Museums in South Korea
98 museums in South Korea. Most visited: National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea.
Top museums in South Korea
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea
3,536,677 visitors a year
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) is a contemporary art museum with four branches, in Gwacheon, Deoksugung, Seoul and Cheongju. It was founded in 1969 as the country's...
Website of National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea
National Museum of Korea
3,476,606 visitors a year
The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea. It is located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and its establishment is dated to 1945. Its collection includes over...
National Folk Museum of Korea
Ethnographic or open-air museum · 2,762,143 visitors a year
The National Folk Museum of Korea is a national museum on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung in Jongno District, Seoul. It uses replicas to show traditional Korean life, and its collection includes over...
Gyeongju National Museum
653,651 visitors a year
The bronze Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok, cast in 771 and one of the largest bells surviving from ancient Korea, hangs in its own pavilion on the grounds of the Gyeongju National Museum (국립경주박물관). It...
Art Sonje Center
Art museum
Current and experimental contemporary art is the focus of Art Sonje Center, a private museum founded in 1998. It brings this work to both the art world and the general public through international...
Chiwoo Craft Museum
Art museum
Contemporary metal craft is the specialty of the Chiwoo Craft Museum, a private non-profit art museum in Umyeon-dong, Seocho-gu, also known as the Yoolizzy Craft Museum. It was founded by the craft...
Chohong Museum of Finance
Founded in 1997 by Chohung Bank, which called itself the oldest bank in Korea, the Chohong Museum of Finance is devoted to numismatics, the study and collecting of coins, banknotes and related...
Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum
The Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum (정영양 자수 박물관) is devoted to embroidery and run by Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul. It takes its name from its founder, Dr. Young Yang Chung, and the...
Gahoe Museum
Amulets make up about half of the Gahoe Museum's collection, some 750 of its more than 1,500 objects. Alongside them are around 250 folk paintings, about 150 classical books and some 250 other...
Gansong Art Museum
Art museum
A copy of the Hunminjeongeum, the text that first described the Korean script Hangul, is among the national treasures at the Kansong Art Museum (간송미술관) in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul. In 2011 the museum...
Han Sang Soo Embroidery Museum
Art museum
Korean embroidery is the specialty of the Han Sang Soo Embroidery Museum (한상수 자수박물관), an art museum in Seoul's Seongbuk-gu district founded in 2006. The museum was established by Han Sang Soo, born...
Horim Museum
Art museum
More than 10,000 works of Korean art make up the Horim Museum's collection, and ceramics dominate it. It holds over 3,000 pieces of earthenware, some 2,100 porcelains, 1,100 celadons and 500 pieces...
Ilmin Museum of Art
Art museum
The Ilmin Museum of Art occupies the 1926 building that once housed The Dong-A Ilbo, one of South Korea's major newspapers, on Sejongno street in Seoul's central Jongno District. Its exhibitions...
Kim Koo Museum
The Kim Koo Museum (백범김구기념관) commemorates the life and work of Kim Ku, also spelled Kim Koo, a Korean independence activist during the Japanese occupation of Korea. It stands within Hyochang Park in...
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art
Art museum
Nestled in the heart of Seoul, the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art stands as a beacon of creativity and cultural dialogue. This architecturally stunning museum seamlessly blends traditional Korean art...
National Museum of Korean Contemporary History
History museum
The modern and contemporary history of South Korea, from the late 19th century to the present day, is the focus of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History (대한민국역사박물관). It occupies the...
Onggi Folk Museum
Ethnographic or open-air museum
Onggi, the Korean earthenware made for storage and everyday practical use, is the sole specialty of this private museum in Seoul. More than three thousand objects are on display, mostly onggi,...
Seodaemun Prison
History museum
Construction of Seodaemun Prison began in 1907 under Imperial Japan, then the overlord of Korea. During Japanese rule, many people who opposed that oppression were tortured or executed there. The...
Seonbawi Museum of Art
Art museum
Every painting in the Seonbawi Museum of Art (선바위미술관) is the work of one man, the late artist Lee Seoji, who also designed and built the museum himself in 2004. Its permanent collection of around...
Seoul Baekje Museum
Seoul Baekje Museum's building takes the form of a Baekje ship, its outline drawn from the natural silhouette of the nearby Mongchontoseong. Signs give its Korean name, 한성백제박물관. Inside are a variety...
Museums by city in South Korea
South Korea’s museum landscape brings together royal history, archaeology, folk life, and a strong contemporary art scene. In Seoul, major institutions such as the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art sit alongside smaller spaces focused on design, media, and experimental practice. Mooseum helps visitors compare these museums and navigate them more easily, whether they are planning a full day in Yongsan or hopping between galleries in Samcheong-dong.
Beyond the capital, museums reveal the country’s regional histories in distinct ways. Gyeongju National Museum introduces the legacy of the Silla kingdom through gold crowns, Buddhist sculpture, and excavated relics, while Bokcheon Museum in Busan explores ancient tomb culture from the southeastern coast. In Gwangju, the Asian Culture Center connects Korean culture with broader Asian artistic exchange. Using Mooseum, travelers can discover how each city approaches heritage, archaeology, and contemporary culture through its own museums.
