Bank of Korea Money Museum (화폐박물관) - Area information - Korea travel information

Bank of Korea Money Museum (화폐박물관)

5.5Km    2024-03-18

39 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

This Renaissance-style three-story stone building is the museum of the Bank of Korea. The older Bank of Korea was established as the central bank of the Korean Empire in 1909 and has been designated as a National Historical Site. During the Japanese colonial period, the bank was renamed the Bank of Joseon, and the building was used as the main and head office of the Bank of Korea until 2001. The building has been used as the nation’s Money Museum since June 2001 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Bank of Korea. The museum has 13 exhibition rooms on two floors, with one basement floor and two above-ground floors. It holds special exhibitions of various currency and art collections to provide domestic and foreign visitors with the opportunity to enjoy the history and culture of currency. Visitors can learn about the Bank of Korea and the central banking system, as well as how to identify counterfeit notes and how money is produced and circulated. It is also a good place for children to learn about currencies from around the world. Advance reservations are required, and parking is not available. The museum can easily be reached via subway by getting off at Hoehyeon Station (Seoul Subway Line 4) and exiting through Exit 7. 

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung [MMCA Deoksugung] (국립현대미술관 덕수궁)

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung [MMCA Deoksugung] (국립현대미술관 덕수궁)

5.5Km    2023-06-23

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-2022-0600

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung [MMCA Deoksugung] was originally built as an annex to the National Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum specializes in seeking out and researching modern art, exhibiting and preserving it, supporting and developing educational programs, and furthering publications and international exchanges. Located within Deoksugung Palace, the center maintains a unique traditional atmosphere. The museum planned and showcased a total of 38 unique exhibitions from 1998 to 2005. Besides the exhibitions, the center has various performances such as music and mime, as well as lectures or seminars on artists' works.

Davich Optical - Myeongdong Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (다비치안경 명동점)

Davich Optical - Myeongdong Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (다비치안경 명동점)

5.5Km    2024-06-27

62, Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul

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Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

Deoksugung Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony (덕수궁 왕궁수문장교대의식)

5.5Km    2025-07-11

99, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-2-737-6444

Deoksugung Palace has held a guard changing ceremony since 1996 after thorough historical research by leading historians. The ceremony, which is held in front of Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace, is a tradition similar to the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and offers a rare opportunity to experience royal culture. The royal gate is opened and closed at pre-determined times, and the gatekeepers in charge of guard duty and patrols hold a shift ceremony three times a day.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a highly recommended event for tourists. It is held three times a day, with each ceremony following the same procedure and lasts for forty minutes to an hour, and the ceremony is free of charge. There are no ceremonies on Mondays as well as on severely cold or hot days.

As the ceremony begins, the changing of the guards commences replete with traditional musical instruments, and exchanges a password for verification. An eight-minute guard ceremony ensues, followed by a seven-minute change ceremony, and finally a patrol that completes the ceremony. The procedure takes a dramatic turn when 18 guards in six official positions beat a drum and bellow some orders.

The Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene. The guards’ splendid costumes, with their brilliant primary colors, are a pleasure to view. Once the ceremony is over, visitors can take pictures with the gatekeepers.

Donuimun Museum Village (돈의문박물관마을)

Donuimun Museum Village (돈의문박물관마을)

5.5Km    2024-07-22

14-3 Songwol-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Donuimun Museum Village is a historical and cultural space situated in the city center reborn through Seoul-style urban generation while still maintaining its historical value as the first village within the western gate of Hanyangdoseong as well as the lives and memories from the city's modern and contemporary era.

Together with the neighboring area surrounding Gyonam-dong, Jongno-gu, Donuimun Museum Village was selected for inclusion in the "Donuimun New Town" in 2003 for which all of the existing buildings were to be torn down to construct a neighborhood park. But the city of Seoul had another plan in mind; it wanted to maintain this small village, where the old lives and memories are still well-preserved, as a village museum to not only spread the historical significance of Saemunan Village, the first neighborhood within the western gate of Hanyangdoseong (the Seoul City Wall) but also establish the village as a historical and cultural asset for all Seoul citizens. The village was remodeled while keeping the buildings as untouched as possible and, in a few sites where houses had been torn down, broad yards were created. As a result, the warm and affectionate appearance of the village including modern structures, urban-style hanok, and streets with 100 years of history still remain today in their original places to be reborn as a place of new culture enjoyed and experienced by citizens.

Today, Donuimun Museum Village welcomes visitors with a new concept, "100 Years of Seoul, Time Travel Playground in the City." The village has undergone a significant overhaul to fill itself with "participation-style" spaces and contents where exhibits, experience sessions, performances, and marketplaces are held year-round while keeping 40 or so existing buildings intact in order to solidify its identity as a "living museum village," which is the original intention behind the village's creation.

9ounce Burger (나인온스버거)

9ounce Burger (나인온스버거)

5.6Km    2021-03-26

109, Gwanak-ro 12-gil, Gwanak-gu, Seoul
+82-70-8692-9020

It is a restaurant serving authentic American homemade burger. This restaurant's signature menu is house-made burger. This Western dishes restaurant is located in Gwanak-gu, Seoul.

kr Myeongdong Samgyetang (kr명동삼계탕)

kr Myeongdong Samgyetang (kr명동삼계탕)

5.6Km    2021-05-12

49, Myeongdong, 8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-778-7370

It makes Samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup) using herbal broth as a store with more than 20 years’ experience. This restaurant's signature menu is ginseng chicken soup. This Korean dishes is located in Jung-gu, Seoul.

Bongchu Jjimdak Myeongdong Post Office (봉추찜닭 명동중앙우체국)

Bongchu Jjimdak Myeongdong Post Office (봉추찜닭 명동중앙우체국)

5.6Km    2024-03-12

47, Myeongdong, 8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
+82-2-3789-9381

Located in Myeongdong Street, Bongchu Jjimdak Myeongdong Post Office branch specializes in jjimdak (braised chicken). Jjimdak is a Korean-style soy sauce glazed chicken that originated in the Andong region and features chicken stir-fried with potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, glass noodles, and rice cakes. Their signature dish is ppyeo eomneun jjimdak (braised boneless chicken), which is easy to eat even for beginners. Its spicy level can be adjusted and cheese can be added to suit personal preferences. 

Bodolmiyeok Myeongdong(보돌미역 명동)

Bodolmiyeok Myeongdong(보돌미역 명동)

5.6Km    2020-10-30

B1F, 10, , Myeongdong, 8na-gil, , Jung-gu, , Seoul
+82-2-772-7600

This is a Korean cuisine located in Myeong-dong, Seoul. A restaurant specializing in seaweed soup loved by Koreans. The representative menu is clam seaweed soup.