Yongsan Family Park

Right next to the National Museum of Korea, Yongsan Family Park is a spread of wide lawns and ponds set among gentle slopes. The land was part of the Yongsan military base, used by the Japanese army in the colonial period and by US forces after the Korean War, and in 1992 Seoul city took over what had been the American golf course and turned it into a public park. The rolling ground still hints at its golf-course past.

From military base to family park

For a long time Yongsan belonged to foreign armies. It was a supply base for Japanese troops during the invasions of the 1590s and a camp for Qing Chinese soldiers after the 1882 Imo Incident, and from 1906 until liberation in 1945 the Japanese army used it. After the Korean War it became US Army Garrison Yongsan, home to the United Nations Command, the ROK–US Combined Forces Command and US Forces Korea headquarters.

Following a presidential order, work to turn part of the base into a public park began in December 1988, and the former Eighth Army golf course opened as Yongsan Family Park in November 1992. Grass and trees cover 82% of the park, and it forms part of the green corridor linking Namsan with the Han River. The main base, vacated after US forces moved to Pyeongtaek, is gradually becoming Yongsan Park, a national park, and part of it opened to the public as the Yongsan Children's Garden in May 2023.

What to see

• Entrance pond and fountain: the first thing you reach is a pond with a fountain. Mallards and geese paddle under the weeping willows, and in late April the banks blaze with azaleas.
• Open lawns: the gentle hills and flats of the old golf course make perfect spots for a picnic mat. You will see plenty of people walking their dogs.
• Sculptures from around the world: works by artists from seven countries (Korea, France, Switzerland, Germany, the UK, the USA and Canada) were permanently donated to the city by sponsors and are dotted along the paths, so keep an eye out for them as you walk.
• Allotments: an organic vegetable garden lies to the right of the entrance; plots are allocated by lottery through Seoul's public service booking site and are much sought after.
• Taegeukgi Park and Mireu Falls: beyond Taegeukgi Park, a path leads to the National Museum of Korea, passing Mireu Falls, the museum's artificial waterfall.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: about 1 hour for a loop of the ponds and lawns. Combine it with the National Museum of Korea for a half-day outing; its permanent galleries are free, and the National Hangeul Museum is right next door.
• Best seasons: April for fresh green and azaleas, October–November for autumn colour. In summer, stick to the shaded paths.
• Opening: open 24 hours and free. Bicycles, e-scooters and other personal mobility devices are not allowed, and dogs must be on a lead.
• Getting there: about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Ichon Station (Line 4 and Gyeongui–Jungang Line). Seobinggo Station on the Gyeongui–Jungang Line is also close, and buses 0211 and 9502 stop by the park.
• Parking: spaces are limited and fill up quickly at weekends, so public transport is the easier option.