Gwangju History and Folk Museum

The Gwangju History and Folk Museum in Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, brings together the everyday life of the Jeolla region and the modern history of Gwangju in a single city-run museum. The ground floor follows the homes, farming, fishing, markets and crafts of the southwest; upstairs you walk through six centuries of the city, from the old walled town to Chungjang-ro and Geumnam-ro. Highlights include a lavish two-storey funeral bier made in 1923 for a wealthy Gangjin family and the iron-plate armour of a Goryeo general, and entry is free.

From folk museum to history and folk museum

Gwangju began construction in 1983 and opened the city folk museum in November 1987, at first only the ground floor; the upper floor followed on 1 May 1988. The KRW 6 billion building cost was met entirely from city funds, without central government support. The roots go further back: the provincial Gwangju Museum opened in Gwangju Park in 1963, became the city museum the following year, and in 1978 handed 102,158 objects to the Gwangju National Museum.

After a renovation from 2017 to 2020 that added new galleries on the city's history, the museum reopened on 27 May 2020 and took its present name on 1 June. It also runs the Mudeungsan Buncheong Ware Gallery, the Wolgye-dong Janggobun tombs and the Sinchang-dong Mahan Site Experience Centre.

What to see

• Ground floor, Namdo Folk Gallery: Jeolla life told through nature, farming, houses, fishing, markets and the arts. Reconstructed men's and women's rooms, a wooden hall and a kitchen show how southern houses combined underfloor-heated rooms with cool wooden floors, and fishing boats and fish traps are on display.
• Funeral bier of the Gimhae Kim family of Gangjin: made in 1923 by Kim Je-jin, a Gangjin magnate, for his father's funeral, in the form of a two-storey tiled house. The dragon boards at front and back carry one blue and one yellow dragon, so it could be used for a man or a woman. Used for three generations, it was donated to the museum in 1971.
• Upper floor, Gwangju Modern History Gallery: the city's first-ever model of the Gwangju walled town, a re-creation of Chungjang-ro under Japanese rule, and the story of Geumnam-ro after liberation. The reconstructed Heunghakgwan hall screens Nameless Stars, a 1950s film about the 1929 Gwangju Student Independence Movement.
• Armour of General Jeong Ji (Treasure): said to have been worn by Jeong Ji (1347–1391), who fought off Japanese pirates in late Goryeo. Iron plates 5–8.5 cm wide are linked with iron rings, while the shoulders and arms are joined by rings alone to allow free movement.
• Buncheong jar inscribed "Jeolla-do": a buncheong stoneware jar with the province's name carved on the shoulder, thought to have been made at the Chunghyo-dong kilns in Gwangju.
• Outdoor exhibition: around 100 folk objects spread over some 73,000 m², including a Goryeo stone Buddha and a Sanskrit-inscribed stele set up around 1437.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30). From April 2026 it stays open until 20:00 on Wednesdays. Closed Mondays, 1 January and the day after public holidays.
• Admission: free since 2015.
• Booking: the museum runs an advance booking system, and walk-in entry may be limited depending on reservations. Check the website before you go.
• Photography: no flash or tripods, and please do not touch the exhibits.
• Getting there: city buses Songjeong 29, Munheung 53 and Sangmu 63 stop at Yongbong-dong Ssangyong Apt. / History and Folk Museum. A taxi from Gwangju Station or U-Square bus terminal takes about 15 minutes.
• Time needed: allow 90 minutes to 2 hours for the permanent galleries and the outdoor exhibition.
• Combine with: the Gwangju National Museum is within walking distance, and the Wolgye-dong Janggobun tombs, which this museum manages, are a short drive away.