Ihwa Mural Village

Our guide

Ihwa Mural Village is a hillside neighborhood in Ihwa-dong, just below Naksan Park and the Seoul City Wall. After the Korean War it grew into one of Seoul's "moon villages", crowded homes on a steep slope, and by the early 2000s it was run-down and slated for demolition.

In 2006 the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism chose it for the Naksan Project, a public art program. About 70 artists painted murals and set up installations along the alleys and stairways, and a second round in 2013 added around 60 more works.

Before you go

• People live here. The village became so busy that in 2016 residents painted over two of its most famous works, the flower staircase and the fish staircase, in protest at noise, litter and lost privacy. Keep your voice down, stay out of private doorways, and don't photograph residents without asking.
• Go in daylight. Mornings and early afternoons are quieter for both you and the neighbors.
• Wear good shoes. The lanes are steep and full of stairs.

Getting there

From Hyehwa Station (Line 4), Exit 2, walk about 12 minutes uphill past Marronnier Park.

Our estimates: Ihwa Mural Village is about 1 h 30 from Incheon Airport (AREX to Seoul Station, then Line 4 to Hyehwa) and 55 min from Gimpo. From Myeongdong 27 min, Seoul Station 30 min, Hongik Univ. 40 min, Gangnam 55 min.

Pair it with

Walk up to Naksan Park for wide city views, then follow the Seoul City Wall trail downhill to Dongdaemun Gate (about 2.3 km). The Daehak-ro theater district is right at the bottom of the hill.

Staying nearby

Our lodging data records 24 hotels and 292 guesthouses within 1.2 km of Ihwa Mural Village. By our estimate the closest of the areas we suggest for a base is Dongdaemun Station, already listed above as a nearby station, with 67 hotels within walking distance of the station; Jongno 5-ga Station, a 19-minute walk from the village, has 90.

Travel-time estimates and lodging counts are from Day & Stay data, Oct 2026: Seoul business licensing records and our transit model.