From Hangangjin Station to Leeum: A Day Reading the Hills and Alleys of Hannam-dong

Hannam-dong, whose initials come from the Han River and Namsan, an old gateway to Hangangjin

The name Hannam-dong is said to have been formed by combining the “Han” of the Han River and the “Nam” of Namsan. The neighborhood name also reflects the terrain, which overlooks the Han River to the south and meets the foothills of Namsan to the northwest. Today’s Hannam-dong is a place where hilly residential areas in the southeastern part of Yongsan-gu and the commercial district along Itaewon-ro coexist, so if you come expecting only flat shopping streets, you may be surprised by how steep the alleys are.

Along the Han River in this area, there once stood the sites of Jecheonjeong and Cheoniljeong during the Joseon period. Jecheonjeong is introduced as a pavilion often visited by kings from the reign of Sejo to Myeongjong, where foreign envoys were received. Hangangjin was also a major gateway leading from the capital to the southern regions, and it is connected to the history of the Han River ferry landing where Hangang Bridge now stands. In other words, the “international” atmosphere of Hannam-dong did not arise only from recent shops; it is more accurate to understand it as a place shaped by overlapping river transport, diplomacy, and royal events.

About 400 m from Hyundai Anseong Tower at 217 Itaewon-ro to Hangangjin Station

The reference point is Unit 19, 2nd Floor, Hyundai Anseong Tower, 217 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and the postal code is 04349. The coordinates are 37.535283, 126.997896, on the Itaewon-ro side between Hangangjin Station and Itaewon Station. Rather than thinking of the whole neighborhood as a single entrance facility, it is more useful for wayfinding to use this address as a starting point and walk along Itaewon-ro, Daesagwan-ro, and Itaewon-ro 54-gil separately.

The closest subway axis is Line 6 Hangangjin Station. At Exit 1 of Hangangjin Station, bus information for routes 110A, 400, and 405 is posted, and at Exit 2 there is stop information for routes 03, 110B, 142, 144, 3011, 400, 402, 405, 407, 420, 6030, and 6211. Since routes 110A, 110B, 400, and 405 pass the Hangangjin Station & Blue Square stop, you can choose between subway and bus when using 217 Itaewon-ro as your base.

• Walking starting point: 217 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Hannam-dong, Hyundai Anseong Tower)
• Subway: Line 6 Hangangjin Station exits 1, 2, and 3 area
• Bus stop: Hangangjin Station & Blue Square
• Main routes: 110A, 110B, 400, 405

A 2- to 3-hour route centered on the 10:00–18:00 opening hours of Leeum Museum of Art

If you want to settle on just one place in Hannam-dong, Leeum Museum of Art is a good time anchor. Leeum Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, and is closed every Monday, January 1 each year, and on the day of Lunar New Year and Chuseok. The permanent exhibition of classical art and the garden by Gabriel Orozco are listed as free, but special exhibitions may have different reservation and fee conditions depending on the exhibition, so you should check the official page for the relevant exhibition information again before departure.

Leeum Museum of Art is located at 60-16 Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It is a route that goes northeast from the reference address at 217 Itaewon-ro, but Daesagwan-ro and Itaewon-ro 55-gil are steep, so wheelchair and stroller users should allow extra time and consider sidewalk width and inclines rather than relying on the shortest map route. In the museum lobby there are a ticket counter, information desk, lockers, a cafe, and the Leeum Store, and customer parking is available in the basement level 3 of the Children’s Education and Culture Center building.

The scope of the “Hannam-dong Designer Street” around Daesagwan-ro 5-gil and Itaewon-ro 54-gil

Tourism materials from Yongsan-gu present the “Hannam-dong Designer Street” as the area around Daesagwan-ro 5-gil and Itaewon-ro 54-gil. Therefore, a visit to Hannam-dong is less about seeing one large shopping mall and more about exploring alleys with small stores, select shops, and exhibition spaces spread out on a map. Business hours and closing days vary by store, so on Sundays or public holidays, it is safer to decide on your destination first and then move around.

The Hannam-dong shopping alleys introduced by Seoul City include small shops, domestic brand stores, and select shops featuring overseas fashion items. However, even one block in from Itaewon-ro, residential areas and embassy-related facilities are mixed together, so you should avoid blocking sidewalks or taking photos at private property or house entrances. For travelers not focused on shopping, rather than continuously entering stores, walking around the alleys for about 40 to 60 minutes before or after a visit to Leeum Museum of Art keeps the schedule from becoming too crowded.

An evening in Hangangjin that does not overlap with Blue Square performance times

Blue Square, which is about 100 m from Exit 3 of Hangangjin Station, is a place that greatly changes the performance schedule and foot traffic in Hannam-dong. On days when you include a performance, it is better to arrive in the Hangangjin Station area at least 30 minutes before the admission and start time printed on the ticket. If you schedule dinner and cafe time in the same time slot before the performance, the waiting time can become long, so it is practical to spread meals out to around noon or after 2 p.m.

The Hangangjin Station & Blue Square stop can be used by routes 110A, 110B, 400, and 405, and Exit 3 of Hangangjin Station is toward Hannam 2-dong Community Center. The reference address, 217 Itaewon-ro, is on the main road of Itaewon-ro, but the performance hall, museum, and alley shops are spread across different elevations. Sneakers that support the ankles are better than dress shoes, and on rainy days you should pay special attention to the slipperiness of sloped sidewalks and alleys.

• Combined performance schedule: museum or alley walk → early dinner → Blue Square
• Recommended arrival: at least 30 minutes before the performance starts, in the Hangangjin Station area
• Late-night travel: check on the day whether night routes N31 and N72 stop near Hangangjin Station

Why public transportation is better than parking and the movement Standard in Hannam-dong

Because the alleys in Hannam-dong are narrow and parking conditions differ by store, public transportation is simpler when you have multiple destinations. Leeum Museum of Art has customer parking, but it is best to check the official information before visiting for parking availability and usage conditions. There is information introducing the Hangangjin Station transfer parking lot as operating 24 hours and charging 150 won per 5 minutes, but rates and vacancy policies may change, so you need to confirm on the day of departure.

For first-time foreign visitors, rather than entering only the broad area name “Hannam-dong” into a taxi app, it is better to clearly show separate destinations such as 217 Itaewon-ro, Leeum Museum of Art, or Exit 3 of Hangangjin Station. There is no integrated ticket counter, central phone number, or official website for the neighborhood itself, and there is no admission fee. It is reasonable to check the operating hours of individual facilities and allocate 2 to 3 hours to the Hangangjin Station, Leeum, and Designer Street area, or 4 to 5 hours if you are adding a performance.

Travelers for whom Hannam-dong is a good fit, and travelers who may find it tiring

Hannam-dong is a place where you can build a day by combining a museum’s fixed visiting hours, a performance hall’s start time, and store-specific closing days. It is especially suited to people who want to see Korean classical art and contemporary art together, people who search for independent shops and exhibition spaces based on maps, and people who want to connect with the Itaewon area and watch an evening performance. Since the regular visiting hours of Leeum Museum of Art are 10:00 to 18:00, entering around 10 a.m. or around 3 p.m. makes it easier to split the later meal and performance times.

On the other hand, it may be less efficient for an itinerary where you want to push a stroller or a large suitcase while quickly checking many stores, an itinerary that relies on parking alone for movement, or a trip that wants to stay all day at one single tourist attraction. Because store changes and special exhibition schedules in the alleys change quickly, it is essential to check the museum’s operating status and the target store’s business notice separately the day before your visit. A YouTube search was executed, but due to query quota limits, results could not be obtained, so no video link was included.