Namsan Seoul Tower

Cable Car

The Namsan Cable Car predates the tower, having opened in 1962 as South Korea’s first aerial tramway. It provides a three-minute ride from its base at the northern edge of Namsan Park to the tower.^[23] An inclined elevator, the Namsan Oreumi, was opened in 2009 to connect Sogong-ro to the cable car station;^[24] a free shuttle bus also has frequent service from Exit 1 of Myeongdong Station.^[25]

The upper station sits below the tower, and users must climb a stairway to reach Palgokjeong Square and the tower's entrance.^[26]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government — which built the Namsan Oreumi — announced in 2023 plans to build its own aerial gondola, designed to take passengers directly from Myeongdong Station to the tower in a 5-minute ride. Ground was broken the following year, but construction halted soon after when the longtime operator of the Namsan Cable Car successfully fought the project in court on environmental grounds.^[27]

Litigation was ongoing as of January 2026,^[28] at which time the project remained stalled at 15% complete.^[29]

Bus

Direct bus service to the tower is provided by city-operated shuttle buses and commercial tourist buses.

Seoul public transit bus lines 01A and 01B operate in clockwise loop routes around Namsan. They serve the tower and other stops including Metro stations and car parks, as well as the parking facility for chartered tour motor coaches (which are not permitted to drop off groups directly at the tower).^[30][31]

Hop-on-hop-off sightseeing buses also stop at the tower at half-hour intervals during morning and afternoon, and twice evenings.^[32][33]

Bicycle

The tower can be accessed by bicyclists via the South Ringway. The winding, one-way street — also known as Namsangongwon-gil, or Namsan Park Road — is open only to bicycles and CNG-powered shuttle and sightseeing buses,^[34] sparing cyclists exposure to exhaust fumes from vehicles they share the route with. Access is from the northeast edge of Namsan Park, next to the National Theater of Korea. After visiting the tower, cyclists continue on the South Ringway and exit the park on the northwest end near the Namsan Public Library.^[35]

Dedicated bicycle parking at the tower is limited, and some riders resort to locking their bikes to nearby railings in front of the entrance to Seoul Tower Plaza.^[36]

There is no Seoul Bike dock onsite, meaning users of that municipal bikeshare service are unable to end their rides at the tower or start new bike rentals upon leaving, and must pay for rental time during their visits.^[37][38]

Walking

Namsan Park contains a number of walking trails which connect either directly or indirectly to the tower, including:

• South Ringway: The road used by bicyclists and buses has a separated pedestrian lane along its downhill edge. At points along the route, restrooms and observation areas are available. Multiple trails lead downhill from it to attractions at the park's southern border of Sowol-ro, including the Yong-yi Gateball Court and the Namsan Botanical Garden. ^[39]
• Namsan Sky Forest Trail: Opened in October 2025, this elevated deckway attracted more than 50,000 visitors in its first three weeks. It uses switchbacks and spirals to maintain a grade of less than 4.6° along its 1.4 km route, and varies in width to squeeze among the mountain's trees — none of which were felled during construction.^[40] Its barrier-free design accommodates those using strollers or wheelchairs.^[41] Winding from Sowol Park at its base to a rest area and Health Garden along the South Ringway, the trail features numerous observation points and other attractions. At its end, visitors can continue the remaining 15-to-20-minute walk to the tower using either the South Ringway's pedestrian lane, or an elevated wood stairway alongside.^[42]
• Namsan Northern Forest Trail: The only direct link between Namsan Seoul Tower and the North Ringway, which is a wide 3.5 km pedestrian-only paved path along the mountain's northern face. Most of the trail— opened in July 2025 — is an elevated wood staircase with 954 steps along a .5 km route^[43] where there was previously a ground-level service stairway for park workers.^[44] It connects to the tower via Palgakjeong Square.^[45][46]
• Seoul City Wall Perimeter Path: The longest pedestrian route connecting to the tower, this 4.2 km path along the Joseon-era Hanyangdoseong extends beyond the park's boundaries as far as Seoul Station and the Jangchung Arena. Upon entering the park from Seoul Station, it crosses Baekbom Square and ascends the mountain alongside the wall via the Central Stairway, past the upper cable car station to its highest point at Palgakjeong Square. From there it begins its descent briefly along the South Ringway before rejoining the wall for most of its eastward trajectory through the park.^[47] The path can also be accessed from Myeongdong via the Samsoon Steps along Sopa-ro.^[48]

