With ultra-modern skyrises alongside small one-story hanoks (conventional Korean properties), Seoul is commonly described as a metropolis of outdated and new, and this description applies to the vary of museums as a lot as the town’s structure.
The South Korean capital isn’t significantly identified for museums, however a number of have opened prior to now 20 years with their displays starting from conventional to the area of interest. Listed below are our favourite museums for studying about South Korean historical past, considering trendy paintings and having a little bit of enjoyable.
Nationwide Museum of Korea
Greatest museum for all issues Korean
The museum to go to you probably have time for just one, the Nationwide Museum of Korea has a variety of artifacts, paperwork and artworks detailing Korean historical past and artwork. This enormous museum is the scale of 56 soccer fields, and it’s break up throughout three essential flooring that cowl all of it, from historical and pre-history to sculpture and humanities. Don’t miss the monumental jar coffins from the Baekje interval (18 BCE–660 CE), the Tigers in Moonlight and Pine Grove portray from the Joseon dynasty and the 10-story stone pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple – a stately marvel positioned prominently close to the museum’s entrance.
The premises additionally embody an immersive digital gallery, a youngsters’s museum stuffed with interactive experiences and expansive outside grounds with a botanical backyard, small waterfall and several other ponds. The Nationwide Hangeul Museum, dedicated to the schooling of hangeul (Korean alphabet), is subsequent door and value visiting if a particular exhibition is happening.
Struggle and Ladies’s Human Rights Museum
Greatest museum for a shifting expertise
A small however memorable museum, the Struggle and Ladies’s Human Rights Museum makes use of artwork and audio to coach guests on the historical past of consolation ladies (ladies used as sexual slaves throughout World Struggle II). Every customer is given an audio information that gives further context to the gadgets on show.
Listening to the survivors’ voices and studying their names is a robust expertise. The data generally is a lot to absorb, however the museum does a fantastic job of emphasizing hope and life after trauma. Though historical past museums in Korea are hesitant to be crucial of its personal participation in battle crimes, this museum is exclusive in its recounts of wrongs completed by the Korean authorities.
Seoul Museum of Historical past
Greatest museum to get to know the town
Through the years, Seoul has been identified by a number of names, and the town has undergone radical modifications, even prior to now century. The Seoul Museum of Historical past examines these shifts by artifacts, artwork, maps and pictures.
The everlasting exhibition begins with Seoul’s origin because the Joseon capital in 1392 and extends by predictions about Seoul’s future; it additionally hosts particular exhibitions on vogue, pictures and historic city planning. Plan for a little bit additional time on the “Interval of Fast Progress Seoul” part to check pictures of the town from now and 50 years in the past for a greater grasp of simply how shortly the town has developed. A spotlight is “Suite No. 9-xxx of Seocho Samho Condominium,” a mannequin of an condominium advanced in Gangnam within the Seventies.
Korea Furnishings Museum
Greatest museum for sudden luxurious
How does a furnishings museum turn out to be a must-see spot for celebrities, influencers and necessary overseas officers? It doesn’t make sense till you’ve really visited the Korea Furnishings Museum, which requires a guided tour to see.
This museum accommodates director Chyung Mi-sook’s private assortment of roughly 2500 conventional wood items which are laid out over 10 hanoks. You get an actual sense of how the higher class lived through the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897), and the tour offers context to how gadgets like rigorously crafted soban (small moveable tables), e-book storage chests and jewellery bins with intricate designs have been created and used.
Seeing the fragile items up shut with none glass instances really differentiates this museum go to from others, and the guides’ tales are glorious. The museum solely runs a handful of excursions to a restricted variety of guests per day; guided excursions must be reserved in advance on the museum’s website and are sometimes booked out months forward.
Nationwide Museum of Fashionable and Up to date Artwork
Greatest museum for lovers of contemporary artwork
The MMCA has three branches, however the location close to Gyeongbokgung Palace is the latest and thought of the establishment’s consultant. The museum does exhibit internationally acknowledged artists, however the gallery’s main focus is highlighting the works of latest Korean artists.
Exhibitions embody retrospectives on well-known Korean artists akin to Park Soo Keun, Park Search engine optimisation-bo and Lee Kyungsung, and collections from rising artists, together with recipients of the Korea Artist Prize, which is awarded to up to date Korean artists pushing boundaries within the scene.
The house generally is a bit disorienting as a result of the gallery numbers aren’t clearly marked, and it may be troublesome to find out the most effective order to view the exhibition. Nonetheless, the curation of works is in contrast to anything you’ll discover within the nation. The reward store, stuffed with books and art-inspired souvenirs, can be value a glance. The place else may you discover a Nam June Paik assortment of stickers and postcards of works by Kim Whanki?
Yun Dong-ju Literature Home
Greatest small museum
The area of interest Yun Dong-ju Literature Home particulars the life and works of one in every of Korea’s best-known poets and independence activists, Yun Dong-Ju (1917–45). Whereas the museum appears to be like like an abnormal white constructing at first look, the construction, designed by architect Lee So-jin, was really a trio of water strain tanks in its previous life. The moodiness of the concrete encasings performs a giant position within the total really feel of the house.
The museum is split into three components: a show of Yun’s manuscripts and pictures (solely partially translated to English), a walk-through of Open Properly (a former water tank with no roof) and a brief movie about Yun in Closed Properly (a darkish water tank with minimal mild). The museum paints an intimate portrait of the poet, whether or not or not you’re already accustomed to his work.
Seoul Kids’s Museum
Greatest museum for households
A extremely interactive museum that faucets into the creativeness, the Seoul Children’s Museum is a four-story house with exhibitions, playrooms and lessons appropriate for teenagers from 3 to 12 years outdated. Highlights embody the Dance Vitality Ground, an digital ground that encourages youngsters to leap on tiles that mild up, and the Water Pump on the “Science Play” exhibition that teaches youngsters concerning the motion of water.
Incorporating science and bodily schooling into all of the actions, the museum is an area the place youngsters can expend their vitality and be taught beneficial classes. Examine the museum’s web site for info on how mother and father can finest lead their youngsters by these exhibitions in addition to a schedule of lessons.
Museum Kimchikan
Greatest museum for foodies
Can’t get sufficient of the fermented cabbage dish served with most of your Korean meals? Do you know that pink pepper flakes are a comparatively current addition to the dish? The small Museum Kimchikan in Insadong is devoted to all of your kimchi queries, serving to guests get a lesson on one of the crucial well-known Korean dishes.
Right here on the nation’s most established meals museum, you may be taught concerning the communal nature of kimchi preparation, research the evolution of kimchi all through the centuries and admire the handfuls of kimchi varieties on show. Discover out all of the methods kimchi can be utilized, get recommendations on fermenting at house and pattern kimchi varieties.
One of many essential attracts of the museum? Its cheap kimchi-making lessons. The museum web site lists two sorts of kimchi-making lessons, however the 40-minute intensive course on Wednesdays and Thursdays requires an e-mail reservation upfront.
Is the Uncover Seoul Move value it?
The Discover Seoul Pass, a reduction card for vacationers, covers a number of of those museums, however earlier than you go to Seoul, examine the museums listed on the go along with your Seoul itinerary and calculate its profit to your go to. Many museums are low value or free, so the Uncover Seoul Move won’t be value it.
