Gallery SP Behind the Hyatt on Namsan, a Gallery That Transformed the Rooms of a Company Residence into Exhibition Spaces

The trajectory that began at Seoul Print in 1989 and moved to the Namsan hillside

Gallery SP began with Seoul Print, established in 1989. The space grew from activities involving the planning and production of printmakers' works; after moving to Cheongdam-dong in 1998 and operating on Garosu-gil from 2006, it is now located at 30 Hoenamu-ro 44ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, near the Namsan Hyatt Hotel.

Since the 2000s, its programming has expanded beyond prints to encompass two-dimensional painting, three-dimensional works, crafts, and design. Exhibitions by international artists such as Mayuka Yamamoto and Eva Armisén, along with participation in Singapore Art Stage, Chicago SOFA, and Art Miami, demonstrate how the space has connected Korean artists with the international art market.

A building that was once a residence rather than an exhibition venue, and the viewing experience left by "Three Rooms"

The current building was not originally constructed for exhibitions but was used as a residence. The 2024 exhibition "Three Rooms" interpreted the layout divided into several rooms as traces of its former residential use, and this structure gives the Gallery SP exhibition experience a character distinct from that of a large white cube.

Because the scale of the works and viewing distance can vary from room to room, it is better to examine each room separately rather than surveying the entire space at once from the entrance. For example, the 2024 "Three Rooms" exhibition featured three participants—Lee Dong-hoon, Lee Jae-heon, and Han Jin—while the 2026 exhibition "Strokes, Cells, and Ghosts" presented 15 paintings and 7 drawings.

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00–18:00; closed Sunday and Monday

Gallery SP's stated visiting hours are 10:00–18:00 from Tuesday through Saturday, with regular closing days on Sunday and Monday. The phone number is 02-546-3560, and the website is https://www.gallerysp.com. The two-person exhibition "Strokes, Cells, and Ghosts" by Jang Sun-won and Jung Ju-won, which began on January 22, 2026, was also announced with the same Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00–18:00 operating hours.

Admission fees were not listed separately in the publicly available exhibition information, and the dates and temporary closures varied by exhibition. For example, Moon Gyu-hwa's 2025 solo exhibition "I Am Everywhere" was temporarily closed from March 25 to 29, and the current website displays a connection error page. Therefore, the most direct approach is to call ahead and ask about the day's exhibition and whether the gallery is open.

Take bus 03 from Exit 4 of Noksapyeong Station on Line 6, then walk 5 minutes after the Hyatt Hotel terminus

By public transportation, the recommended route is to take village bus 03 from Exit 4 of Noksapyeong Station on Line 6, get off at the terminus, Hyatt Hotel, and walk for 5 minutes. You can also take the trunk buses 402 or 405, which stop at the bus stop in front of the Namsan Hyatt Hotel, followed by an approximately 5-minute walk.

It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Exit 2 of Itaewon Station to the gallery, but the route includes a steep uphill road, according to the visitor information. For visitors with large luggage, strollers, or wheelchairs, getting off the bus and approaching the gallery from there is more practical than walking on level ground; information about barrier-free facilities inside the building and dedicated parking could not be confirmed in publicly available sources.

From Lee Saet-byeol to Jang Sun-won and Jung Ju-won, the changing character of contemporary art with each exhibition

Gallery SP is not limited to a single medium. Lee Saet-byeol's "Glitch Paradise" ran from May 29 to June 29, 2024, while Lim Chun-hee and Park Jong-ho's "The Song of Birds and Dogs" was presented as an exhibition introducing approximately 50 paintings and drawings.

The 2026 exhibition "Strokes, Cells, and Ghosts" was a two-person exhibition in which Jang Sun-won and Jung Ju-won explored the "stroke" that composes painting. Since the artists, number of works, and installation methods vary depending on the date of the visit, it is best to plan a visit around the exhibition title and participating artists on view at that time rather than coming to see a particular permanent collection.

One hour at 30 Hoenamu-ro 44ga-gil: an itinerary focused on a single exhibition

The address is 30 Hoenamu-ro 44ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and the postal code is 04346. Considering the gallery's room-based layout and the mix of paintings, drawings, and three-dimensional works, it is appropriate to allow approximately 40–60 minutes to read the work descriptions and move between the rooms.

This venue is better suited to visitors who want to quietly view one artist or a small-scale exhibition than to those seeking to see several exhibitions consecutively, as at a large art museum. If you walk from Itaewon Station, the final stretch is uphill, so after the visit, walking down toward the bus stop in front of the Hyatt Hotel and taking bus 402, 405, or 03 can reduce the burden of the route.

• Address: 30 Hoenamu-ro 44ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
• Visiting hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00–18:00
• Closed: Sunday and Monday
• Main phone: 02-546-3560