Palgakjeong Square

Also known as Namsan Octagonal Pavilion Square, this public plaza adjoins level T2 of the tower and is at the end of the upper walkway leading from the bus stop.^[54] Its name come from the palgakjeong, or traditional eight-sided pavilion, at its far end; built in 1959 to honor President Syngman Rhee, the pavilion was dismantled the following year by April 19 Revolution protesters and rebuilt in 1968.^[55][56]

The square offers sweeping views of Seoul north of Namsan. Beyond the pavilion are the Namsan Bongsudae (beacon towers), a row of stone structures built on the mountain early in the Joseon Dynasty to send signals using smoke (by day) and fire (by night). Destroyed during the Japanese colonial period, they were reconstructed in 1993. Six days per week, the beacon lighting is reenacted by participants wearing replicas of Joseon-era military attire.^[57]

Other features built into the pavement of the square include a raised performance stage in front of the pavilion; a 500-year time capsule, placed in 1985 and to be opened in 2485;^{[note 1]} and a marker for the geographic center of Seoul, which contains GPS equipment and serves as a trig point for geodetic surveying.^[58][59][60]

• 
  Namsan Palgakjeong at dusk
• 
  Namsan Beacon Towers
• 
  Time capsule
• 
  Geographic center of Seoul

Lighting of the tower

The tower is illuminated from sunset to 11 pm (10 pm in winter) in one of four colors which signal the air quality in Seoul as measured by fine dust concentration. Blue lighting indicates “good” air quality; green, “average”; yellow, “bad”; and red, “very bad.”^[61]

For special occasions or to mark significant events, sections of the shaft can each be illuminated in different colors. The tower was lighted red, white and blue after the November 2015 Paris attacks, and blue and yellow in 2022 to show solidarity with Ukraine after its invasion by Russia.^[62]

During Earth Hour, lights are turned off nationwide to promote energy conservation awareness, including those of the tower.^[63]

Love locks

The first love locks appeared at the tower in 2006, and the following year the locks were officially promoted as an attraction. Inscribing a padlock and fastening it to a fixed spot is a way to demonstrate and celebrate the love between romantic partners; at Namsan Seoul Tower, it is also done by Hallyu stans to show their devotion to a particular idol or actor. The latter practice reflects the great number of K-dramas which have used the tower as a location.^[64]

Love locks are affixed at designated areas in the tower complex, including official Photo Zones such as the Proposal Staircase (level 1F); Bridge of Love (3F); Tunnel of Love / Graffiti Wall of Love (4F-5F), as well as the Roof Terrace (T2).^[65][66][67]

A 2011 poll found that hanging love locks at the tower was the favorite activity of 16% of foreign visitors to Seoul.^[68]

In 2018, it was determined that the total weight of the love locks at the tower was 82 tons.^[69]

Video displays

The public floors of Seoul Tower Plaza feature arrays of OLED panels in varying configurations. Level 1F has a 9-metre (30 ft) tunnel and a 15-by-3-metre (49.2 ft × 9.8 ft) curved panorama. Level 2F features an overhead ring of panels. Suspended from the ceiling of level 4F is a 24-metre-long (79 ft) array arranged to undulate like ocean waves.^[70][71]

Daytime image of Seoul from Namsan Seoul Tower, as shown on the 1F curved panorama array

Night image of Seoul from Namsan Seoul Tower, as shown on the 1F curved panorama array

Television broadcasters

Radio broadcasters