N Seoul Tower facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids YTN Seoul Tower
The tower (center) and lattice transmission tower (left) in 2018
Alternative names	N Seoul Tower Namsan Tower Seoul Tower
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Communication tower
Location	Seoul
Coordinates	37°33′5.13″N 126°59′16.80″E / 37.5514250°N 126.9880000°E / 37.5514250; 126.9880000
Construction started	1969
Completed	1971
Owner	YTN
Height
Roof	279 metres (915 ft)
Top floor	239 metres (784 ft)

N Seoul Tower
Hangul	엔 서울타워
Revised Romanization	En Seoul Tawo
McCune–Reischauer	En Sŏul T‘awŏ

The N Seoul Tower (Hangul: N 서울타워) is a famous landmark in Seoul, South Korea. It is also known as the YTN Seoul Tower or Namsan Tower. This tall tower is used for both communication and for people to enjoy amazing views. It stands on Namsan Mountain in the center of Seoul.

The N Seoul Tower is about 236 meters (777 feet) tall. It is the second highest point in Seoul. The tower was built in 1969. It was South Korea's first tower to send out radio waves for TV and radio. Today, it still broadcasts signals for big Korean media companies like KBS, MBC, and SBS.

History of the Tower
What You Can Find Inside
Fun Things to Do
Broadcasting Use
Images for kids
See also

History of the Tower

N Seoul Tower at night

The Seoul Tower was finished on December 3, 1971. It cost about US$2.5 million to build. Architects at Jangjongryul designed it. The tower first opened to the public in October 1980. Since then, it has been a very important landmark in Seoul.

The tower's height from its base is 236.7 meters (777 feet). Its total height above sea level is 479.7 meters (1,574 feet). In 2005, the tower's name changed to N Seoul Tower. The "N" stands for 'new', 'Namsan' (the mountain it's on), and 'nature'. About 15 billion KRW was spent to make the tower new and modern.

The tower's original owner joined with CJ Corporation. So, the tower was renamed CJ Seoul Tower. Later, YTN bought it in 1999. They changed its name to YTN Seoul Tower. It is also known as Namsan Tower or just Seoul Tower. It is Korea's first tower to send out signals for many TV and radio stations.

The N Seoul Tower is a top tourist spot. It was chosen as one of the world's best 500 travel places by Lonely Planet. This was based on what travel experts and readers liked most.

What You Can Find Inside

The N Seoul Tower has three main parts. These are the N Lobby, N Plaza, and the N Tower. The N Plaza has two floors. The N Tower has four floors.

The Lobby

The Lobby is on Plaza P0/B1. This is where you enter the Observatory. You can also find an Information Desk here. There is a cafe and a Children's Theater. A nursing room is also available for families. The N Lobby also has gift shops and a photo spot called Memshot.

The Plaza

The N Plaza has two floors. Plaza P1 is the first floor. Here you can buy tickets. There is also a food court and a souvenir shop. You can find the Light Garden and Grass Terrace here too.

Plaza P2 is the second floor. It has an Italian restaurant called Place Dining. This floor also has the Roof Terrace. This is where the famous "Locks of Love" are located.

The Tower

The N Tower has four floors: 1F, 2F, 3F, and 5F. (Most buildings in Korea do not have a fourth floor). There are four observation decks. One of them is a special revolving restaurant. It turns around once every 48 minutes. You can see almost all of Seoul from the top. There are also gift shops and two restaurants.

The third floor of the N Tower has a digital observatory. It gives you a 360-degree view of the city. You can also learn about Korea's history using 32 LCD screens.

Tower T1: This floor has a Korean restaurant called "Hancook."
Tower T2: Here you will find the Analogue Observatory. There is also The Wishing Pond, Sky Restroom, Sky Coffee, and a Photo Studio.
Tower T3: This floor has the Digital Observatory. You can also find the Shocking Edge and Digital High-powered Telescope. There is a gift shop here too.
Tower T5: This floor has a revolving restaurant.

Fun Things to Do

Visiting Namsan Tower

Namsan Tower up close

Many visitors take the Namsan cable car up Mt. Namsan to reach the tower. The tower is famous for its amazing views of the city. It is 236.7 meters (777 feet) tall and sits on Namsan mountain (243 meters or 797 feet high). Thousands of tourists and locals visit every year. It is especially popular at night when the tower lights up.

About 8.4 million people visit the N Seoul Tower each year. It is close to other fun places like Namsan Park and Namsangol Hanok Village. You need to pay a fee to go up the tower. The price changes for children, teenagers, and adults.

In 2012, foreign tourists voted the N Seoul Tower as the number one tourist spot in Seoul. It is now a symbol of the city.

Tower Lights

The N Seoul Tower lights up in blue from sunset until 11:00 PM (or 10:00 PM in winter). This happens on days when the air quality in Seoul is good (45 or less). In spring 2012, the tower was lit up for 52 days.

The tower uses modern LED lights to create "light art." It puts on different light shows, like the "Reeds of Light" and "Shower of Light."

On Earth Day, the lights at N Seoul Tower turn off at 8 PM. This helps to promote saving energy across the country.

Love Padlocks

The "Locks of Love" is a very popular attraction. It is on the second floor of the N Plaza, on the Roof Terrace. Couples hang padlocks on the fence here to show their lasting love. This tradition has been shown in many Korean TV shows and movies.

People buy a padlock and key. They write their names or messages on the lock. Then, they attach the lock to the fence, which is already full of other locks. Often, they throw the key away. This is a symbol of their love lasting forever. It is similar to the love locks found in Paris, France.

Wishing Pond and Observatory

The N Tower also has a Wishing Pond. You can find it on the second floor of the tower. People throw coins into the pond and make a wish. The coins collected are used to help schools in China and Southeast Asia.

The observatory was updated in 2011. It is on the third floor. From here, you get a 360-degree view of the city. It also shows 600 years of Korean history on 36 LCD screens. The fifth floor has a French restaurant called N Grill.

Other Fun Spots

In 2008, a Teddy Bear Museum opened at the Tower. To celebrate, they made a 7-meter (23-foot) tall Christmas tree from 300 teddy bears. The museum shows teddy bears in Seoul's past, present, and future. It also has teddy bear models of famous Seoul places. These include the Cheonggyecheon Stream, Myeongdong, Insadong, and Dongdaemun.

Cool OLED Displays

You can see special OLED panels all around the Namsan Seoul Tower, from level 1 to 4. On level 1, there is a 9-meter OLED Tunnel with welcome messages. You can also see a huge 15-meter by 3-meter curved OLED screen. It shows views of the Gwanghwamun Gate and Gyeongbokgung Palace through the four seasons.

On level 2, there is an OLED Circle. It looks like a round belt hanging in the air. On level 4, there is a 24-meter long wavy structure. It shows images of wish lanterns, flames, and patterns of dancheong (traditional Korean patterns). This represents the beautiful sky over Seoul. You can also experience a '3D video world' here.