If you have some free time and want to see something else during your time in Daejeon, this page will give you
some ideas as to your options. This page shows items that are further than walking distance from IBS
headquarters and the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC). To visit the attractions on this list, a taxi or bus would
be necessary. As bus routes sometimes change and English is limited, we only provide the approximate travel time
via public transportation.
The names of all items in this list are written in both English and Korean, so if you get lost or get into a
taxi, simply point to the name written in Korean. Times, hours, and prices might change, so we recommend you
check the websites, if available, before you depart. We also recommend you check out the official tourism
website of Daejeon at http://www.daejeon.go.kr/toe/index.do with Korean, English,
Chinese, and Japanese language support.
ⓐ 5 minutes by taxi (4,000 won), 25 minutes by bus
Sunghyeon Seowon 숭현서원
If you are interested in seeing traditional Korean buildings, hanok (한옥), this is the closest location. Opened
in the 16th century, this was a private school and commemorated three scholars from the 15th century. Over time
the memorial hall added an additional five scholars. Classes were held in the main structure, which was also the
living quarters of the teachers. The school was ordered shuttered and destroyed in 1871 under King Gojong. Only
a memorial stone remained for more than a century until being declared a city monument in 1992. Two years later,
reconstruction began and was completed in 2001. Today, six buildings and a large gate exist on the property.
Despite being constructed on the side of a mountain; the site is rather flat but has a number of stairs leading
up to the main gate.
Opens at 10 AM, closes at 5 PM. No entrance fee. A tour guide is on site during these hours, but only expect
Korean language to be available. Additional pictures and map of the location are available on the website below.
Lotte Cinema Dunsan 롯데시네마 둔산If you want a watch a movie at a theater, this is the closest. It is located across the street from the
Dunsan Intercity Terminal where you can take an airport bus to Incheon Airport (bus terminal is marked as ⓒ on the directions page). Use an
elevator and go up to the 12th floor for purchasing tickets via machine or with a human behind the ticket
counter. Instead of waiting in line, many theaters require you to get a queue ticket and wait for your number to
be called. Your movie ticket will say which floor, aisle, and seat is yours as seats are chosen when you
purchase the tickets. Depending on the staff, they may try to have you select which seats you want.
To help the domestic film industry, there is a limit on the number of foreign films that enter Korea, so expect
only bigger and well known films to be shown. Korean subtitles are the norm for foreign films and sometimes
children films are dubbed. "Jamak" (자막) means a film has subtitles and "deobing" (더빙) means the film has been
dubbed. Check out the snack bar as there might be some popcorn flavors you haven't tried. Some theaters also
sell beer and octopus, which is quite tasty.
ⓑ 7 minutes by taxi (5,000 won), 35 minutes by bus
Daejeon Observatory 대전시민천문대This is Korea's first observatory open to the public. Three stories tall with telescopes on the roof,
exhibit room, and dome theater. The observatory is located at the top of a hill, some you’ll need to walk even
if you take a taxi, and the entrance is on the second floor only accessible by stairs.
Opens at 2 PM, closes at 10 PM, the latest you can enter is 9:50 PM. Admission is free. Closed Mondays, public
holidays, and the day after certain holidays.
ⓒ 10 minutes by taxi (5,000 won), 35 minutes by bus
Geological Museum KIGAM 지질박물관Rocks, minerals, dinosaurs, petrified wood, microscopes and more. Exhibitions are spread over five
halls on two floors with a floor space of 2,500㎡. Very kid friendly with some hands on exhibits and plenty of
things to see. The entrance greets visitors with several dinosaur displays and a giant globe showing ocean floor
topography. The main exhibition area is packed with fossils and descriptions are bilingual. Some entrance and
exit signs are monolingual but that shouldn’t slow you down. The Discovery Room has touch screens and virtual
reality facilities and is open 10 AM ~ 12 PM daily and 2 ~ 4 PM weekdays and 1:30 ~ 4:30 PM weekends.
The second floor is only accessible by stairs and has a wide variety of rocks, minerals, and even some
meteorites. Part of the display shows how these elements are integrated into everyday items. Next to the display
is a small museum shop open limited hours. The Science Room is a lab with microscopes, a virtual geological map
of Korea, and a virtual reality mining experience. Hours are same with the Discovery Room on the first
floor.
You can borrow a free audio guide player if you bring an ID as collateral. A smartphone app also
gives guides in several languages. Special events are held in April and May for children and their families.
