Open 365 days a year / sunrise to sunset
Subway line 5, Olympic Park Station (This exit lands you at the opposite end of the park from the Peace Gate but allows you access to many of the sports areas for events such as concerts)
Subway line 8, Mongchontoseong Station (This exit lands you closest to the Peace Gate and Museum)
Subway line 2, Jamsil Station, Seongnae Station
The weather is starting to turn and the same thought is crossing everyone’s mind: where can I go to spend quality outdoor time? The nice thing about South Korea and Seoul, in general, is that unlike many other huge cities that just feel like block after block of a concrete jungle, the Koreans have actually taken the time to incorporate an abundance of parks and gardens into their concrete jungle. One of these places is Olympic Park.
In 1988 the South Koreans built Olympic Park in order to host the Summer Olympics but unlike many other momentarily loved facilities created for this great honor, but forgotten soon after, the Koreans have and continue to invest into the park and it is used and still enjoyed daily by many. The sports arenas have been maintained for current and future athletes to work on their skills. Throughout the year the arenas also host a variety of concerts featuring some of the world’s greatest musicians. The park is much more than a bunch of sports arenas though. There are also ample amounts of places to go sit and read a book, walk a maze of trails or rent a bike to glide around the grounds in the beautiful weather.
Situated within the grounds are the Seoul Olympic Museum which commemorates key moments of the 1988 Summer Olympics as well as the World Peace Gate. The Peace Gate towers 27 meters in height and 37 meters in width. The underside of the gate’s wings are adorned with paintings of a dragon, a phoenix, a tiger and a turtle. The Peace Gate was painted by renowned Korean artist Paek-Geum-Nam. Paek-Geum-Nam chose to paint the winged monument in the artistic style of Dancheong which is a traditional decorative coloring that is used to adorn many of the temples and wooden buildings here in Korea.
A few restaurants and coffee shops are scattered about the park so if you are looking for a nice way to spend an evening or weekend afternoon Seoul’s Olympic Park has much to offer and the best part, it’s free!
365 DAYS OF SEOUL SEARCHING 