The restricted areas of Sorokdo will be opened to the public for the first time through a historical and cultural exploration program.
The National Sorokdo Hospital’s Hansen’s Disease Museum will run a historical and cultural exploration program from April to November 2025, covering the military and administrative areas of Sorokdo. The exploration is scheduled to occur five times, alternating between the military area and the administrative area. The first session starts on April 4th.
Sorokdo, a zone of the national hospital under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, has been strictly off-limits to the general public. Of the 17 national heritages, 12 are in control areas, making them difficult to access except for official or research purposes. Since last year, the hospital has been piloting a historical and cultural exploration program that includes some restricted areas. This year, the route has been expanded to include the administrative area, which had been maintained separately after the boundary removal.
The exploration lasts for two hours, and applications can be made via the museum’s website or SNS after an announcement. The number of participants is limited to less than 20 per session, and minors must be accompanied by a guardian. Group applications are possible through separate agreement scheduling.
The exploration route in the military area includes Manryeongdang, Jahye Clinic, the prison, food warehouse, and Sincere Christian High School. In the administrative area, spaces such as Sutan Hall, the old office main building, Shinto shrine site, passenger terminal, Reindeer Monument, and Swallow Wharf will be revealed. Manryeongdang is the venue for the annual joint memorial held every October, and Jahye Clinic is the site where the hospital began in 1916. Sutan Hall was a place for patients’ children to visit during visiting hours back when they lived in an orphanage.
Park Jong-eok, Acting Director of the National Sorokdo Hospital, stated, “We hope that more citizens can directly experience and understand the history of Sorokdo,” and pledged to continuously improve the program by reflecting the exploration results.
