Per visitseoul.net (checked October 7, 2026), the Yongsan Park Partially Open Site in Yongsan-gu is free to enter with no reservation, and the nearest access is Seobinggo Station Exit 1 on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, 336 m away.
Yongsan Park Partially Open Site: What It Is and Who It Suits
| First visit on a fixed date | Aim for Tue-Sat, arrive before 17:00 — Mondays, January 1, Lunar New Year and Chuseok are the listed closures, and entry is free with no booking |
|---|---|
| Arriving by subway | Seobinggo Station Exit 1, then cross one road — 336 m from the exit, roughly a 4-5 minute walk |
| Coming by car | Skip it — no general on-site parking; the nearest lots are Yongsan Family Park (10 min walk) and the National Museum of Korea (15-20 min), both crowded on autumn weekends |
| Photo or history interest | Autumn, ideally a sunny afternoon — red maples against 1950s red brick is the signature scenery |
| Wheelchair user or companion needing accessibility | Workable, but plan parking ahead — an accessible toilet with handrails sits in the exhibition space, and on-site parking is reserved for verified disabled or multi-child visitors |
| Making a half-day of it | Pair with the National Museum of Korea (15-20 min walk) or Yongsan Family Park; indoor house exhibits close at 17:00 |
About 50,000 sq m of the former US Officer Housing Compound 5 opened to the public in August 2020, ending roughly 120 years as closed military land.
It holds 16 two-story red-brick 1950s American houses built in a suburban style, with lawns, garages, a playground, an exhibition house and a cafe.
The land was military ground from the early 1900s, first under the Japanese army and then US forces, who left Seoul in 2004 after the 2003 agreement to move to Pyeongtaek.
Visitors describe the low brick houses and lawns as ‘a little America in Seoul’, and the site opened ahead of the full Yongsan Park construction.
Photographers, history-interest visitors and families with children get the most out of it.
If the expectation is a landscaped garden like Seoul Forest, this is instead a preserved residential area kept as it was, so that difference decides whether the trip fits.
One thing worth knowing before planning: the houses are 1950s construction, so the interest here is the setting and the buildings’ history rather than interiors restored for display.
How to Get There by Subway
Take the Gyeongui-Jungang Line to Seobinggo Station and use Exit 1 — the entrance is 336 m away, about a 4-5 minute walk, crossing one road.
This is the access listed on visitseoul.net as of October 7, 2026.
For a route check from your hotel, the Seoul subway route planner on koreankorea.com maps the trip line by line.
An alternative during the phased openings is Sinyongsan Station Exit 1 at Gate 14, which serves the Yongsan Children’s Garden section.
If your plan is the officer-housing section itself, Seobinggo Exit 1 is the shorter walk, so start there.
If the Children’s Garden is the goal, Sinyongsan is the station to use.
Opening Hours — Three Sources, Three Sets
Per visitseoul.net (checked October 7, 2026), the Yongsan Park Partially Open Site opens Tuesday-Saturday 09:00-18:00 with last entry at 17:00.
That is the primary Seoul Metropolitan Government listing, and it is the only set quoted in the answer above.
Two other sources disagree, so they are shown side by side rather than merged.
Whether Sunday is open for the Seobinggo officer-housing section specifically, and whether the Sat-Sun 21:00 line describes a different section near Gate 14 at Sinyongsan, could not be confirmed — the one action that settles it is checking park.go.kr or calling +82-70-4224-1708 in the week you go.
The closed days are stated clearly and are the reliable part of the schedule: every Monday, plus January 1, Lunar New Year’s Day and Chuseok.
If I plan a visit here, the first thing I check is which hour set is actually current — three sources give three different sets, so I confirm on park.go.kr before fixing any date.
| Source (checked date) | Open days | Hours | Entry closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| visitseoul.net, Seoul Metropolitan Government (Oct 7, 2026) | Tue-Sat | 09:00-18:00 | 17:00 |
| Korea Tourism access guide (Aug 20, 2025) | Tue-Fri 09:00-17:30; Sat-Sun 09:00-21:00 | varies by day | 1 hour before |
| telltrip (Oct 2025) | Tue-Sun | 09:00-18:00 | interiors 17:00 |
Entry, Reservation and Fees
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Entry fee | Free — no fee table exists in any source; free is inferred from the abolished reservation system and free-entry announcements |
| Reservation | Abolished — the old reservation and lottery system is gone, no booking or identity check |
| Walk-in | Anyone can enter within opening hours |
| Separate charges | The cafe or indoor exhibitions may charge on site — check there |
The history matters for what to expect: Compound 5 opened in August 2020 through a reservation and lottery system, the Children’s Garden section followed in May 2023, and cumulative visitors passed 1.8 million before full opening.
A children’s garden free-entry announcement from December 30, 2025 covers the no-booking change.
Budget zero for entry, and if the cafe or exhibitions carry separate charges, that is what to check on site.
