Namsan Park

남산공원

A whole mountain in the middle of the city, run as one park. Private cars and taxis have been barred from it since 2005, so the way up is a circular bus, the cable car, or the northern ring path on foot.

Language

The north-western slope of Namsan Park: lawn, footpaths and clipped shrubs in the foreground, a white building under a hemispherical dome at left, and N Seoul Tower rising from the wooded ridge behind. The deciduous trees are bare and the grass is dormant.

Place information

Korean name: 남산공원
Address: 231 Samil-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul (Yejang-dong)
Nearest station: Myeongdong Station (명동역, Line 4) (Exit 3) · 10-min walk
Opening hours: open at all hours
Time needed: 2 hours
Admission: Free
Operated by: Seoul Central Parks and Leisure Office

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History

The mountain was originally called Ingyeongsan. After King Taejo moved the capital from Gaeseong to Seoul in 1394, it became known as Namsan because it lay to the south; in feng shui, it was regarded as the "guardian hill" facing the capital. A shrine to the mountain spirit Mongmyeok Daewang, called the Mongmyeok shrine, was built for rites seeking peace for the country, and the mountain also came to be called Mongmyeoksan. After its designation and opening as a park, the "Restoring Namsan" project relocated 89 structures, created the outdoor botanical garden, and restored and reorganised parts of Yejang-dong, Hoehyeon-dong and Hannam-dong.

12 March 1940
Designation as a park
10 September 1968
Opening of Namsan Park
From 1991, for eight years
"Restoring Namsan" project

Seoul's Parks — Namsan Park · Sep 25, 2026

Filmed here

Itaewon ClassK-drama
Baekbeom Plaza in Namsan Park.
Korea Tourism Organization — 'Itaewon Class' filming locations · Sep 2, 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.

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.

A bowl of kalguksu topped with dumplings, with the house spicy kimchi alongside

Myeongdong Kyoja

A kalguksu house open since 1966. The menu runs to four dishes and it takes no reservations. The main branch moved to Toegye-ro in 2026 and now stands in front of exit 8 of Myeongdong Station.

The 1930 Shinsegae main store building — now named The Reserve — with its corner clock and SHINSEGAE lettering, and the Mesa tower behind

Shinsegae Department Store Main Store

One address, four buildings, and the names changed in 2025 — so a page that still says "main building and annexe" is describing a layout that no longer exists. The reason to come without a shopping budget is on the fourth floor of The Heritage: a free museum of Korean retail history inside a 1935 bank.

Stories about this place

Itaewon Class Filming Locations — Seoul and Suwon
The three confirmed Itaewon Class locations in this guide, set out by scene, by what is there now, and by where they sit. The two in Seoul connect on foot; Suwon Hwaseong comes from a different source and belongs to a different day.
Eleven Seoul Parks, Compared: Seoul Forest, Namsan, the River Parks and Olympic Park
Eleven parks in Seoul compared on what each one is, how much walking it takes and how crowded it gets. Nine of the eleven keep no opening hours and charge nothing, so the choice comes down to what you want from the day.

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