1 week Ago By The Korea Herald
Check out a 100-year-old church-turned-cafe, US garrison-turned-selfie site and a museum with a perfect picnic spot this weekend. Century-old church becomes a cafe Just five minutes by car from Eulwangni Beach in Incheon, northwest of Seoul, is Made Lim, a 120-year-old church has been transformed. Now a cultural space, it invites visitors to appreciate art, interact with deer and enjoy tea time.
The space consists of three buildings: One is used for exhibitions, another houses a cafe and baker, while the third is used as a deer shelter. The deer shelter houses two deer that roam around freely and visitors can buy their feed at the cafe and interact with them. The cafe menu features pizza, risotto and pasta.
Baked goods such as bagels and pretzels, perfect to nibble on with a cup of coffee or tea. There is also a campfire zone where visitors can sit around and warm up in the cold seasons. The cafe and bakery building is a three-floor building with a basement, and each space has a different theme.
The basement has a cave-like vibe, and the second floor transports you to a beautiful forest. The stained glass windows of the church add a majestic feel to the café. Made Lim 42 Yongyuseo-ro 479beon-gil, Jung-gu, Incheon America in Seoul Nestled against Yongsan's urban sprawl, rows of cookie-cutter brick homes stand as if taken out of a postcard from the American heartland.
This isn't some cul-de-sac transplanted from suburban Ohio -- it's the revamped Yongsan Park, once Black Hawk Village, home to US military families before they left in 2019. Ten minutes from Seobinggo Station, the site draws weekend crowds seeking the quiet allure of US suburbia. Concrete walls topped with barbed wire and faded "US Government Property" signs hint at the site's former life as part of Yongsan Garrison, headquarters of US Forces Korea before their relocation to Pyeongtaek.
Any hint of military austerity vanishes upon entry. Two and three-story red brick townhouses, built by Korea Land & Housing Corporation, blend seamlessly into what feels more like a college campus than a former military installation. Each residence comes complete with front lawns and flower beds -- architectural features rarely seen in Seoul's vertical landscape.
Several buildings now serve new purposes. One houses a children's library, while others offer cafe spaces for visitors. An outdoor exhibition displays photographs charting the garrison's history, which dates back to 1904 when Imperial Japanese forces first occupied the area.
Seoul's selfie-hungry crowd form long queues in front of quintessentially American fixtures -- a miniature green post office shack, a red telephone booth and a matching postbox have become viral backdrops in particular. The park welcomes visitors Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. (the grounds remain open until 6 p.
m., but last entry is at 5). Admission is free.
Yongsan Park (Partially Open Site) 221 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Picnic, art at museum in Gwacheon Don't miss your chance to enjoy the perfect spring weather this weekend -- pack a picnic and head to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, for the newly opened exhibition and stroll around the sculpture park or theme garden. MMCA Gwacheon, technically located at Seoul Grand Park, is known for its sculpture park. The kinetic sculpture "Singing Man" by Jonathan Borofsky, measuring more than four meters in height, is an iconic piece that hums a song.
On Thursday, the museum also opened the "Young Korean Artists 2025" exhibition, which introduces emerging young artists in Korea. The exhibition is worth visiting for quality works that are newly created for the exhibition and to learn about art trending among younger creatives. Children are also welcome, with the museum's Children Museum of Art on the first floor offering a variety of activities for kids.
After seeing the exhibition, take a mat and lunch box out to the sculpture park or Theme Garden located a five-minute walk from the museum building. The Theme Garden is near a lake and has tulips in full bloom. Across from the Theme Garden is the Seoul Grand Park Zoo.
MMCA, Korea (Gwancheon) 313 Gwangmyeong-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province.
