Leeum Museum of Art

리움미술관

An art museum run by the Samsung Foundation of Culture. The standing exhibition of historic Korean art is free and the special exhibitions are ticketed, priced per show rather than at a standing rate. From exit 1 of Hangangjin Station, the route runs 100 metres towards Itaewon, then turns right into the first alley for an uphill walk of about five minutes.

Language

The entrance deck of the Leeum Museum of Art in the evening: a timber floor running inward past exposed concrete columns and a full-height glass wall, blue lights set into the deck, the sign reading Leeum SAMSUNG MUSEUM OF ART on the wall ahead, and a few visitors on the deck and in the gallery beyond the glass.

Place information

Korean name: 리움미술관
Address: 60-16 Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Nearest station: Hangangjin Station (한강진역, Line 6) (Exit 1)
Opening hours: 10:00–18:00
Closed: Every Mon · Jan 1 · Seollal (the day itself only) · Chuseok (the day itself only)
Hours notes: Ticket sales close at 17:30. The official FAQ gives booked visitors an entry window from twenty minutes before their reserved time until before the next booking time. Check the booking guidance and arrive at your reserved time.
Time needed: 2 hours
Operated by: Samsung Foundation of Culture

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History

After the Samsung Foundation of Culture was established, the Samsung Museum of Art worked to preserve cultural heritage and make it known to the public. Leeum Museum of Art opened in a new building in Hannam-dong, Seoul, designed by Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas.

1965
Establishment of the Samsung Foundation of Culture
2004
Opening of Leeum Museum of Art

Leeum Museum of Art — about the museum · Sep 25, 2026

What to see

Mario Botta's building

Its terracotta bricks symbolise earth and fire and evoke Korean ceramics.

Accessibility and facilities

From exit 1 of Hangangjin Station, walk 100 metres towards Itaewon, then turn right into the first alley and continue uphill for about five minutes. The five minutes refers to the uphill section, not the entire walk from the station exit.

Leeum Museum of Art — Visiting hours, closures, booked entry and directions · Aug 26, 2026

Nearby

N Seoul Tower

Time the visit around sunset if you want both daylight and night views, and plan the ascent separately from the observatory ticket.

War Memorial of Korea

Closes at 17:40, not 18:00, and stops admitting visitors at 17:00 — a 40-minute gap that catches people who arrive after an afternoon elsewhere. Closed Mondays, and when a holiday falls on a Monday the closure moves to the day after, which is the rule most itineraries miss.

National Museum of Korea

Two closure rules, not one, and they are not the same thing: the museum itself shuts on only three days a year, while the permanent galleries take a quarterly Monday off with the garden still open. Wednesday and Saturday run to 21:00 — the only evenings you can see this place without daylight pressure.

Namsangol Hanok Village

Five hanok moved onto the northern slope of Namsan beside Chungmuro Station, with a traditional garden laid around them. The houses open Tuesday to Sunday and rest on Mondays; closing time differs by an hour between summer and winter. There is nothing to pay at the gate.

Stories about this place

Four Major Museums in Seoul, Compared
The National Museum of Korea, the War Memorial, Seodaemun Prison History Hall and Leeum compared on what each holds, where it is, when it is closed, its hours and what it costs. Three sit in Yongsan and pair easily into one day, only one charges for its permanent exhibition, and there are fallbacks for a Monday or any other day the plan falls through.

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