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One of Seoul’s quirkier private collections makes for a surprisingly absorbing exhibition. It focuses on the artistry of locks, latches and keys of all kinds, mainly from Korea but also with international examples, including a gruesome-looking chastity belt. Clad in Corten steel, the building contrasts nicely with a colourful wall mural nearby.
Come here also to pick up an English-language map to the mural art and small house museums of Ihwa Maeul.
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Like a phoenix, Seoul’s premier palace has risen several times from the ashes of destruction. Hordes of tourists have replaced the thousands of government…
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The World Heritage–listed Changdeokgung is the most beautiful of Seoul's five main palaces. You must join a one-hour guided tour to look around. English…
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Amid the celebrity-owned apartments on the leafy southern slope of Namsan is Korea's premier art gallery. Beautifully designed and laid-out, it balances…
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The World Heritage–listed fortress wall that encloses the original town of Suwon is what brings most travellers to the city. Snaking up and down Paldal…
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One of Seoul's five grand palaces built during the Joseon dynasty, Deoksugung (meaning Palace of Virtuous Longevity) is the only one you can visit in the…
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This vast and imposing concrete slab of a museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through Korea's past from prehistory all the way to the Korean…
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Granite-peak-studded Bukhansan National Park's sweeping mountaintop vistas, maple leaves, rushing streams and remote temples draw over 5 million hikers…
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This huge museum documents the history of the Korean War (1950–53) using multimedia exhibits and black-and-white documentary footage, along with artefacts…
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A great place to see contemporary art, this impressive red-brick complex has a trio of interlinking galleries that house regularly changing, often avant…
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More plaza than park, Marronnier Park usually has something happening on afternoons and evenings at the outdoor stage, as well as pockets of sculpture to…
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The lofty slopes above Daehangno offer fantastic city views and contain an impressive section of the Seoul City Wall, which you can follow in either…
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High on the slopes of Naksan is one of the city's old daldongnae (literally ‘moon villages’) where refugees lived in shacks after the Korean War. Sixty…
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Originally built in the 15th century by King Sejong for his father, this is one of Seoul's 'five grand palaces'. It backs onto the more impressive…
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With interactive displays and historical artefacts, this modern museum offers an engaging history of the 18.6km-long barrier that has girdled Seoul since…
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The main hall of Changgyeonggung, Myeongjeongjeon was rebuilt in 1616, making it a valuable example of 17th-century Joseon architecture, and the oldest…
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One of the 'four small gates' of the Seoul City Wall, Hyehwamun is also known as Dongsomun (literally 'small east gate'). Originally built in 1396, it was…