Friends, today we’ll take a walk through the halls of Seoul’s Leeum Art Gallery, which features a wide array of artworks from different periods. What makes this place particularly interesting is that it’s organized by the world-renowned South Korean corporation Samsung, and several museum halls are open to visitors free of charge — a great advantage for any budget traveler.
Exploring the Museum
I couldn’t find a section about the gallery’s history on its official website. According to Wikipedia, the museum opened in 2004. The building itself was designed by well-known architects from Sweden and France.
The gallery is divided into two main parts: one exhibition is dedicated to traditional Korean art, while the rest of the space is used to showcase contemporary works by artists from various countries.
The historical section of the gallery is free to visit. I chose to explore just this part and didn’t buy a ticket for the other exhibits. The exhibition is spread across four floors, with around 120 items on display. The gallery halls are organized by theme: for example, the first floor features Buddhist objects, while the second floor is dedicated to paintings and calligraphy. Informational panels in the museum note that each floor also includes a few modern pieces designed to show the connection between past and present.
The contemporary art exhibit, which I didn’t visit, features a collection of 70 works. The oldest Korean pieces date back to 1910, and the international ones to 1945.
On weekends at 3:00 PM, the art gallery offers English-language guided tours, which you can join to learn more about the museum's exhibits.
How to Get There
I walked to the gallery from the direction of the Seoul Tower — you can read about that landmark in my previous article. My route started on the northern side of Namsan Mountain: I hiked up to the tower and came down on the other side of the hill. If you’d like to experience a bit of Seoul’s nature, this kind of walk is a great option.
If you prefer public transportation, you can also reach the gallery by metro — for example, from Itaewon Station.
The schedule for temporary exhibitions is available on the gallery’s official website. As mentioned above, you can explore the historical section for free, or purchase tickets for other parts of the museum. As of June 2025, a ticket to the contemporary art exhibition costs 12,000 won, entrance to the temporary exhibition is 16,000 won, and a combined ticket for all museum sections costs 20,000 won.
My next article about Seoul will be dedicated to the very unique Starfield Library.
Have a nice trip!
