Leeum Museum of Art: Samsung's private museum on a Hannam-dong hill

A five-minute uphill walk from Hangangjin station brings you to Leeum Museum of Art, the Samsung-founded museum on a quiet slope in Hannam-dong. It's known as much for its architecture as its collection: three separate buildings by Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas, each handling a different part of the museum.

The permanent collection splits into traditional Korean art (M1) — celadon, white porcelain, Buddhist art — and Korean and international contemporary art (M2), both free to visit, plus an outdoor garden piece by Gabriel Orozco. For 2026, a paid special exhibition, "Into Another Space: Synesthetic Environments by Women Artists, 1956–1976," runs May 5 to November 29.

Reviewers on Naver and social media often suggest booking online in advance — reservations open 14 days ahead, up to 4 tickets per booking — since walk-ins can face long waits when it's busy. Many visitors say the architecture and the hillside setting are worth the trip on their own; a few note the special-exhibition tickets aren't cheap.

Practical info: from Hangangjin station (Line 6), exit 1, it's about a 5-minute walk uphill. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00 (ticket sales stop at 17:30); closed Mondays, January 1, Lunar New Year and Chuseok. Special exhibitions are 50% off on Culture Day, the last Wednesday of each month. Free multilingual guide devices, stroller and wheelchair rental, and a nursing room are available; photography is allowed without flash except where marked.

Nearby: Hannam-dong's boutique and flagship-store strip, and Hyundai Card Music Library, are both within walking distance.

Would you start with the free traditional-art collection, or head straight for this year's women-artists exhibition?

Sources: Leeum — Visitor info · Leeum — Exhibitions · Seoul Media Hub — Hannam-dong art walk · Infoforest — Leeum reservation guide Checked: September 2026

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Photos: takato marui, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service, CC BY-SA 2.0