Eat, Buy, Closed Days (2026)
More ways to explore Seoul
Sources
- N Seoul Tower, official site, checked Oct 11, 2026: overview · tower data · history · brand identity · hours · admission · getting here · FAQ (English). The Korean pages were read alongside: transport
- Namsan Cable Car, official site: history · fares, hours, directions (English version available on the site)
- JoongAng Daily, "Love cannot be locked away", Aug 26, 2012
- Hankook Ilbo, article on the weight of Namsan's love locks, Dec 25, 2021 (Korean)
- Money S, article on Namsan love locks, Jul 10, 2023 (Korean, republished by Sidae)
- Seoul Metropolitan Government citizen reporter, Namsan Palgakjeong article, Jan 7, 2025 (Korean)
- Klook, N Seoul Tower observatory ticket page (US English), checked Oct 13, 2026: price and refund terms
- Exchange rate, Oct 12, 2026: open.er-api.com (US$1 = ₩1,340.71) and Frankfurter, ECB data (US$1 = ₩1,333.09)
- Photos: Korea Tourism Organization photo gallery, Korea Open Government License Type 1 (credited; cropped to size)
— SeoulAslan
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