National Museum of Korea

The National Museum of Korea is the largest museum in Asia — a massive glass-and-stone building in Yongsan housing over 400,000 artifacts that trace 5,000 years of Korean civilisation, from Palaeolithic stone tools to Joseon-era celadon and modern art. Admission is free for the permanent collection, which makes it one of the most generous major museums in the world and a strong candidate for the best free attraction in Seoul.

The permanent galleries are arranged chronologically across three floors, and the standout exhibits include the Gold Crown of Silla (a 5th-century masterpiece of goldwork that is one of Korea's most famous artifacts), the Pensive Bodhisattva (a 7th-century gilt bronze statue considered one of the finest Buddhist sculptures in Asia), and an extensive collection of Goryeo-era celadon pottery whose jade-green glaze has never been fully replicated by modern ceramists. The Buddhist sculpture hall, with its serene stone Buddhas and bodhisattvas displayed in a soaring gallery, is one of the most beautiful museum spaces in the city.

The museum's setting in Yongsan Family Park — a large green space with a reflecting pool that mirrors the building's facade — adds an outdoor component that makes the visit feel less museum-intensive than the collection's scale might suggest. The children's museum, temporary exhibition halls, and an excellent museum shop round out a visit that could easily fill a half day. Come in the morning when the galleries are quietest, and leave time for the park — the reflecting pool with the museum and Namsan Tower behind it is one of Seoul's great photographic compositions.