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Leeum Museum of Art
Itaewon has gone through something of a metamorphosis of late. Following the Korean War, it became known for its association with the American military, thanks to the nearby Dragon Hill garrison – after the inevitable red-light district sprang up, it became one of the only places in the country in which “Western” items such as leather jackets, deodorant, tampons or Hershey’s Kisses could be found. While the military have now been phased out of the area, the English teachers and other expats stationed here remain, and the bars and restaurants initially aimed at them have increasingly found favour with Koreans themselves. As such, Itaewon is not the “foreign ghetto” it once was, more a sort of north-of-the-river Gangnam, with cosmopolitan eateries, high prices – and little to actually see. Still, it’s worth popping by, especially for a night out.
Itaewon does also have a cultural side – it’s home to the Leeum Museum of Art, the city’s most vaunted gallery space. Nearby, in the neighbouring high-rise area of Yongsan, you’ll find the War Memorial Museum, crammed with planes, choppers and smaller items pertaining to the Korean War, and the vast National Museum of Korea.
이태원
Since Itaewon has long been Seoul’s main base for foreigners, it should come as no surprise that it’s also home to the country’s most cosmopolitan array of restaurants, as well as some pretty kicking nightlife. However, in recent years prices have been rising, and the prevailing demographic has become older, more affluent and more Korean – no bad thing, though present-day Itaewon certainly lacks the seedy bite of old. The effect has been magnified by the fact that the area of interest has grown larger – Greater Itaewon now encompasses Hannamdong to the east, and the joint areas of Gyeongnidan and Haebangchon to the west; all three boast funky bars and restaurants, and relatively mellow nightlife.
리움미술관 • 60-16 Itaewon-ro 55-gil • Tues–Sun 10.30am–6pm • W10,000, plus W7000 for special exhibitions • 
leeum.samsungfoundation.org • Hangangjin or Itaewon (both line 6)
The excellent Leeum Museum of Art is not so much a museum as one of the most esteemed galleries in the country. It’s split into several halls, each with a distinctive and original design; one, built in black concrete, was designed by acclaimed Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, who has since worked on the fantastic CCTV headquarters in Beijing. The permanent collection here includes a traditional section displaying objects such as pottery and calligraphic scrolls, while the modern art section features paintings from Korean and international artists. The museum also hosts the occasional special exhibition of world-famous artists, both past and present – works by the likes of Mark Rothko and Damien Hirst have been displayed here.
Seoul’s CRAFT BEER scene
It’s safe to say that Korean beer has a poor reputation – indeed, many a traveller has claimed that it’s the worst they’ve ever tasted. One reason for this is that, until recently, the country’s beer market was dominated by two gigantic breweries: Hite-Jinro and Oriental Brewers, whose three main brands – Hite, Cass and OB – were ubiquitous across the land. None of them tasted very nice, largely due to the dubious preservatives used to lengthen the drinks’ lifespan – something in the same chemical family as formaldehyde. Other than familiarity with the major brands, the lack of competition was exacerbated by government regulation prohibiting beer sales by firms producing fewer than a million litres per year; small-scale breweries simply couldn’t enter the market.
Things all changed in 2010, when the government relaxed its ridiculous – and rather suspicious – beer-production laws. The scene was set for the birth of a domestic craft beer industry, with microbreweries soon proliferating in Itaewon – the most notable were Craftworks, Magpie and The Booth, with the likes of Gwanghwamun’s Hand & Malt and Garosugil’s Hop Mori following suit, and craft-beer-centred bars like Hannamdong’s Tap Public and Ikseondong’s Brew 3.14 adding to the scene. Most of these ventures were started off by beer-loving expats, though the bulk of the demand for craft beer is now actually from Koreans. Pleasingly, the craft beer scene has spread clean across the country of late, and looks very much here to stay – something that deserves three cheers from any visitor or expat interested in ale.
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Perhaps best known to travellers on account of the eponymous train station and electronics market, the Yongsan district is one of the more affluent on the north side of the river, and home to some particularly tall residential blocks – the city government is envisioning the place as a sort of “new centre” to Seoul. It’s also home to a couple of interesting museums – the War Memorial of Korea and the National Museum of Korea.
전쟁기념관 • 29 Itaewon-ro • Tues– Sun 9.30am–5.30pm • Free • warmemo.or.kr • Samgakji subway (lines 4 & 6)
The huge War Memorial of Museum charts the history of Korean warfare from ancient stones and arrows to more modern machinery. You don’t need a ticket to see the larger sights, as the museum’s park-like periphery is riddled with B-52 bombers and other flying machines – you can even clamber up ladders to cockpit windows for a look inside some of them. Before entering the main building itself, look for the names written on the outer wall: these are the names of every known member of the Allied forces who died in the Korean War, and the list seems to go on forever. This is particularly heart-wrenching when you consider the fact that a far greater number of people, unmarked here, died on the Chinese and North Korean side – in total, the war claimed over two million people. After all this, the main hall itself is a little disappointing, but you’ll find plenty of exhibits and video displays relaying incredibly one-sided information about the Korean War.
국립 중앙 박물관 • 137 Seobinggo-ro • Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 10am–6pm, Wed & Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–7pm • Free • museum.go.kr • Ichon subway (line 4 & Jungang line)
In 2005, the National Museum of Korea moved from Gyeongbokgung to this huge building just north of the Han, where it houses over eleven thousand artefacts from the museum’s collection, including an incredible 94 official national treasures – though only a fraction of these will be on show at any one time. Although it may look like something from Star Trek, it’s a Seoul must-see for anyone interested in Korean history. Among the many rooms on the ground level are exhibits from the Three Kingdoms period, which showcase the incredible skill of the artisans during that time – gold, silver and bronze have been cast into ornate shapes, the highlight being a fifth-century crown and belt set that once belonged to a Silla king.
Moving up a floor the focus shifts to paintings, calligraphy and wooden art, and there’s usually a colossal Buddhist scroll or two, over 10m high; some were hung behind the Buddha statue in temples’ main halls, while others were used to pray for rain and other such purposes. The museum owns quite a few, but due to the fragility of the material, they’re put on a rota system and displays are changed regularly. The uppermost floor contains countless metal sculptures and a beautiful assortment of pots – some of these are over a thousand years old, though they look as if they were made yesterday. There are also interesting collections from other Asian countries, the large Chinese and Japanese displays supplemented by relics from Turkestan, Sri Lanka and more. From this floor you’ll also get the best view of the museum’s pride and joy, a ten-storey stone pagoda that is situated in the main hall of the museum on the ground floor, and stretches almost all the way to the top floor. It’s in remarkable condition for something that was taken apart by the Japanese in 1907, hauled to Tokyo then all the way back some years later; from on high, you’ll be able to appreciate more fully its true size, and the difficulties this must have posed for the people who built it.
Elsewhere in the complex there’s a library and a history-oriented children’s museum (only children and their minders allowed), as well as a food court and café; the wide, green area around the museum also has some pleasant walking paths and a lake – great for a picnic.