As of November 2026, entry to the permanent galleries at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul is still free. The museum's official visitor information page lists the permanent exhibition halls, the Children's Museum and free special exhibitions as free of charge, with tickets required only for paid special exhibitions. Korea's budget ministry has said it plans to start charging admission at some point in 2027, but no official price list, start month or concession policy has been published yet.
If you are planning a trip to Seoul, the practical takeaway is simple: you will not pay to see the permanent collection right now, but you should check opening hours, a regular closure day in December and several galleries that are closed for renovation until late January 2027. This guide separates what the museum has officially confirmed from figures that have only been reported as projections.
What is free and what costs money today
According to the museum's official visitor information, admission works like this:
- Free: permanent exhibition halls, the Children's Museum and free special exhibitions
- Paid: paid special exhibitions only
Tickets for paid special exhibitions are sold at the box office in front of Special Exhibition Gallery 1, and Gallery 2 tickets can also be bought at the gallery entrance. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing. So if you search for the museum's "ticket price" and see a figure, it almost always refers to a specific special exhibition, not to general entry. Each special exhibition sets its own price, so check that exhibition's page before you go.
The permanent collection is large. The museum's floor guide describes 7 halls and 39 rooms displaying 9,884 objects. The first floor holds the Prehistory and Ancient History hall and the Medieval and Early Modern History hall. The second floor has Calligraphy and Painting, the Donation hall and the Room of Quiet Contemplation, where two national-treasure pensive bodhisattva statues sit side by side. The third floor covers Sculpture and Crafts plus World Cultures. All of these are part of the free permanent galleries.
The Children's Museum is also free, but it runs on timed reservations every day from 9:30 to 17:20, so book a slot before you arrive with kids. School groups of 30 or more students must reserve in advance and are not admitted without a booking.
Paid entry: what has been decided so far
The plan to charge admission has developed over the past year. Here is the timeline based on reporting from Korean media.
- May 2008: The museum scrapped its permanent-gallery fee, which was KRW 2,000 for adults, and has been free ever since (Money Today).
- March 30, 2026: The Ministry of Planning and Budget's guidelines for the 2027 budget mentioned raising long-frozen fees at national facilities. After reports that paid entry was settled, the ministry said no decision had been made. A museum official said a public hearing and a customer relationship management (CRM) system would have to come first, and that even if approved, details might take shape around late next year or early 2028 (Money Today).
- September 1, 2026: When the 2027 budget proposal was released, a budget ministry official said the plan to switch to paid admission during next year had been set, and that the start month was still being discussed with related agencies (Financial News).
- October 22, 2026 report: Director Yu Hong-june resigned on October 21. Preparations for paid entry, including the CRM system and an integrated reservation and ticketing system, were reported to be under way, with a pilot expected in the second half of next year. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the discussion would continue regardless of the leadership change (Newsis).
- November 11, 2026: The National Assembly's culture committee approved its version of the 2027 budget, trimming part of the museum's research budget. The opposition said it would seek further cuts at the budget committee, so the review is still ongoing (Financial News).
The government's position moved from "nothing decided" in March to "paid entry planned during 2027" in September. However, the steps the museum itself listed as prerequisites, a public hearing and new ticketing infrastructure, were still in progress as of the latest reports. Based on public information, nobody can name the start month yet, so treat any post claiming "paid from January 1" with caution until an official notice appears.
For context, annual visitors rose from 4.18 million in 2023 to 6.5 million in 2025, and crowding in galleries and parking areas has been cited in the debate.
How much will tickets cost? Projections, not prices
A September report said adult tickets were expected to land somewhere between KRW 5,000 and KRW 10,000, with discounts or free entry likely for young children, teenagers and seniors. The same report compared this with the Tokyo National Museum, where adult admission is around 1,000 yen (Financial News).
The report also said admission to Seoul's four main royal palaces, including Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung, and the Joseon royal tombs, currently KRW 1,000 to 3,000 for adults, could nearly double. If your itinerary includes palaces, watch for those notices as well.
Keep these categories separate:
- Confirmed: the permanent galleries are free as of November 2026, and the government has announced a plan for paid entry during 2027
- Not confirmed: the adult price, the start month, who gets discounts or exemptions, and whether advance booking will be required
The KRW 5,000 to 10,000 range is a reported projection, not an official price list. Final prices will come from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the museum.
Opening hours and the December closure day
Official opening hours are:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday: 9:30 to 17:30, last entry 17:00
- Wednesday and Saturday: 9:30 to 21:00, last entry 20:30
- Outdoor exhibition grounds (garden): 7:00 to 22:00
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, and staff begin guiding visitors out 10 minutes before closing. Wednesday and Saturday evenings are the easiest option if you are sightseeing during the day.
The museum's full closure days in 2026 were January 1, Seollal (February 17) and Chuseok (September 25). Separately, on the first Monday of March, June, September and December, the permanent galleries and Special Exhibition Galleries 1 and 2 close while the outdoor grounds stay open. The remaining closure date this year is Monday, December 7.
A few on-site rules save time at the door. Since June 11, 2024, bags go through a security check, and backpacks must be stored in first-floor lockers. Flash, tripods, selfie sticks and gimbals are not allowed, nor is commercial filming. Food and pets (other than guide dogs) are not permitted, and shoes with wheels are not allowed inside.
Galleries closed until January 28, 2027
Several permanent galleries are closed for a redesign of the Buddhist art displays. According to the floor guide:
- Third floor, Sculpture and Crafts: Buddhist Sculpture (Room 301), Metal Craft (Room 302) and the sensory gallery "Space_Between", closed July 6, 2026 to January 28, 2027
- Second floor, Calligraphy and Painting: Buddhist Painting (Room 203) and Wood and Lacquer Craft (Room 204), closed July 6, 2026 to January 28, 2027
- Second floor: Painting and Calligraphy Rooms 202-3 and 202-4, closed August 10, 2026 to January 28, 2027
Painting and Calligraphy Rooms 202-1 and 202-2, the Celadon room (303) and the Buncheong and White Porcelain room (304) remain open. The Room of Quiet Contemplation is not on the closure list. Reporting describes the redesign as showing Buddhist art in context, including where works were enshrined, the rituals involved and the artisans who made them (Newsis).
Planning a visit before and after paid entry
Until an official fee notice is published, a simple checklist helps:
- Check that the rooms you want are open: review the renovation list and avoid December 7.
- Budget for special exhibitions separately: they already charge admission, independent of the permanent-gallery plan.
- Book the Children's Museum early: entry is free but slots are timed.
- Read the official notice for four details: start date, adult price, concessions and whether booking is required.
- Check palace fees too: higher palace and royal tomb fees have been discussed alongside the museum plan.
If seeing the permanent collection for free matters to you, the current period is the only one that is certain. Because neither the government nor the museum has announced a start month, confirm the admission section of the official visitor page right before you go.
