Monuments to visit Seoul 서울

In August 2009, the renovation work was completed and Gwanghwamun Square was finally able to rise from the ground. Today, this pedestrian area therefore starts from the Gwanghwamun Gate and leads to the Kyobo Building. Along the way, we will come across two huge statues, which can be found on every postcard in the city: the most important is that of King Sejong the Great (the famous king of Joseon, inventor of the Korean alphabet, 한글) and then that of Admiral Yi SunSin, a national hero for his prowess during the Imjin War (1592-1598).

Seoul National University is the best in the country in most areas. Opened after the war, it was transferred in 1975 to the foot of Mount Gwanaksan. It has two small museums that are worth a visit if you are going to hike on the mountain.

The University Museum, which is quite small, offers some interesting classical paintings, celadons and furniture.

The exhibition rooms of the Kyujanggak Archives are by far the most interesting. The modern building with a Korean roof houses the collections of the Royal Library once housed in a pavilion of the Changdeokgung Palace (Gyujangak, still visible). Founded in 1776 by King Jeongjo, these collections included the Royal Archives, a copy of each book printed in Korea and a collection of Chinese works reported by Korean ambassadors sent to Beijing.

Three other national archives had been created, including one on the island of Gangwhado, which provided the Korean holdings of the National Library in Paris, after the French took some books with them during the invasion of the island. More than 170,000 books, some of them very old, are kept here and are accessible to researchers. Two rooms display interesting works, such as music manuals, illustrated texts describing the complicated protocol of the Yi court, amazing maps of Korea and the world known at the time, a book on shamanism, the first book in Hangeul...

Located in the village of Bukchon, this is a traditional house built in 1907 during the period of Japanese domination. Modern features include a main room with panoramic views, spacious bedrooms, a large garden and outbuildings. Constructed from black pine, the house features Japanese-style elements and a two-storey main room structure, an unusual feature for a hanok of the period. You'll also discover how ondol, the traditional underfloor heating system, works.