Yongsan Children’s Garden holds exhibition ‘Gentle Light’

Since its opening on May 5, Yongsan Children’s Garden has been holding the exhibition “Gentle Light,” an interactive media art show with lighting installations.

Directed and designed by studio Silo Lab, the exhibition aims to display the warmth of the house as a space, reinterpreting the warmness inside home through lights.

Some 1,500 tiny, dangling lanterns mimicking traditional Korean windows called “changho” hang from the ceiling in a dark room. The blinking, warm yellow dots of light give off a cozy, tender feeling as one steps into the space, but also creates a splendid sight and photogenic background.

Apart from the exhibition, Yongsan Children’s Garden is worth a visit, offering a spot of greenery in the middle of the city. The new 30-hectare park lies in a repurposed section of Yongsan Garrison, once the US military’s primary headquarters in South Korea.

The park is next to the presidential office and includes a baseball field and soccer field, a cafe, galleries and a walking trail lined with sycamore trees.

To visit, an online reservation is required. The garden is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Mondays.

Amorepacific contemporary art collection

Catch a glimpse of the art collection of Korea’s largest beauty company at Amorepacific Museum of Art. The exhibition "APMA, Chapter Three" shows some of Amorepacific's art collection built in the 2000s, including new works from last year.

Some 30 works are on display across seven galleries. While looking around the exhibition, thought-provoking works will make one ask questions about the meaning and context of the art.

The painting “Cloud III” by German artist Anne Imhof created in 2022 shows erratically layered turquoise and red clouds, giving off a dreamy yet suspenseful atmosphere. Another notable piece is a sculpture of irregularly arranged spheres of varying sizes titled “Stack 8, Ultramarine Blue” by Annie Morris. The work draws from the artist’s still birth experience.

The Amorepacific Headquarters building located in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning British architect David Chipperfield. Completed in 2017, the building is known for its unique facade bearing a sophisticated grid of aluminum fins. This weekend is the last chance to visit "APMA, Chapter Three" as the exhibition runs through Sunday.

Summertime at Gwanghwamun Square

If you wish to enjoy the summer season in the city, Gwanghwamun Square is the place to go.

The Seoul Tourism Organization is holding the 2023 Seoul Summer Beach event at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul through Aug. 13, featuring two major attractions: a food market and a water playground.

Visit the square between noon and 9 p.m. and you will find various food trucks that offer delicate snacks and desserts, including such perennial favorites as gimbap, tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken and ice cream. Dining tables with parasols and chairs have been set up near the food trucks.

If you're up for some more activity, you can speed down inflatable water slides and splash around in the swimming pool set up in the center of the square, with the over 600-year-old Gwanghwamun gate in the background. Infants and young children must be accompanied by an adult as the water slide is 8 meters high and the swimming pool is 1 meter deep.

The water playground is open three times a day: Noon to 2:40 p.m., 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservation is not necessary but entry is on a first-come, first-served basis with the number of visitors capped at 250 per session. The water playground can be closed in case of rain and strong winds.

Swimsuits must be worn when in the playground, and water shoes are recommended. Restrooms and changing rooms are also available near the playground.