{"id":37303,"date":"2026-08-07T08:06:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T11:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gabrielpaladino.net\/2026\/08\/07\/the-unblinking\/"},"modified":"2026-08-09T13:21:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T16:21:03","slug":"the-unblinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/08\/07\/the-unblinking\/","title":{"rendered":"The Unblinking"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/55448158021_4e72f6925f_k.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>The <b>Royal Guards<\/b> of <b>Gyeongbokgung Palace<\/b>, located in Seoul\u2019s Jongno District, are part of a ceremonial reenactment that brings to life the traditions of the <b>Joseon Dynasty <\/b>(1392\u20131897). Historically known as <b>&quot;Sumunjang&quot;<\/b> (\uc218\ubb38\uc7a5), these guards were responsible for protecting the main palace gates, particularly Gwanghwamun, the palace\u2019s most iconic entrance.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the <b>Royal Guard Changing Ceremony<\/b> is a meticulously choreographed cultural performance held several times a day in front of Gwanghwamun Gate. The guards wear vibrant traditional uniforms, historical armor, and period hats, all crafted with impressive attention to detail. Each costume reflects specific ranks and roles, and includes authentic replicas of traditional weapons such as halberds and <b>Korean swords<\/b> (geom).<\/p>\n<p>The ceremony blends traditional music, formal movements, and a solemn atmosphere, allowing visitors to experience a vivid glimpse of Korea\u2019s past. Although the participants are not actual soldiers but trained performers and cultural staff, the commitment to historical accuracy is strict, offering an immersive portrayal of the palace&#8217;s former security system.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond its visual appeal, the ceremony stands as a symbolic reminder of Korea\u2019s enduring cultural heritage and the central role Gyeongbokgung Palace once held as the seat of royal authority.<\/p>\n<p>Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea<\/p>\n<div class=\"map-container\" style=\"text-align: center; margin: 20px 0;\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/93293461@N03\/55448158021\/map\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/map_55448158021.png\" alt=\"Mapa de ubicaci\u00f3n de la foto\" style=\"width: 450px; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto;\"><br \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"equipment-block\"><b>Camera:<\/b> Canon EOS 800D \/ Rebel T7i \/ Kiss X9i<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/b_c800d.png\" style=\"height:100px;\" alt=\"Canon EOS 800D \/ Rebel T7i \/ Kiss X9i\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"equipment-block\"><b>Lens:<\/b> Canon EF 100mm f\/2.8L Macro IS USM<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/l_c1002.png\" style=\"height:100px;\" alt=\"Canon EF 100mm f\/2.8L Macro IS USM\"><\/p>\n<p><b>Capture Information:<\/b><br \/>\n   Focal Length: 100.0 mm<br \/>\n   Shutter Speed: 1\/2500<br \/>\n   Aperture: f\/2.8<br \/>\n   ISO: 100\n<\/p>\n<p>Photo Taken: May 08, 2025<br \/>\n     <a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/2stLiAv\">High resolution<\/a><br \/>\n     <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/93293461@N03\/\">Flickr Gallery<\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Royal Guards of Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in Seoul\u2019s Jongno District, are part of a ceremonial reenactment that brings to life the traditions of the Joseon Dynasty (1392\u20131897). Historically known as &quot;Sumunjang&quot; (\uc218\ubb38\uc7a5), these guards were responsible for protecting the main palace gates, particularly Gwanghwamun, the palace\u2019s most iconic entrance. Today, the Royal Guard Changing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[16,952,2772,2773,3489,3490,3563,3770,3775,4828,4829,5195,5197,5352,5354,5965,5966,5969,6012,18055,6223,6225,6342,6347,6899,6902,7118,8325,8326,8477,9549,9550,9964,9985,10119,10574,11103,11176,11254,11437,18056,11443,11871,11823,12156,12203,12205,12260,13217,13252,13254,13467,13788,13795,13995,14443,18061,14671,18066,14578,18060,14458,18059,18062,14577,18057,18065,14673,14457,14586,14459,18058,14460,14576,18063,18064],"class_list":["post-37303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-related-posts","tag-travel","tag-armas","tag-ceremonia","tag-ceremony","tag-corea","tag-corea-del-sur","tag-costume","tag-cultura","tag-culture","tag-experience","tag-experiencia","tag-fortaleza","tag-fortress","tag-gabriel-paladino-ibanez","tag-gabrielpaladino-com","tag-guard","tag-guardia","tag-guardsmen","tag-gyeongbokgung","tag-gyeongbokgung-royal-palace","tag-herencia","tag-heritage","tag-historia","tag-history","tag-jongno","tag-joseon","tag-korea","tag-militar","tag-military","tag-monarquia","tag-palace","tag-palacio","tag-people","tag-performance","tag-photography","tag-portrait","tag-reenactment","tag-retrato","tag-ritual","tag-royal","tag-royal-guards","tag-royalty","tag-seoul","tag-seul","tag-soldados","tag-south-korea","tag-south-korea-2025","tag-southkorea2025","tag-tourism","tag-tradicion","tag-tradition","tag-turismo","tag-vestimenta","tag-viaje","tag-weapons","tag-14443","tag-18061","tag-14671","tag-18066","tag-14578","tag-18060","tag-14458","tag-18059","tag-18062","tag-14577","tag-18057","tag-18065","tag-14673","tag-14457","tag-14586","tag-14459","tag-18058","tag-14460","tag-14576","tag-18063","tag-18064","has-post-thumbnail"],"tags_input":"#travel,armas,ceremonia,ceremony,corea,Corea del Sur,costume,cultura,culture,experience,experiencia,fortaleza,fortress,Gabriel Paladino