Foreigners under 19 to get free admission to royal palaces, tombs in S. Korea

SEOUL, March 29 (Yonhap) -- Foreigners under the age of 19 can visit major royal palaces and tombs without paying admission fees starting next month, the cultural heritage authority said Wednesday.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said it has recently revised its rules on visits to royal palaces and tombs to include free admission for foreign minors. The rules will come into force Saturday, it added.

Currently, all foreigners are required to pay admission fees when they visit those sites, while admission is free for Koreans under the age of 25.

"The revision was made in consideration of changes in the social structure, such as the increase in long-term stays of foreign nationals due to international marriages and the influx of foreign workers, and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child," a CHA official said of the reason for the revision, under the customary condition of anonymity.

The UNCRC prohibits discrimination against children under the age of 18 regardless of their nationality.

sshim@yna.co.kr
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