Beacon fires on Namsan
The history of N Seoul Tower starts centuries before the tower itself. During the Joseon period the Bongsudae beacon mound on Namsan was the end point of a chain of signal stations that carried news from the border regions to the capital. Smoke served as the signal by day and fire by night. The city wall page gives 1423 for the construction, says the system was in use until 1895 and dates the reconstruction you can walk to today to 1993.
That is why the mountain was an obvious place for a later tower: it had been Seoul's lookout and signal point for a long time. You can reach the area on foot, and the Namsan Park page describes the city wall route that passes it.
A guided day through Seoul's sights
A full-day tour that ties the palace, Namsangol Hanok Village and the tower area together for a look at the city's past.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Seoul city tours with a stop at the tower
A full-day guided sightseeing tour in Seoul can combine a palace, a hanok village and N Seoul Tower. Read the inclusions of each option, because an observatory ticket is not part of the promise.
A broadcasting tower
Built in 1971, in the service of television.
The tower was built as a broadcasting tower. The operator's overview traces its story back to 1969, but the detailed chronology is more precise: the tower body was finished in August 1971, the steel mast followed in October 1971 and the antenna work in November 1971. Do not read 1969 as an opening year. It marks the start of the project, not a date when visitors could go up.
Television came next. According to the operator's chronicle, MBC television began broadcasting from the tower in April 1972, KBS television in August 1972 and SBS television in November 1991. The tower still carries that broadcasting role in its silhouette, though today most visitors know it for the view.
Observatory and public opening
Two dates that are often mixed up.
The observatory was completed in July 1975, and the public could enter from October 1980. That gap explains why you find different years for "the opening". The safest wording is that the observatory was finished in 1975 and opened to visitors in 1980.
The cable car is older than both. It has been running since 12 May 1962, so the ride up Namsan existed long before the tower became an attraction. Today the fares and hours are on the cable car page. If you plan a visit to the observation deck, check the current operating status first, because the operator site has shown a notice that the observatory is temporarily closed, without a period.
From Seoul Tower to N Seoul Tower
The change of owners and name.
In April 2000 the broadcaster YTN took over the tower, according to the operator. In April 2005 a renovation contract was signed between YTN and CJ, and the works ran from April to November 2005. In December 2005 the tower got the name it has today, N Seoul Tower, instead of Seoul Tower. The tower is run by the company CJ Foodville, and in everyday talk the name is often shortened to Namsan Tower or Namsan Seoul Tower.
Because of the earlier name, you will still meet the plain form Seoul Tower on older maps, guidebooks and tickets. It means the same building.
N Seoul Tower facts
The key figures in one place.
| Item | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul | On Namsan |
| Tower height | 236.7 m | 135.7 m tower body plus 101 m steel mast |
| Top of the mast | 506.7 m above sea level | Not the height of the observation deck |
| Observation levels | Tower 4F and 5F | Roof terrace on Tower 2F |
| Cable car in service | Since 12 May 1962 | Older than the observatory |
Do not mix up the tower height with the altitude of the deck. The 506.7 m figure belongs to the top of the mast, so plan your visit around the views and the opening hours rather than around a deck altitude.
For the practical side, see tickets and opening hours.
N Seoul Tower history: frequently asked questions
When was N Seoul Tower built?
The tower body was finished in August 1971, the steel mast in October 1971 and the antenna work in November 1971. The observatory was completed in July 1975 and opened to the public in October 1980.
Why is it called N Seoul Tower?
After a renovation from April to November 2005 the tower was renamed in December 2005. It had been called Seoul Tower before that.
How tall is N Seoul Tower?
The tower is 236.7 m tall, made of a 135.7 m tower body and a 101 m steel mast. The top of the mast is 506.7 m above sea level. That figure is not the height of the observation deck.
What stood on Namsan before the tower?
A Joseon beacon mound, the last station of a signal chain. The city wall page dates it to 1423 and says it was used until 1895. The mound you see now is a reconstruction from 1993.
Is the cable car as old as the tower?
It is older. The Namsan cable car has been in operation since 12 May 1962.
Can I go up the tower right now?
Check the current operating status of the observatory before you go. The operator site has shown a notice that it is temporarily closed, without a period, so regular hours are no confirmation for a given day.