May 18th National Cemetery
국립5·18민주묘지The memorial to the victims of the 1980 uprising. Sober and deeply moving, and essential to understanding modern Korea.
Bus 518 from the centre · Maps ↗
Around the country
The cities, one by one
Pick a city: you get what makes it special, how to get there from Seoul, and the places genuinely worth the trip.
Gwangju
광주Nicknamed the city of light and the home of the arts, Gwangju is considered by Koreans the cradle of their democracy — the only city that stood up to the military dictatorship in May 1980. Today it's a major arts hub, with its contemporary art biennale.
Getting thereKTX from Seoul, 2 h for 18,000-60,000 ₩, with 4 to 7 departures a day. Locally, a single metro line covers the essentials.
Asia Culture Center
국립아시아문화전당A huge, largely underground cultural complex devoted to the arts of all Asia. Exhibitions, performances, library.
Metro, Culture Complex station · Maps ↗
Mudeungsan Mountain
무등산The national park overlooking the city, with its distinctive stone columns at the summit. Hikes for all levels.
Bus from the city centre · Maps ↗
Daein Market
대인시장A former market turned artists' haunt, with studios set up in the old stalls. Particular atmosphere on night-market evenings.
Metro, Geumnamno 4-ga station · Maps ↗