Many museums in South Korea are easy to combine with nearby palaces, historic neighborhoods, or public parks, making them practical stops for first-time visitors and returning travelers alike. You might pair the National Folk Museum of Korea with Gyeongbokgung, or visit Art Sonje Center and Art Center Nabi for a different view of Korea’s current art and technology scene. Mooseum makes it simpler to explore these contrasts, from court ceramics and calligraphy to digital installations and media art.
Map of museums in South Korea
Museums in South Korea: questions
- How many museums are there in South Korea?
- Mooseum lists 98 museums in South Korea. Seoul has the most, with 54.
- Which cities in South Korea have the most museums?
- Seoul (54) and Busan (7).
- What are the most visited museums in South Korea?
- By annual visitors reported on Wikipedia: National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea (3,536,677), National Museum of Korea (3,476,606) and National Folk Museum of Korea (2,762,143).
- What kinds of museums are in South Korea?
- Of the 52 whose type we know, the most common are art museums (32), history museums (5), science and technology museums (5) and ethnographic and open-air museums (3).
- National museums in Seoul cover Korean history, folk customs, ceramics, Buddhist art, and modern and contemporary practice in one city.
- Gyeongju’s museums focus on the Silla kingdom, with archaeological finds, royal burial objects, and temple-related artifacts from Korea’s ancient capital.
- Contemporary art spaces such as MMCA, Art Sonje Center, and Art Center Nabi reflect South Korea’s interest in experimental art, media, and technology.
- Regional museums in cities like Busan and Gwangju add local perspectives through tomb archaeology, maritime history, and cross-Asian cultural programming.
- Many museum visits can be paired with palace grounds, hanok neighborhoods, or major urban parks, especially in Seoul.
- Many major museums close on Mondays, so check opening days in advance, especially for smaller art spaces and university-affiliated museums.
- Seoul’s biggest museums are easy to reach by subway; stations around Yongsan, Anguk, and Gyeongbokgung are useful starting points for museum visits.
- National museums often have free permanent exhibitions, while special exhibitions may require timed tickets or separate admission.
- Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for combining museums with palace walks and outdoor heritage sites in Seoul or Gyeongju.
All museums in South Korea
Every museum in South Korea listed on Mooseum. Search by name or type.
| Name | Type | Website | Links | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Art museum | www.nabi.or.kr |  | — | |
Art Sonje CenterCurrent and experimental contemporary art is the focus of Art Sonje Center, a private museum founded in 1998. It brings this work to both the art world and the general public through international... | Art museum | artsonje.org/asc/kor/main.asp | | — |
Art museum | www.acc.go.kr | | — | |
— | bcmuseum.busan.go.kr | | — | |
Art museum | www.bukchonartmuseum.com | | — | |
Natural history museum | www.busan.go.kr/sea | | — | |
History museum | modern.busan.go.kr/main | | — | |
— | english.busan.go.kr/museum | | — | |
Art museum | art.busan.go.kr | | — | |
— | buyeo.museum.go.kr | | — | |
Science and technology museum | jikjiworld.cheongju.go.kr/jikjiworld/index.do | | — | |
— | cheongju.museum.go.kr | | — | |
Chiwoo Craft MuseumContemporary metal craft is the specialty of the Chiwoo Craft Museum, a private non-profit art museum in Umyeon-dong, Seocho-gu, also known as the Yoolizzy Craft Museum. It was founded by the craft... | Art museum | www.chiwoocraftmuseum.org | | — |
Chohong Museum of FinanceFounded in 1997 by Chohung Bank, which called itself the oldest bank in Korea, the Chohong Museum of Finance is devoted to numismatics, the study and collecting of coins, banknotes and related... | — | www.shinhanmuseum.co.kr | | — |
Art museum | www.jculture.co.kr/museum | | — | |
— | chuncheon.museum.go.kr | | — | |
Chung Young Yang Embroidery MuseumThe Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum (정영양 자수 박물관) is devoted to embroidery and run by Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul. It takes its name from its founder, Dr. Young Yang Chung, and the... | — | www.sookmyung.ac.kr/chungyoungyangen/index.do | | — |
— | citrus.seogwipo.go.kr | | — | |
Art museum | www.spacec.co.kr/en/museum/museum1 | | — | |
— | daegu.museum.go.kr/contents/siteMainLang.do?lang=JPN | | — | |
Art museum | dmma.metro.daejeon.kr | | — | |
— | www.dokdomuseum.go.kr | | — | |
Gahoe MuseumAmulets make up about half of the Gahoe Museum's collection, some 750 of its more than 1,500 objects. Alongside them are around 250 folk paintings, about 150 classical books and some 250 other... | — | www.gahoemuseum.org | | — |
Gansong Art MuseumA copy of the Hunminjeongeum, the text that first described the Korean script Hangul, is among the national treasures at the Kansong Art Museum (간송미술관) in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul. In 2011 the museum... | Art museum | www.kansong.org | | — |
— | gimhae.museum.go.kr | | — |