ARKO Art Center (아르코미술관)

750.6M 2025-06-05

3, Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-760-4850

ARKO Art Center was founded in 1974 as Misulhoegwan in a building of former Deoksu Hospital in Gwanhun-dong, Jongno-gu to offer much-needed exhibition space for artists and arts groups. In 1979, Misulhoegwan moved to its present building, designed by preeminent Korean architect Kim Swoo-geun (1931-1986) and located in Marronnier Park, the former site of Seoul National University. The two neighboring brick buildings accommodating ARKO Art Center and ARKO Arts Theater are the major landmarks of the district of Daehakro.
As more public and private museums and commercial galleries came into the art scene in the 1990s, Misulhoegwan shifted to curating and presenting its own exhibitions. Renamed as Marronnier Art Center in 2002, ARKO Art Center assumed a full-fledged art museum system and played an increasingly prominent role as a public arts organization leading the contemporary art paradigm. When The Korea Culture and Arts Foundation was reborn as Arts Council Korea, Marronnier Art Center became ARKO Art Center named after the abbreviation for Arts Council Korea in 2005.
ARKO Art Center is committed to working as a platform where research, production, exhibitions and the exchange of creative activities grow and develop in connection with one another in addition to having a diversity of programs including thematic exhibitions addressing social agenda and public programs widely promoting various discourses in art.

Choi Sunu House (최순우 옛집)

750.1M 2021-12-21

9, Seongbuk-ro 15-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3675-3401

The Choi Sunu House is the old residence of Hyegok Choi Sunu (1916-1984), who lived in this house from 1976 until the day he passed away. The house is designated as Korea’s Registered Cultural Property. Choi Sunu was a leading art historian who served as the director of the National Museum of Korea. He devoted his life to rediscovering the beauty of Korean art and made many academic accomplishments in the areas of Korean ceramics, traditional woodcraft, and the history of painting.
The house has been open to the public as the Hyegok Choi Sunu Memorial Hall since 2004. The memorial hall displays Choi Sunu’s relics as a permanent exhibition and holds special exhibitions in the fall as well as cultural programs every spring and fall.

Bubu Sikdang (부부식당)

758.5M 2021-03-26

43, Dongsung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-765-6056

You can enjoy fusion dishes in a cozy atmosphere. This Korean dishes restaurant is located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The representative menu is royal stir-fried rice cake.

Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone (종로 청계 관광특구)

829.7M 2021-12-30

99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2148-1861

Jongno Cheonggye Special Tourist Zone stretches from Seorin-dong to Changsin-dong between Cheonggyecheon Stream and Jong-ro. It includes Youth Street, Gwangjang Market, Sewoon Electronics Department Store, lighting stores, pharmacy & medical device stores, badge stores, Stamp Street, Stationery · Toy Market, Aquarium Street, Shoes Market, and other markets totalling to approximately 14,000 shops. Nearby attractions include modern high-story buildings as well as Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Unhyeongung Palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, and Insa-dong, merging traditions, modernism, culture, and markets alike.

Thought to be at the heart of Seoul, Cheonggyecheon Stream is located in the dense cultural area of Seoul where various press networks, organizations, bookstores and other major corporations are situated. Walking along Cheonggyecheon Stream is a famous activity for tourists. Also, the area is the venue for the Seoul Lantern Festival every winter. Keeping its traditional scene including narrow alleys, old-fashioned hanok buildings and various stores still fully intact, the tourist zone has enough fun places for sightseeing as well as tasty restaurants in every corner for a more enjoyable visit.

Naksan Park (낙산공원)

846.5M 2025-08-07

41 Naksan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-743-7985

Naksan Mountain (alt. 125 meters) is one of the four inner mountains of Seoul, and can be accessed by following the road leading to the mountain entrance from Daehangno and Dongdaemun. It was also called Naktasan Mountain, which can be translated to Camel Mountain, because the terrain resembled a camel's back. It also had another name, Taraksan Mountain, “tarak” meaning fermented milk, because there was a royal ranch in the area that supplied milk to the palace. After the 1960s, the original appearance of Naksan Mountain disappeared due to apartments and dense housing, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government established a restoration plan. As part of this plan, a park project was carried out, and it opened Naksan Park in July 2002. Currently, Naksan Park has established itself as a resting place for citizens to feel the beautiful atmosphere of Hanyangdoseong, or the Seoul City Wall, and green forests. It has gained much popularity as a place for seeing the most beautiful night view in Seoul.

Kansong Art Museum (간송미술관(서울 보화각))

861.1M 2025-06-30

102-11 Seongbuk-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

Kansong Art Museum was the first private art museum in Korea, opened as Bohwagak in 1938 by Kansong Jeon Hyeong-pil. The name was changed to the current Kansong Art Museum in 1966. Bohwagak was designated as National Registered Cultural Heritage No. 768 on December 30, 2019. Jeon Hyeong-pil dedicated his life to preserving and researching Korea’s representative relics that were devaluated and purposefully obliterated during the Japanese colonial era, as well as to acknowledging their cultural excellence and beauty. The museum houses 11 national treasures and 24 treasures.

Seongbukdong Dwaejigalbi (성북동 돼지갈비)

862.0M 2019-12-24

115, Seongbuk-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
+82-2-764-2420

In business for more than 40 years, Seongbukdong Dwaejigalbijip has become a local legend thanks to its simple but savory menu. Pork served at the restaurant is marinated overnight in a special sauce, which infuses the meat with rich flavors that are released when the meat is grilled and the fat drips off. The restaurant’s main dishes include dwaeji galbi (grilled pork ribs) and dwaeji bulgogi baekban (set meal with bulgogi meat grilled over the fire).

Innisfree - Hansung Univ. Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (이니스프리 한성대)

898.7M 2024-04-18

3, Dongsomun-ro 7-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul

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Ssangdari Gisa Sikdang (쌍다리기사식당)

903.4M 2021-03-29

4, Seongbuk-ro 23-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
+82-2-743-0325

As a place where you can eat at affordable prices, it is a restaurant loved by local residents. The best menu at this restaurant is pork bulgogi. This Korean dishes restaurant is located in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.

GS25 - Jongno Korea Natinal Open Unniversity Branch (No. 2) [Tax Refund Shop] (GS25종로방통대2점)

924.7M 2024-06-27

1F, 78, Ihwajang-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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ARKO Art Center (아르코미술관) - Area information - Korea travel information