National Folk Museum of Korea, Seoul

Located within the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul, this museum uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the history of traditional life of the Korean people.

There are three main exhibition halls, with over 98,000 artifacts: 'History of Korean People' features materials of everyday life in Korea from prehistoric times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910; 'Korean Way of Life', which illustrates Korean villagers in ancient times; and 'Life Cycle of the Koreans', which depicts the deep roots of Confucianism in Korean culture and how this ideology gave rise to most of the culture's customs.

The museum also features open-air exhibits, such as replicas of spirit posts where villagers used to pray, stone piles for worship, grinding mills, rice storage shelters and pits for kimchi pots.

Why You Should Visit:
Coherent, well designed and fun! There are also clean bathrooms and a place for ice-cream/beverages, as well as a nice resting lounge.
There are free guided tours in English or you could instead rent an audio player or just read the information which is generally available in English.

Tip:
Consider visiting this museum before you go to Gyeongbokgung Palace – it will make you appreciate more of what you will see there.