An expanse of land next to Gyeongbok Palace will be temporarily opened to the public from Friday for the first time in over a century.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Thursday that the 37-thousand square-meter area in Songhyeon-dong has been transformed into a green resting space that will open from 5:30 p.m. on Friday, welcoming visitors to the place where the royal family lived during the Joseon Dynasty.

Walls that were once four meters high have been lowered to one-point-two meters, offering passersby a view of lush greenery nested between popular central attractions such as Gyeongbok Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village and Insa-dong.

Visitors are welcome to stroll across the ten-thousand-square-meter green plaza surrounded by wildflowers.

The city plans to temporarily open the site for two years until December 2024 and use it as a cultural and artistic space for the public, with a Lee Kun-hee museum planned for 2027.