Iba\u00f1ez,gabrielpaladino.com,guard,guardia,guardsmen,gyeongbokgung,Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace,herencia,heritage,historia,history,jongno,joseon,korea,militar,military,monarqu\u00eda,palace,palacio,people,performance,photography,portrait,reenactment,retrato,ritual,royal,royal guards,royalty,seoul,se\u00fal,soldados,South Korea,South Korea 2025,southkorea2025,tourism,tradicion,tradition,turismo,vestimenta,viaje,weapons,\uacbd\ubcf5\uad81,\uacf5\uc5f0,\uad00\uad11,\uad70\uc0ac,\uad81\uad90,\ubb34\uae30,\ubb38\ud654,\ubcf5\uc2dd,\uc0ac\uc9c4,\uc11c\uc6b8,\uc218\ubb38\uc7a5,\uc545\uae30,\uc5ec\ud589,\uc5ed\uc0ac,\uc655\uc2e4,\uc720\uc0b0,\uc758\uc2dd,\uc804\ud1b5,\uc870\uc120,\uccb4\ud5d8,\ud589\uc0ac","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phjlBv-9HF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28780,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/06\/25\/profile-of-legacy\/","url_meta":{"origin":37303,"position":0},"title":"Profile of Legacy","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"June 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Royal Guards of Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in Seoul\u2019s Jongno District, are part of a ceremonial reenactment that brings to life the traditions of the Joseon Dynasty (1392\u20131897). Historically known as \"Sumunjang\" (\uc218\ubb38\uc7a5), these guards were responsible for protecting the main palace gates, particularly Gwanghwamun, the palace\u2019s most iconic entrance.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Related posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27663,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/05\/25\/sumunjang-%ec%88%98%eb%ac%b8%ec%9e%a5\/","url_meta":{"origin":37303,"position":1},"title":"Sumunjang \uc218\ubb38\uc7a5","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"May 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Royal Guards of Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in Seoul\u2019s Jongno District, are part of a ceremonial reenactment that brings to life the traditions of the Joseon Dynasty (1392\u20131897). Historically known as \"Sumunjang\" (\uc218\ubb38\uc7a5), these guards were responsible for protecting the main palace gates, particularly Gwanghwamun, the palace\u2019s most iconic entrance.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Related posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27512,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/05\/20\/geunjeongjeon-hall-of-gyeongbokgung-palace\/","url_meta":{"origin":37303,"position":2},"title":"Geunjeongjeon Hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"May 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Geunjeongjeon (\uadfc\uc815\uc804), meaning \u201cHall of Diligent Governance,\u201d is the main throne hall of Gyeongbokgung Palace, located in the historic center of Seoul, South Korea. Originally constructed in 1395 during the reign of King Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty, it served as the ceremonial heart of the palace, hosting official\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Related posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33817,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/08\/23\/gwanghwamun\/","url_meta":{"origin":37303,"position":3},"title":"Gwanghwamun","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"August 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the things that most impressed me on my trip through Korea was the beautiful architecture and the striking colors. This led me to research Gwanghwamun, the majestic gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace.Built in 1395, Gwanghwamun Gate (\uad11\ud654\ubb38, \u5149\u5316\u9580), or the \u201cGate of Illuminating Light,\u201d is the main and southern\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Related posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36973,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2026\/03\/05\/heungnyemun-gate\/","url_meta":{"origin":37303,"position":4},"title":"Heungnyemun Gate","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"March 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"My 2025 visit to Seoul allowed me to appreciate the architectural layers and the profound cultural recovery of the royal compound. Passing the first threshold, I encountered Heungnyemun, the gateway that defines the transition into the ceremonial heart of the palace.Originally erected in 1395, Heungnyemun Gate (\ud765\ub840\ubb38, \u8208\u79ae\u9580), whose name\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Related posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36846,"url":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/2025\/12\/07\/%ec%9a%a9%ea%b3%a0-yonggo\/","url_meta":{"origin":37303,"position":5},"title":"\uc6a9\uace0 Yonggo","author":"Gabriel Paladino Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez","date":"December 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Yonggo (\uc6a9\uace0), also known as the Dragon Drum, is a ceremonial and military instrument historically referred to as Haenggo (procession drum). Traditionally, it set the rhythm for royal processions and military marches of the Joseon Dynasty, its deep, resonant sound serving as the backbone of Daechwita (\ub300\ucde8\ud0c0), the court music\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Related posts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Related posts","link":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/category\/related-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37303"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37310,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37303\/revisions\/37310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pelecyphora.ddns.net:60123\/GabrielPaladino.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}