Seoul Battleship Park

A grey, 102-metre frigate is moored on the bank of Mangwon Hangang Park. Seoul Battleship Park brings together three retired navy vessels, the frigate ROKS Seoul, a Chamsuri-class patrol boat and a Dolgorae-class submarine, and lets you walk right through them. You pass sailors' bunks, mess halls, the captain's cabin and the bridge, and from the deck you get a sunset over the Han River as a bonus.

How a warship ended up on the Han River

The Seoul (FFK-952) was the first frigate the Korean navy had built with domestic technology. She was built in 1984 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan and served for 30 years, from 1985 to 2015. She was originally developed as a "Korean-type destroyer" (FFK) and so received a hull number in the 900s, a series reserved for destroyers, which is why she carries the number 952. The ship was also twinned with the city of Seoul, hence her name. The three decommissioned vessels were lent free of charge by Navy Headquarters, and the park opened in November 2017. Seoul city figures put the number of visitors at about 4.65 million in 2023 alone.

Three ships, what to see

• ROKS Seoul (frigate): a ship of 1,900 tonnes light displacement with a top speed of 36 knots and a crew of about 150. The lower decks hold the engine control room, crew bunks, a barbershop, a canteen and separate mess halls for sailors and officers. Climb higher and you pass the combat information centre, the captain's cabin, the radar and radio rooms, until you reach the bridge and chart room at the top. The steep ladders and narrow passageways feel like the real thing. The guns on the bow and stern decks are still in place and make good photo spots.
• Chamsuri patrol boat (285): a 37-metre coastal patrol boat. Boats of the same class fought in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong (1999), the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong (2002) and the Battle of Daecheong (2009), clashes with North Korean vessels in the Yellow Sea. You can look into the wheelhouse, the radio room and the bridge, while the navy room on the lower level tells the story of Korea's sea forces, from the Joseon-era navy to today, on a large screen.
• Dolgorae-class submarine (SSM-053): the navy's first home-built midget submarine, used for special operations from 1991 to 2016. It sits inside the visitor centre with its right side cut open, so you can safely peer into its cramped interior. Sources differ on its displacement: 175 or 190 tonnes.

The visitor centre also has a room on the history of the Han River on the 2nd floor and a rooftop garden on the 3rd.

Good to know

The Chamsuri boats were first named "Gireogi" (wild goose), following the navy tradition of naming patrol boats after birds. Some felt the name lacked punch, so in 1993 they were renamed after a bird of prey, the Steller's sea eagle (chamsuri). The number 952 on the Seoul's hull also stayed after she was reclassified as a frigate, a reminder of the destroyer numbering system.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: March to October, Tuesday to Friday 10:00–19:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00–20:00; November to February, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
• Closed: Mondays (except public holidays), 1 January, and Seollal and Chuseok days.
• Admission: adults KRW 3,000, youths and soldiers KRW 2,000, children KRW 1,000. Visitors aged 65+, people with disabilities and national merit holders get 50% off.
• Guided tours: free guided tours leave from the visitor centre lobby at weekends (March–October 13:30 and 16:00; November–February 13:30 and 15:00), covering the submarine, the patrol boat and the Seoul in that order.
• Time needed: allow 60–90 minutes for all three ships. Arrive in the late afternoon to catch the sunset over the river from the deck.
• Getting there: from Mangwon Station (Line 6), Exit 1, take village bus Mapo 09 to "Hangang Park Entrance" (한강공원입구) and walk about 7 minutes. Alternatively, from Hapjeong Station (Lines 2 and 6), Exit 1, take Mapo 16 from the Holt Children's Services stop to "Mangwon Reservoir / Mapo-gu Sports Center" and walk 7 minutes.
• Parking: Mangwon Hangang Park car park no. 2 (407 Maponaru-gil) is a 2-minute walk away: KRW 1,000 for the first 30 minutes, then KRW 200 per 10 minutes, up to KRW 10,000 a day.
• Worth knowing: there are no toilets on board, so use the ones at the multipurpose plaza first. Pets are not allowed and food is not permitted inside the exhibits. The ladders inside the Seoul are steep, so wear comfortable shoes.