Ihwa Mural Village, Art neighborhood on Mount Naksan in Seoul, South Korea.
Ihwa Mural Village is a residential neighborhood on Mount Naksan's slope in Seoul, where painted walls, metal sculptures, and decorated staircases cover nearly every surface. The artworks blend throughout the hillside's winding streets that connect homes and small buildings.
The neighborhood was a deteriorating area until 2006 when a government art program invited displaced artists to revitalize it with murals and installations. This transformation from a declining district into an art destination happened relatively quickly over just a few years.
The murals here reflect ongoing conversations between artists and residents about how to share this hillside space with visitors. You can sense this balance as you walk through streets where art decorates homes still actively lived in.
The neighborhood is free to visit and open all day since it's a residential area, but wear comfortable shoes as steep staircases and narrow pathways dominate the terrain. Early mornings or weekdays offer fewer crowds if you prefer a quieter experience.
Major murals on steep staircases were painted over by residents in 2016 as a protest against excessive visitor traffic. This dramatic action revealed tensions between preserving art and maintaining a livable neighborhood.
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