Things to Do in Itaewon: Leeum, the War Memorial and Seoul Central Mosque (2026)

Itaewon is a neighborhood for eating rather than sightseeing, but it holds two of Seoul’s best museums and the country’s principal mosque, all free or nearly so. Hours and prices are as of September 2026.

War Memorial of Korea

An enormous museum covering Korean military history from antiquity to the present, with the Korean War at its centre. Free, open 09:30–18:00, closed Mondays. A free ticket is issued at the entrance.

Allow two hours. The Korean War galleries are detailed and well presented in English, and the memorial corridors listing the names of the dead — Korean and foreign — are genuinely affecting. Outside, tanks, aircraft and a B-52 sit on the plaza and are free to walk around.

It is a fifteen-minute walk west from Itaewon Station, or take Line 6 to Samgakji.

Leeum Museum of Art

The Samsung foundation’s museum in Hannam-dong, in three buildings by Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas. It holds one of the finest private collections of Korean art anywhere, alongside contemporary work.

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays, 1 January, and the days of Lunar New Year and Chuseok.

Admission: the traditional Korean art collection is free, but you must reserve online in advance. Special exhibitions are usually ₩12,000–20,000.

Reservations open roughly 14 days ahead and the free slots go quickly, especially at weekends. If your dates are fixed, book before you fly. It is a five-minute walk uphill from Hangangjin Station on Line 6.

Seoul Central Mosque

Korea’s first and largest mosque, opened in 1976, on the hill above Itaewon-ro. Free, generally open 09:00–19:00.

Non-Muslim visitors are welcome to look around outside prayer times. The expectations are straightforward: dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, remove shoes where indicated, keep your voice down, and do not photograph people praying.

The streets leading up to it — Usadan-ro — hold the densest cluster of halal restaurants and Middle Eastern, Central Asian and South Asian grocers in Korea. Go for the mosque, stay for lunch. See the food guide.

The hill neighborhoods

Gyeongnidan-gil climbs west from Noksapyeong Station. It was Seoul’s fashionable restaurant street a decade ago, quietened, and is now finding a second wind with small independents. Steep, pretty, and good for an evening walk.

Haebangchon (HBC) sits higher still, on the shoulder of Namsan. It has been the expat neighborhood for decades: cheap international food, dive bars, and views back over the city. The name means “liberation village”, after the people who settled here in 1945.

Both are best approached downhill. Take a taxi or bus up, then walk down.

Hannam-dong

East of Itaewon, and a different world: designer boutiques, concept stores, galleries and cafés where coffee costs ₩7,000. Beyond the Leeum, the draw is browsing. Sounds Hannam, a small block of shops and restaurants, is the usual starting point.

It is also where several fashion flagships and pop-up spaces sit, so it changes often.

Nearby

• National Museum of Korea — two stops on Line 4 from Samgakji, free, and one of the great museums of Asia. Our full guide covers hours and a route.
• Namsan and N Seoul Tower — reachable on foot uphill from Haebangchon for the fit, or by bus.
• Han River at Ichon — fifteen minutes south, good for an evening walk.

A one-day route

09:30 War Memorial → lunch on Usadan-ro near the mosque → mosque → Line 6 one stop to Hangangjin → Leeum (booked slot) → Hannam browsing → dinner on Gyeongnidan-gil → drinks on Itaewon-ro.

Practical notes

• Mondays: Leeum and the War Memorial both close. Plan Itaewon for another day.
• Book the Leeum as early as you can.
• Hills: Gyeongnidan-gil and Haebangchon are steep enough to matter. Plan routes downhill.
• The area wakes up late. Before noon it is quiet and many places are shut.
• The 2022 memorial near Itaewon Station exit 1 is a place of mourning, not a photo stop.

Wrapping up

Two free museums, a mosque, and two hill neighborhoods to walk down at dusk. That is a full and inexpensive day, and it is a different Seoul from the palaces and the shopping streets.

More in this series: the Itaewon overview, hotels and food.