Korea House (한국의집)

Korea House (한국의집)

- Homepage
www.koreahouse.or.kr (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese)

The Korea House was opened in 1981. It is a traditional Korean building that introduces the culture and lifestyle of Koreans, where you can experience traditional architecture and a classical atmosphere. The building was built in the style of the Joseon Dynasty's Jagyeong-jeon building at the Gyeongbok Palace. It is the only building built in the traditional architectural style. You will feel its antiquity as you enter the building.

It is divided into the Haerin-gwan (a space for people to get acquainted with each other), the Traditional Theater, and three annex buildings (Munhyang-ru, Nokeum-jeong and Cheongwu-jeong). At Haerin-gwan, you can enjoy traditional music at Garak-dang and try traditional food at Sohwa-dang. In the square of Garak-dang you can view a traditional wedding (on the weekends) or people playing folk games. Also, at the Traditional Theater, about 156 seats are available, and in the afternoons Human Cultural Assets or members of the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts and the National Corps members present traditional music and dances. Sinayui, Salpuri, Pansori, the Drum Dance and the Bongsan Mask Dance are the most popular programs for foreigners. The programs are all explained in English and Japanese.

In the Cultural Gift Shop you can view various crafts made by traditional craftsmen. It is always open and the crafts are for sale as well. There are pottery, ceramics, golden crafts, knots and embroidery etc; approximately 500 pieces of artwork made by craftsmen from 20 different fields. Next to the House of Korea is the Namsan-gol Hanok Village where visitors can explore traditional houses.


- Address : 10, Toegye-ro 36-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Pildong 2-ga)


※ Presentation Information
- Capacity
Traditional Theater: 156 seats

- Information and Guides
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
• For more info: +82-2-2266-9101~3

- Parking
90 parking spaces

- Day Off
The Day of Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) & Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day), Third Monday of every month

- Usage Fee
50,000 won

- Operating Hours
Performance Session 1: 18:30-19:30
Performance Session 2: 20:30-21:30

- Scale
Site area: 7,153㎡
Building area: 2,909㎡



- Reservations
Tel: +82-2-2266-9101~3

- Foreign Language Intepretation Services
* Available languages: English, Japanese

* Leaflets in English, Japanese and Chinese available

- General Overview
Chwiseongwan Hall, Folk Theater, Haeringwan Hall, Madang

* Inquiry: +82-2-2266-0101

◎ Nearby Tourism Infobox

⊙ Traditional Performance at The Korea House (한국의집 전통예술공연 KOREA 심청)

- Homepage
www.chf.or.kr

- Tel
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
• For more info: +82-2-2266-9101~3

The Korea House has been a venue for traditional performing arts for more than 20 years, presenting various musical performances, court dances, and folk dances such as Pungmulnori (farmers’ percussion
performance), Talchum (mask dance), Pansori (a traditional narrative vocal performance), and Sinawi (an ensemble of eight traditional musical instruments).


At Korea House, visitors can discover the diverseness and richness of Korean music and art performance. Popular and nationally recognized intangible cultural asset holders such as An Sook Seon, Park Byeong Cheon, and Lee Chun Hui perform on the stage under director Jeong Jae Man.

⊙ Namsangol Hangawi Festival Samsamorak (남산골 한가위축제 삼삼오락)

- Homepage
www.hanokmaeul.or.kr/

- Tel
+82-2-6358-5533

Namsangol Hangawi Festival Samsamorak is a traditional culture event that takes place every year during the Chuseok holiday period. Through the festival, visitors of all ages and nationalities can enjoy various culture programs for free at Namsangol Hanok Village in the heart of Seoul.

⊙ Bongsan Mask Dance(봉산탈춤 다 모여라~ )

⊙ Namsangol Hanok Village (남산골한옥마을)

- Homepage
hanokmaeul.or.kr

- Tel
+82-2-2261-0500

Namsangol Hanok Village opened in 1998 on the northern side of Namsan Mountain in the center of the capital. This village has five restored hanok (traditional Korean house) premises, a pavilion, a traditional garden, a performance art stage, and a time capsule plaza, making it a perfect spot for locals and tourists to take a leisure walk. Upon entering from the front gate, visitors will get a taste of Korea's traditional life while escaping from bustling city life. The traditional garden with its pavilion and old houses creates a peaceful ambiance before the forested Namsan Mountain. A time capsule commemorating Seoul’s 600th anniversary was buried in 1994 at the highest point of the village and is scheduled to be reopened 400 years later in 2394.

The five hanok premises at Namsangol Hanok Village once belonged to aristocrats and government officials of the Joseon dynasty. Each house was originally located in a different neighborhood, but they were all moved to this area and restored to their original form. The houses were rebuilt using their original materials, except for one house, where the materials were too old and deteriorated to be reused. The premises were carefully restored and replicated according to their original form to depict the owners’ social class and personality. These buildings are now used as an exhibit to portray the living environment during the Joseon dynasty and as a venue for educational and cultural programs for children and tourists.

Some of the unique programs and activities to participate in include wearing hanbok, folding hanji (traditional Korean paper), writing in Korean, traditional tea ceremony, traditional etiquette school, and herbal medicine experience. There are also taekwondo demonstrations and other various performances held around the village. Visitors can also try traditional games such as yunnori (traditional board game), or understand more about the area through a guided tour.

⊙ Dongbangmyeongju Chungmuro Main Store (동방명주 충무로점)

Dongbangmyeongju is a Chinese cuisine restaurant located near Namsangol Hanok Village. The flagship dish is jjajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodles), and they offer a variety of other menu items such as tangsuyuk (deep-fried pork with sweet and sour sauce) and sacheontangmyeon (Chinese Sichuan noodle soup). The surrounding area boasts various attractions and culinary delights, including Myeongdong and Namsan Tower, providing a panoramic view of Seoul.

⊙ Haepungbuwongun Yun Taekyeong's Jaesil (해풍부원군윤택영댁재실)

- Tel
+82-2-3396-5882

Haepungbuwongun Yun Taekyeong's Jaesil is a shrine house built by the father-in-law of King Sunjong of Joseon dynasty in 1906 when his daughter was proclaimed the crowned princess of Joseon and entered Changdeokgung Palace to later become Queen Sunjeong. Red pine trees salvaged from the demolition of Gyeongungung Palace were used to construct the house. It was originally located in Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, but was later restored and moved to its present location. The shrine of the house that was destroyed in 1960 was also restored.

Because the house is more of a shrine rather than residential living quarters, it has many unique features. For example, unlike other houses, it has the anchae (women’s quarters) located across from sarangbang (men’s quarters) with daecheong (living room) positioned between them.

⊙ Seoul Namsan Gugakdang (서울 남산국악당)

- Homepage
www.hanokmaeul.or.kr

- Tel
+82-2-2261-0500

Seoul Namsan Gukakdang was established by Seoul Metropolitan Government as a representative traditional art-centered performance hall in 2007. It is comprised of one ground and two basement levels. The performance hall is located on the basement floor with 300 seats, equipped with facilities that deliver pansori sounds and gayageum music to every seat. Visitors can make a reservation at the Namsangol Hanok Village website.



This work was created by the Korea Tourism Organization for 24 years and opened as the first type of public Nuri. You can download it for free from the Korea Tourism Organization, https://kto.visitkorea.or.kr/eng.kto