Overview
- The Korea Heritage Service said the presidential office requested the palace visit, and the agency’s then chief ordered staff to prepare.
- The seat in Geunjeongjeon was a later-built replica, yet the hall’s main area is normally off-limits and no South Korean president has sat there.
- The September 12, 2023 visit coincided with a welcome for a United Arab Emirates delegation and was not on the public schedule for entry to the hall.
- At the National Assembly audit, a former presidential aide testified that Kim climbed the steps with help from guards and sat on the throne, while the national museum chief called the act wrong.
- The disclosure follows a 2024 Jongmyo access controversy that heightened calls for accountability, and KHS leader Huh Min said he would seek an investigation and possible punitive measures for involved officials.