I Finally Visited the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul (And It Was Worth the Wait)
After living in Seoul for so many years, there are still places on my bucket list that somehow slip through…
What to See, Eat and Do in Korea (and Beyond)
After living in Seoul for so many years, there are still places on my bucket list that somehow slip through…
The Seoul K-Medi Center (서울한방진흥센터) is a cultural and wellness complex dedicated to Korean traditional medicine. And on the surface I know that it doesn’t sound like the most interesting thing to put on your itinerary, but this isn’t your surface level kind of experience. The center was created to make Korean traditional medicine more accessible to the public through exhibitions, education and hands-on experiences. Rather than being simply a museum, it combines several different experiences under one roof.
The DDP Rooftop Tour is one of the most unique experiences in Seoul right now, giving visitors rare access to the rooftop of one of Korea’s most iconic buildings. Instead of just admiring the DDP from below, you get to step onto the actual structure designed by legendary architect Zaha Hadid and see Seoul from an entirely different perspective.
This summer, Seongsu is playing host to the Ryoko Kui Exhibition & Delicious in Dungeon: Labyrinth Exploration, marking the first time the acclaimed exhibition has come to Korea. Originally touring Japan to celebrate the hit manga and anime, the exhibition combines an art retrospective of creator Ryoko Kui’s work with an immersive dungeon experience inspired by Delicious in Dungeon (known in Japanese as Dungeon Meshi and Korean as Dungeon Bap).
The Pokémon 30th Anniversary Party is one of the main events of Pokémon Mega Festa 2026, a citywide celebration marking 30 years of Pokémon. Throughout May, Olive Young has teamed up with 61 beauty and lifestyle brands to release around 230 Pokémon-themed products and special gifts. And while you can find many of these products at any Olive Young, the biggest and most immersive location is Olive Young N Seongsu, where the Trendpot space has been turned into a giant Pokémon-themed party complete with photo zones, exclusive merchandise, and limited-edition collaborations.
Right now Seoul is hosting the Seoul International Garden Show. Last year it was held at Boramae Park and featured the adorable Metamong (Ditto) Garden. This year the show is being held at Seoul Forest and features 167 themed gardens, including the Pokémon Secret Forest.
Metamong Playground is basically a giant Ditto-themed universe hidden in Seongsu and the entire thing feels aggressively designed for social media in the best possible way (for the most part). Just picture purple everywhere, massive Ditto sculptures, Ditto walls, Ditto desserts, Ditto merch, Ditto chaos! In case you haven’t pieced it together, we’re pretty big on Ditto out here in Korea.
The Hangang Drone Light Show is back with 5 shows planned for the spring season starting with a BT21 themed show on April 10th. This will be kick off the Seoul Spring Festival and each session includes special performances and a mini drone show in addition to the main drone show. I’ve been to quite of few of these over the years and honestly they just keep getting better and better.
There’s a very specific moment every year in Seoul where the city blossoms. The air gets warmer. People stay outside longer. The Han River starts filling up again. And right now, that moment is happening. The Seoul Spring Festival isn’t just one event, it’s the whole city turning itself into a giant, ongoing experience. So, if you’re in Seoul right now, this is what you’re actually stepping into.
The Spotify x BTS “SWIMSIDE” cruise might be one of the most uniquely curated events of this entire comeback era (so far) and I actually managed to snag an invite. The SWIMSIDE cruise was part of a larger global campaign between Spotify and BTS celebrating their comeback album “Arirang.” For three nights only (March 27–29, 2026), selected fans boarded a themed cruise departing from Yeouido Hangang Park and sailed along the Han River.
The BTS “Love Quarter” is part of the larger “BTS THE CITY: ARIRANG SEOUL” project, which has basically spread BTS related experiences across multiple locations in the city. Unlike other events in the city, the BTS “Love Quarter” exhibit isn’t loud or flashy. It’s not merch centric. It doesn’t try to overwhelm you.
And that’s exactly why it stands out.
Right now from January 15 to March 16, 2026, the Grammy Museum is hosting a special pop-up exhibition dedicated to Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, one of the most influential Latin artists in music history. This is kind of a once in a lifetime display for fans because many of her personal items are being shown outside of Texas for the first time ever.