Yeouido is a large island in central Seoul that is easily accessible by metro and taxi. Because it is one of the few places in the inner city where you’re not completely surrounded by high-rises, the skyline views across the Han River are worth this little side trip alone, especially at sunset.
Yeouido-dong is the main finance district of Seoul. It’s the home of one of South Korea’s biggest broadcasting companies, KBS, where you’ll find the Broadcast Museum with hands-on exhibits, including holograms and 3-D videos. Yeouido-dong is also home to the National Assembly, the seat of South Korea’s government.
The main attraction in Yeouido-dong, however, is Yeouido Park. This ecological park replaced what once was a big, empty village square built on a former runway. Filled with green spaces, waterways and native trees, the park has a real forest feel to it. Rent a bike for an hour to explore the entire park.
Shop until you drop in the ultra-modern mall in the towering International Finance Center (IFC). The building has a sculpture garden with an art gallery, a cinema and a food court, so you can spend half a day here with ease.
IFC is right next door to the popular 63 Building, which is famous for the 63 Wax Museum, 63 Sea World aquarium, and 63 Sky Art gallery. Dine in the Walking on the Cloud sky bar on the 59th floor for an unforgettable experience or head to the observatory on the 60th floor to take epic pictures.
You can reach Yeouido Station on line 5 or 9 of the subway and you can also disembark at the National Assembly Station, if that is closer to where you want to be on the island.
While far from a quiet haven, Yeouido is as close as you can get to “enjoying island life” in the South Korean capital.
