National Museum of Korea

Lena Lee★★★★★★★★★★5.04 months ago

I traveled from NYC specifically to see the Impressionism exhibition at the National Museum of Korea in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it absolutely lived up to the journey. Seeing works connected to the Met presented in Seoul felt incredibly special and thoughtfully curated. What moved me just as much, though, were the Korean history galleries. Each exhibit is presented with such detail and reverence that I found myself stopping often to reflect. The exhibition on Yi Sun-sin was especially powerful. I appreciated how it explored not only his achievements as a respected admiral, but also his humanity. It felt balanced, reflective, and deeply meaningful. I also loved spending time in the typography and print sections. As someone who appreciates visual storytelling and design, seeing the evolution of written form and print culture was inspiring. The museum itself is clean, beautifully laid out, and very foreigner friendly. The overall energy feels calm, intentional, and elevated. And the museum shop is honestly one of the best I have ever experienced anywhere in the world. The curation, design objects, and gifts are exceptional. If you are visiting Seoul, this museum is an absolute must. It is world class in every sense.

Sun Jeong★★★★★★★★★★5.0a month ago

If you visit Korea, I recommend it. It was a more rewarding visit, as all the exhibition rooms contain their own stories and history. (There is currently no entrance fee to the museum as of May. Special exhibitions need to be checked. There are companies that charge you as if there is an entrance fee.) Restaurants are systems that require kiosk reservations. If you don't like complicated things, I recommend restaurants near museums.

M.★★★★★★★★★★5.0a month ago

The museum is designed with exceptional care and attention to detail. First, the use of lighting and shadow is incredibly refined and pleasant, creating a very elegant atmosphere, especially in the calligraphy and painting exhibition on the second floor. Second, the way the museum presents history is very clear and well-structured. For example, on the first floor, the narrative of ancient history and the Three Kingdoms period is presented in such a coherent way that, even though several states coexisted and their timelines overlapped, it never feels confusing. Third, there are cafés on both the second and third floors, which makes the whole visit even more enjoyable, as there is always a comfortable place to rest when you get tired. Overall, it offers an almost perfect museum experience.

BINITA RAMI★★★★★★★★★★5.0a month ago

Visiting the National Museum of Korea was an incredible experience. It’s a विशाल space that beautifully showcases Korean history and culture in a very engaging way. The museum itself is impressively designed, with a grand structure and well-organized exhibits that make it easy to explore. One of the highlights was the open space between the buildings, where you can even catch a view of the iconic N Seoul Tower in the distance—such a cool architectural sight that adds to the overall experience. There’s so much to see and learn here that it’s impossible to cover everything in one visit. I would definitely come back again and plan to spend at least half a day exploring more deeply. It’s a perfect place for anyone interested in history, culture, and beautiful architecture.

Woo Young Kim★★★★★★★★★★5.06 months ago

My first time visiting this new museum (last time was the old one in the 90's) and I was thoroughly impressed. It's really modern and clean. You will see a lot of visual arts and even guide robots. The korean collection throughout the dynasties is quite comprehensive. They have a lot of religious and Buddhist items as well so be sure to check them out. The meditation room is the most famous. Greek and roman items are all copies and subpar so you can skip em. Average collection for other Asian countries and Islam. When we went there they had special exhibition of 이순신 which was free for the day and pretty well curated (i got pretty emotional with seeing his journey again). Lastly they have an amazing museum shop with a lot of pretty and high quality items. The museum has subway entrance tunnel carved out all the way and some nearby bus stops as well. You also get a great view of 남산 and slick architecture of the museum building outside. Come ready to spend hours and walk 15k steps easy.