Korea Furniture Museum — Attraction in Seoul

A tragically squandered opportunity.

The space and the collection are absolutely exquisite, are presented immaculately and free from distractions. It was truly one of the best things I've seen, not only in Korea, but all of Asia on our month long trip. I'm glad to have seen it. 5/5

The tour (which is the only way to experience the museum) suffered from many issues. To her credit, our guide's English was fine. Unfortunately, at an hour, the pacing was at break-neck speed, with perhaps 1-2 minutes per display through the main collection. The guides delivery felt impersonal and robotic. No sooner had we sat down, then we were on our feet again moving to the next space. Time was spent dropping names and brands when cultural context and interesting features were glossed over (e.g. the traditional moss garden, something entirely unheard of to my western ears, was mentioned only in passing in pointing out what the G20 first wives were looking out onto during their lunch here).

With no photography allowed inside, such short dwell time, and no question time or literature available about the collection, it feels like there are wonders in this museum which no visitor will ever discover, which is a tragedy not only for the museum and the visitors, but for Korean culture.

The space and the collection are already world class. With more consideration, a slower pace and genuine interaction and hospitality, a tour which would do it justice is possible. Unfortunately, this is not what you should...

A fantastic experience which guests could 'time-travel back' to Joseon dynasty. Though the name of this beautiful museum is Korea Furniture Museum (Kofum), it covers a bigger scope beyond just a collection of Joseon furniture. The premise houses ten restored hanuks (which were built without nails and by wood joinery techniques) with these furniture inside, providing a context of how people (aristocrats) of Joseon used to live and how the furniture were used.

The English guided tour lasted about an hour, though short but pretty intensive.

Though some may think the entrance fee is high, it's worth it, well curated and lots of information like the design of various types of cabinets, tables, book-cases, etc. After which could get close to the furniture and observe the craftsmanship.

An interesting section was the lady's quarter where it displayed and described how a Joseon Queen was dressed with her 6-layer costume before putting on the heavy head-gear. As the Lady mostly stayed indoor, her room would get the best view and with a large window looking out. The guide would invite the guests to sit on the floor and experience the scenery (as what the Lady in past did).

Please note no photography is allowed inside the museum. Around the compound, the guide did not insist.

Overall, a nice museum to truly experience Korean tradition, aesthetic and culture, just wish the tour...

It was a very amazing experience for me. The best feeling was I got a chance to sit and look outside the window to see how it feels like to be a Noble Lady :) The collection was great, the tour guide gave you a detailed explanation. You need to take off your shoes so use something that’s not complicated. For anyone who wants to experience Korean culture it’s a very rare good chance to go here. Ps: you can take a bus to go here ( just make sure you install Naver Map), and you have to book in advance for...