National Museum of Korea. Is it Worth the Visit?

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul ranked sixth out of 100 museums and galleries worldwide
in terms of total number of visitors in 2023. It is also THE most visited museum in Asia. But is it worth the hype and a time slot on your itinerary?

If you’re not into museums… probably not. But you’d definitely be missing out because it’s honestly one of the most beautiful museums we’ve ever been to. And, yes, we have been to the Louvre.

Whenever we travel, visiting museums and historic places are always at the top of our list. They’re the ideal way to take in some culture, get a better understanding of a country’s history and to be perfectly honest… just see some really cool old stuff. My husband has even found artifacts from his direct ancestors at this museum. How cool is that?

The museum is divided into three floors and is probably one of the most thoughtfully and cohesively designed spaces we’ve seen. The left side of the museum is meant to represent the past while the right side represents the modern day. When you walk though the rooms in order, you get a pretty solid scope of Korea dating all the way back to Paleolithic times (stone age) up to the modern era.

Since we grew up in the states, our education on prehistoric times largely focused on North America. So it’s really interesting to see what prehistoric times looked like in Korea and how it shaped the culture here. There’s everything from weapons and pottery to paintings and royal ornaments and it will literally take you all day if you want to see it all.

Of course, a lot of the stand out sections highlight the Three Kingdoms era as well as the Joseon dynasty. There are plenty of artifacts from different facets of society. But compared to the Royal Museum and the Folk Museum of Korea, the NMoK features a lot more of the intellectual classes including artisans and artists. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find this much information about the artists of the Joseon era compared to simple displays of their works at other museum.

Personally, I’m obsessed with all their dragon artifacts, paintings, insignias etc. Earlier this year they even had a special finding dragons exhibit to celebrate the year of the dragon. There were QR codes set all over the museum so you could scan certain items and have full detailed look at them right from your phone. It was a really interesting concept.

Actually, the museum is full of cool little immersive lounge areas, replicas that you can touch and interactive touch screens and interfaces. In addition to their permanent exhibits they also have visiting collections from museums all over the world. So really there’s always a reason to go back.

Fair warning, this museum is much larger than it looks. There’s the main museum, a large garden which are free admission and another entirely separate building for temporary exhibits that are paid admission. Oh and that’s not even including all their beautiful little gift shops and cafes.

So simply put, a day is definitely not enough to cover it all. But is it definitely worth trying.

When should I go to the National Museum of Korea?

The museum is open every day of the week, but it’s open later on Wednesdays and Saturdays which will give you a few more hours to explore this massive visual history book.

Hours:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesdays, Saturdays: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Entry closes 30 minutes before closing time.

Where is the National Museum of Korea? And how do I get there?

The NMoK is located in Yongsan-gu which is a popular area, but there’s one big caveat. It’s located out on its own without much else around it. To get here, you’ll be traveling to Ichon Station on the no. 4 line and the Gyeongui Line. The museum itself is just a 10-minute walk from exit 2, but it also has it’s own dedicated exit.

If you’re looking to get lunch or coffee, we highly recommend eating before or after your visit. There’s a cafe here, but it’s nothing to write home about.

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