National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (MMCA Seoul)

MMCA Seoul is the city-centre branch of Korea's National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, on Samcheong-ro just east of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is one of four MMCA venues, alongside Gwacheon, Deoksugung and Cheongju, and opened in November 2013. Sitting between the palace, Bukchon and Samcheong-dong, it is easy to combine with a day of palace sightseeing.

History: a site with many lives

The MMCA first opened in 1969 inside Gyeongbokgung, moved its main base to Gwacheon in 1986, and later built this branch in the city centre. The site once held Jongchinbu, the Joseon office that managed the affairs of the royal relatives, and later the Defense Security Command. Jongchinbu's main halls, Gyeonggeundang and Okcheopdang, were moved to the grounds of Jeongdok Library in 1981 and returned to their original site, now inside the museum, in 2013. In 2018 the MMCA also opened a Cheongju branch in a converted former tobacco factory, where visitors can see the collection in open storage.

What to see

• The madang: rather than one big block, MMCA Seoul is a cluster of galleries around courtyards. It borrows the traditional Korean idea of the madang, an open yard for meeting and resting.
• Exhibitions: changing shows of Korean and international contemporary art run all year, and the MMCA Film and Video theatre screens experimental and art-house films.
• Jongchinbu halls: the Joseon-era buildings stand right next to the modern galleries, a favourite photo spot.
• Digital library and cafés: an art reference library and a tea house looking out on Samcheong-dong.

Good to know

• The Gwacheon, Deoksugung and Cheongju branches close on Mondays, but MMCA Seoul is open on Mondays, handy in a city where many museums shut that day.
• In 2021 the MMCA received the 1,488-work "Lee Kun-hee Collection" from the Samsung founding family, including Korean artists such as Lee Jung-seop and Park Soo-keun as well as Western modern masters such as Monet and Picasso. Exhibitions drawn from it attract big crowds.
• The basement MMCA Film and Video theatre has 122 seats and often runs film programmes linked to the exhibitions.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri and Sun 10:00–18:00; Wed and Sat 10:00–21:00. Closed on 1 January, Seollal and Chuseok, plus occasional announced closures.
• Admission: each exhibition is ticketed separately; when three or more special exhibitions are on, a combined ticket costs KRW 10,000. Entry is free during the 18:00–21:00 late opening on Wednesdays and Saturdays and on the last Wednesday of each month (Culture Day). Visitors aged 24 or under or 65 and over also get in free.
• Getting there: walk from Line 3 Anguk Station exit 1, Line 3 Gyeongbokgung Station exit 4 or Line 5 Gwanghwamun Station exit 2. There is a car park (161 spaces, KRW 3,000 for two hours), but nearby roads are busy, so public transport is easier.
• Time needed: allow 2–3 hours for two or three exhibitions. Check the official website for what is currently on.