Ihwa Village: Seoul's Colorful Uptown Neighborhood

Many people visiting Korea for the first time get a tourist guide so they don't miss any must-see places in Seoul. However, the village we will present to you is not well known, especially with COVID-19, many shops have closed. This village is called Ihwa, known for its many murals paintings that enchant residents and tourists – Koreans and foreigners – who go there.

A colorful village not far from the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Ihwa is a small high-rise district with multicolored colors thanks to many paintings on the walls and stairs of this village. In 2006, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism helped renovate this area through the “Ihwa-dong Naksan Project”. About seventy artists participated in the project, so come and discover the enchanting village of Ihwa.

Ihwa is a charming little neighborhood, perfect for all photography enthusiasts. Its visit does not take more than an hour, so we strongly recommend that you stop there during your stay in Korea. After the renovation of the neighborhood, people rush there to admire the many paintings on every street corner, so the village had to implement rules for the well-being of residents. It is necessary to respect the residents and their houses, not to draw on the walls, and above all, to be silent. It is therefore a quiet area, which allows you to "recharge your batteries" on the heights of Seoul.

The little extra: some paintings are "changed" over time when they are discolored or too damaged. It is then possible to discover Ihwa mural art again and again. One wall draws particular attention. With a black background, we can read the inscription “Before I die…”, and below, hundreds of wishes that people from all over the world hope to see fulfilled.

In addition, the village offers a splendid panorama of Seoul, from where it is even possible to observe the Namsan Tower. Ihwa is also located near a part of the Seoul wall, which leads straight to Dongdaemun and its famous Heunginjimun Gate. Despite the popularity of the village, residents began to oppose the arrival of tourists in 2016 by repainting paintings that were then very popular, especially on the large stairs leading to the heights of the district.

This is understandable considering that the residents fought hard so that Ihwa would not be demolished by order of the government, as being considered a slum, which was not good for tourism. Until 2006 and the "Ihwa-dong Naksan Project", most Koreans and tourists went to the neighborhood below the village, called Hyehwa. Today, COVID-19 has affected many sellers who have had to close their shops like everywhere in the world. Ihwa is now a mostly extinct village, just waiting for the return of sunny days to bloom again.

By the way, did you know that Ihwa is one of the Korean villages called “moon villages”? This is due to the fact that it is on top of a hill, and thus offers a better view of the moon than the city below. Generally, this kind of village was inhabited by rather poor populations, which is why Ihwa was considered to be a slum in the past. After six months of renovation with the help of talented artists and volunteers, Ihwa is now the village we know today.

Address : 6-18 Ihwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 이화동 6-18)

If you have already visited this village, let us know in the comments what your favorite painting is!