A national museum in Seoul chronicles a century of Korean cinema, from its early days to the present

Opened in 2008 and later registered as a national museum in 2015, the Korean Film Museum preserves more than a century of Korean cinema, tracing the medium’s journey since cinema first arrived in Korea. It is housed on the first floor of the Korean Film Archive in Mapo-gu, Seoul, roughly a 15-minute walk from Digital Media City Station on the Airport Railroad.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with Sundays and Mondays regularly closed. Admission is free.

The permanent exhibition, themed Seeing Korean Cinema, surveys the history of Korean film in chronological order and features interactive zones for hands-on engagement. It divides Korean film history into 14 subthemes and presents content in a way that makes the era-by-era narrative accessible. The 14 subthemes include: The Birth of Film, The Beginning of Moving Pictures Arriving in Joseon, A Century of Korean Cinema, Modern, Colonial, Joseon Cinema, Liberation and War, Allure and Chaos, Korean Cinema Renaissance, The Era of Youth Culture, Winds of Change, Explosions of Visual Culture, the Archive, Korean Cinema 100 Picks, Animation, and Filmmakers.

Visitors can also search by era for major films, directors, and actors via a Media Table, and there are sections to look up posters and film music to view and listen to. A robot named Hi-Qi sits at the starting point to help visitors engage with the exhibits.

Another permanent exhibition, Invitation to Early Cinema, comprises four sections that explore the birth of cinema in the late 19th century and the filmmakers of the time. It features early Lumière-era short films in a hands-on setup—visitors can operate a model handle to replay footage—and a homage to the black-and-white silent short A Trip to the Moon, including a coloring activity that recreates a rocket scene.

In addition to displays of equipment and props, the exhibits include film footage and stills, offering a concise, chronological look at Korean cinema’s evolution. The museum aims to present Korean film history from its beginnings to the present in a way that is accessible to a broad audience.