National Museum of Korea

Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · CC BY 2.0

The country's largest museum, where two Pensive Bodhisattvas sit in a dark room kept for them alone.

The National Museum runs like a three-hundred-metre stone wall, and the great opening at its centre frames Namsan and N Seoul Tower exactly — a very deliberate piece of staging. Inside is a walk from the stone age to late Joseon, but what brings people back is the Room of Quiet Contemplation: two gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattvas from the 6th and 7th centuries, set in a near-black room with no vitrine and no wall of text, only light falling on a half-smile. The ten-storey Gyeongcheonsa pagoda rising through the main hall is the one exhibit kept indoors because it is too large to stand outside.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit National Museum of Korea?

Year-round

How much does it cost to visit National Museum of Korea?

Free (permanent galleries); special exhibitions ticketed separately

How long do you need at National Museum of Korea?

2–3 hours

What are the opening hours of National Museum of Korea?

09:30–17:30, until 21:00 Wed and Sat; outdoor garden 07:00–22:00

Did you know

Korea's largest museum, on its present site since 2005.
The Room of Quiet Contemplation holds two gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattvas, both national treasures.
The ten-storey Gyeongcheonsa pagoda is about 13m tall and dates from 1348.
Entry to the permanent galleries is free.

Travel tips

Go to the Room of Quiet Contemplation first, early, while it is still empty.
The museum is vast — pick two floors rather than trying to see everything.
Ichon station (line 4 and Jungang) has an underground passage straight to the museum.

Source: https://www.museum.go.kr/ENG/contents/E0101010000.do

Updated: 2026-08-04