sight
Leeum Samsung Museum of Art
Seoul's finest private museum — Rem Koolhaas's building houses the Hoam collection (Korean ceramics, modern painting) with a serious international contemporary wing. Free entry. Closed Mondays.
Seoul · South Korea
Itaewon
Seoul's international neighbourhood — embassies, global-cuisine restaurants, and a quieter rebuild after 2022
— The Neighbourhood
Itaewon has for decades been Seoul's international neighbourhood — proximity to the US military base at Yongsan produced the city's densest concentration of foreign residents, and that in turn produced the best non-Korean food scene in the country (Turkish, Indian, Mexican, Nigerian, Moroccan restaurants all credible, not just passable). The October 2022 crowd crush on the main alley reshaped the neighbourhood deeply — the main club street remains partly subdued, the broader Itaewon is quieter and more food-focused than it was, and a visible memorial garden was installed in 2023. Adjacent Hannam-dong has taken up some of Itaewon's pre-2022 energy. Stay here if you want the global Seoul, and eat widely.
— Highlights
Where to eat, drink, and explore
restaurant
Ankara Picnic
The Turkish restaurant every Korean food critic writes about. Run by Istanbul-born chef Alp since 2013. Mezze, proper shish, a baklava that competes with Istanbul's Güllüoğlu. Small, booking essential.
cafe
Tartine Bakery Seoul
San Francisco's Tartine chose Itaewon for its Seoul outpost. Morning sourdough and the country loaf served through lunch; bread runs out by 14:00. Small seating area, mostly grab-and-go.
shop
Hannam-dong design shops
The blocks between Hannam Station and Itaewon Station have become Seoul's design-retail corridor — flagship stores for Korean fashion designers (Songzio, Juun.J), independent art galleries (Kukje Hannam), and specialist bookshops.
sight
War Memorial of Korea
Massive museum on the Yongsan side of the neighbourhood — exhaustive Korean War history, outdoor tank/jet display, and the Hall of Remembrance for the 37,000+ UN casualties. Free, allow 3 hours, emotionally heavy.
— Where to stay
Sleeping in Itaewon
The Grand Hyatt Seoul (on the adjacent Yongsan hill, with one of the city's best pool decks) and the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square have long been the luxury choices. Itaewon proper is mid-range-hotel dominated — IP Boutique Hotel and Boutique Hotel Yeul are the design-forward picks. Budget travellers do well at the many Hannam-dong guesthouses from $80.
Hotels in Itaewon
Live rates via Expedia
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— Getting around
How to move
Line 6 (Itaewon and Hangangjin stations) serves the neighbourhood. Walking from one end of the main drag to the other is 20 minutes; the hills into Hannam-dong are steeper than they look. Taxis plentiful; KakaoT works as in the rest of Seoul.
— FAQ
Itaewon: common questions
The memorial garden is public and explicitly designed for visitation. Respectful visits (quiet, no photography of the names) are welcomed. The main alley itself is functioning normally with a visible plaque; it is not a mandatory stop.
— More in Seoul
Other Seoul neighbourhoods
— If you love Itaewon
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