Seoul Baekje Museum

Nowhere makes it clearer that Seoul was once a Baekje capital than the Seoul Baekje Museum in Olympic Park. In its lower gallery stands a real section of the wall of Pungnaptoseong, Baekje's royal fortress, cut out and brought here, so you can look straight into the layers of rammed earth. The permanent exhibition is free, making it an easy add-on to a walk around Mongchontoseong.

Why a Baekje museum in Seoul?

For about 493 of its 678 years, the Baekje kingdom had its capital on the land that is now Seoul — a period known as Hanseong Baekje. Key sites from that time survive in the Songpa and Gangdong districts, including the earthen fortresses of Pungnaptoseong and Mongchontoseong and the Seokchon-dong tombs, and they have yielded tens of thousands of artefacts. To bring them together, the city built this museum inside Olympic Park, looking towards Mongchontoseong, and opened it on 30 April 2012. The building's form was inspired by the ridges of Mongchontoseong and the shape of a Baekje ship.

What to see

• Pungnaptoseong wall section: a huge slice of the wall of Pungnaptoseong, Baekje's early royal fortress, removed, conserved and moved into the museum. The soil layers show how the wall was raised in three phases, and figures carrying and tamping earth help you picture the building site.
• Gallery 1: prehistoric Seoul and Baekje's rise from a small state within the Mahan confederation.
• Gallery 2: the culture of Hanseong-period Baekje through artefacts, models and video. Look out for the model of a Baekje ship.
• Gallery 3: the struggle between Baekje, Goguryeo and Silla for the Han River, and Baekje culture after the capital moved to Ungjin (Gongju) and Sabi (Buyeo).
• Artefacts: look out for spectacular finds such as the gilt-bronze caps worn by Baekje's elite.
• Special exhibition hall: themed exhibitions change through the year.

Good to know

After your visit, walk along the walls of Mongchontoseong and compare the real earthworks with the section you have just seen. The stepped stone tombs at Seokchon-dong are also nearby, so you can see a tomb model in the gallery and then visit the real thing — Hanseong Baekje in a single day.

The building, floor by floor

The building was completed in October 2010, and after the collections were moved in, the museum officially opened in 2012; since 2015 it has been run directly by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It has a total floor area of about 19,423 m² over five levels, from the third basement to the second floor. The third basement holds the stores and the second basement the education spaces; the first basement has the special exhibition hall and part of the permanent galleries, and the ground floor the rest of the permanent galleries. The great wall section rises from the first basement upwards, so you see it from several heights as you move between floors.

The museum's auditorium, Hanseong Baekje Hall, hosts concerts, film screenings and other cultural programmes, and right next door the Olympic Park sculpture garden spreads its works across lawns and woodland.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: usually 09:00–18:00, closed Mondays and 1 January (open if Monday is a public holiday). Evening opening is extended from 15 September to 30 November, so check the official website for hours by day.
• Admission: the permanent exhibition is free; some special exhibitions may charge.
• Works: from September to December 2026, part of the first-floor permanent gallery is being refurbished, so access may be limited.
• Getting there: from Hanseong Baekje Station, Exit 2 (Line 9), it is about 340 m, a 5–6 minute walk. From Mongchontoseong Station Exit 1 (Line 8) it is about 650 m (10–15 minutes), and from Olympic Park Station Exits 3 or 4 (Lines 5 and 9) about 1 km (15–20 minutes). Buses 30-5, 3412 and 3413 stop at Hanseong Baekje Museum.
• Parking: there is a paid car park, but it is often full, so public transport is recommended.
• Time needed: 90 minutes to 2 hours for the permanent galleries; half a day with a walk around Mongchontoseong.