Anyone who visited a few years ago under the old lottery system can skip that step now — walk in, as long as the day and hour check out.
Parking and Accessibility
There is no parking for general visitors on site — only pre-registered disabled or multi-child vehicles may park, and staff verify that at the entrance.
The nearest alternatives are the Yongsan Family Park lot (10 min walk) and the National Museum of Korea lot (15-20 min), and both jam up badly on autumn weekends.
| Parking option | Who may use it | Distance from the site |
|---|---|---|
| On site | Pre-registered disabled or multi-child households only, verified by staff | At the entrance |
| Yongsan Family Park lot | General public, paid | 10 min walk |
| National Museum of Korea lot | General public, paid | 15-20 min walk |
For wheelchair users or anyone traveling with a person who needs accessibility, the site is workable with one planning step: an accessible toilet with handrails sits inside the exhibition space, but parking is the restricted part, so arrange the nearest lot in advance or arrive by subway.
Coming by car is the option I would skip — the rules leave no room for a normal car, and the two substitute lots are the ones everyone else tries on a weekend.
What to See On Site and What to Pair Nearby
On site: a photo exhibition on the garrison’s past and future, a tree-lined path with food trucks, a former US Forces observatory deck, a sports field and a family picnic area.
Autumn is the standout season, when red maples meet the red brick in sunny afternoon light.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Early 1900s (~1904) | Military use begins under the Japanese army; US forces follow |
| 1950s | US forces build the 2-story red-brick officer housing at Compound 5 |
| 2004 | US forces leave Seoul after the 2003 relocation agreement |
| 2005 | Land return and park conversion decided; Yongsan Park Special Act follows in 2007 |
| August 2020 | Officer Housing Compound 5 opens to the public (initially by reservation) |
| May 2023 | Yongsan Children’s Garden opens near Gate 14 at Sinyongsan Station |
| Dec 30, 2025 | Children’s Garden goes fully open with no booking or identity checks |
For a half-day, pair the site with the National Museum of Korea, a 15-20 minute walk away, or Yongsan Family Park next door.
Note that indoor house exhibits close at 17:00, so a museum afterward fits the schedule better than arriving late at the park.
👉 Official Visit Seoul listing for the Yongsan Park Partially Open Site
👉 Telltrip guide to the officer quarters site
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📎 📅 Upcoming Dates — Release & Event Calendar
Sources
- visitseoul.net listing: address, phone, hours Tue-Sat 09:00- (english.visitseoul.net)
- Compound 5: ~50,000 sq m, 18 buildings, opened Aug 2020; Chi (yongsan.go.kr)
- Korea Tourism accessible-info page: Tue-Fri 09:00-17:30, Sat (access.visitkorea.or.kr)
What to Lock In Before You Go
- Check the day before you go — hours differ by source (Tue-Sat 09:00-18:00 vs Tue-Sun with late 21:00 Saturdays), and the site is closed every Monday plus January 1, Lunar New Year’s Day and Chuseok.
- Seobinggo Station Exit 1, 336 m — cross one road and you are at the entrance.
- Do not drive: no general parking, and the two nearby lots are crowded on autumn weekends.
- Arrive before 17:00 if you want the indoor house exhibits — they close an hour before the grounds.
- Autumn, a sunny Tue-Sat afternoon, is when the red maple and red brick photograph best.
FAQ
Q. Is Yongsan Park Partially Open Site free, and do I need a reservation?
Entry is free with no booking or identity check — the earlier reservation and lottery system was fully abolished, and you walk in within opening hours.
Q. What are the opening hours, and is it open on Sunday?
visitseoul.net (checked October 7, 2026) lists Tuesday-Saturday 09:00-18:00 with last entry at 17:00, but other sources list different sets including Sunday — whether Sunday applies to the Seobinggo section specifically is unresolved, so check park.go.kr in the week you go.
Q. How do I get to Yongsan Park Partially Open Site by subway?
Take the Gyeongui-Jungang Line to Seobinggo Station, Exit 1 — the entrance is 336 m away, about a 4-5 minute walk crossing one road.
Q. Is there parking at Yongsan Park Partially Open Site?
Not for general visitors — only pre-registered disabled or multi-child vehicles, verified by staff. The nearest paid lots are Yongsan Family Park (10 min walk) and the National Museum of Korea (15-20 min).
Q. Is the site accessible for wheelchair users?
Yes, with planning — an accessible toilet with handrails is inside the exhibition space, and on-site parking is reserved for disabled or multi-child visitors confirmed at the entrance.
More Seoul guides by area: <a href="https://koreankorea.com/korea-travel-by-region/">the Korea travel-by-region index</a> and <a href="https://koreankorea.com/seoul-metro-area-route-planner/">the Seoul subway route planner</a>.
Cover photo: Genesis G90 RS4 Hallasan Green (2) by Damian B Oh — CC BY-SA 4.0
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