These events are announced on their website one month prior. If you need a break there is a coffee shop outside
100 meters from the entrance. Near the museum entrance is a large grass field for kids to burn off extra energy
and is lined with around 30 samples of everything from petrified wood to basalt and melikaria. Building is
labeled B1 and is located next to a major entrance. Doors open at 10 AM, last admission at 4:30 PM, and
closes at 5 PM. Closed Mondays and most holidays. Admission is free.
Currency Museum 화폐박물관Owned by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation, this museum provides information on
currency culture and creation. Coins and paper currency from ancient times to modern are on display in the first
gallery. Located on the second floor, the banknote gallery focuses on the manufacture of Korean banknotes and
some overseas bills. The third hall shows anti-counterfeiting techniques currently in usage. The last room shows
other items minted in Korea and overseas. Doors open at 10 AM, last admission at 4:30 PM, and closes at 5 PM.
Closed most holidays.
Emart 이마트This is the closest large grocery store and the easiest to access. This seven story building has
shopping on the bottom three floors and parking on the rest. The first and second floor are exclusively Emart
brand and customers can easily go between those two floors with shopping carts on magnetic escalators. The third
floor contains a series of clothing stores, each with their own sales staff and registers.
3F Clothing stores 2F Grocery store – nonperishable goods, Food
court 1F Grocery store – perishable goods
Store opens at 10 AM and closes at 11 PM daily
but is closed every second and fourth Sundays.
Time World 갤러리아타임월드Galleria, also known as Time World, is a shopping mall located to the south and is a popular meeting
place for residents. Like other department stores in Korea, the brand owns the buildings and rents space to
various merchants who match with their concept. There are two buildings, the Center is the main structure and is
12 floors tall, and the West building which is 2 floors tall.
- Center Building Floor Guide
12 Family park, fitness center, Korean buffet, hair spa
11 Food court
10 Cultural center, children play area, gallery, hair shop, kids café, lifestyle shop
9 Home appliances, furniture, bedding, kitchen utensils
8 Outdoor, sports
7 Jeans, unisex casual, golf wear, miscellaneous goods
6 Men’s clothing, casual, sports, ties, cafe
5 Woman’s clothing lingerie, furs, children’s clothing, infant lounge
4 Young casual, underwear, miscellaneous goods
3 Import, casual and formal clothing
2 Luxury goods
1 Luxury goods, makeup, coffee shop
B1 Handbags, jewelry
B2 Food court, wine, grocery store, health and beauty
Doors open at 10:30 AM and close at 8 PM most nights. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays they close at 8:30 PM.
ⓓ 17 minutes by taxi (8,000 won), 45 minutes by bus
Daejeon Children’s Center 대전어린이회관 ▲ Image
copyright http://www.djkids.or.kr.Located at the east side of World Cup Stadium, this child focused cultural facility has 3,5200㎡ indoor
space and 2,250㎡ outdoor space, weather permitting. If you have children who want to burn off some energy, this
could be a good option. The facility is separated into five indoor sections with space for running, interactive
displays, sports, and jobs. The outdoor area has animal themed slides, sand, a circular pagoda, and a water
fountain. Website is bilingual but English contents are limited. Pictures of the play sections are available
only on the Korean language version of the site, so check out the second link to visually see what is
available. Tickets cost 3,000 won per child and 1,500 per guardian. Admission includes the use of one
experience zone. Facilities also include luggage storage and nursing room for breast feeding. Opens at 10 AM and
closes at 6 PM. Closed every Monday, January 1, Chuseok, and New Year’s Days.
Dongchundang 동춘당If you are interested in seeing traditional Korean buildings, hanok (한옥), this is another worth
visiting. This park has several sets of buildings, two small ponds, and a large grass area perfect for kids to
run. The building to the south was a guesthouse and educational facility used by a number of scholars when it
was reconstructed in 1653. The other buildings on the site were residential and first built in the late 15th
century. Also rebuilt over the years, the current shape resembles its construction in 1835. Designated a
national treasure in 1963. A tour guide is on site during certain hours but only expect Korean language to be
available. A traditional performance art building is also located at the side of the property and occasionally
gives performances in their theater. A small museum showing traditional music and instruments is also open to
the public free to charge. One of the tour guides personally translated the signs and has photocopies of it at
the information desk. Opens at 10 AM, closes at 5 PM. No entrance fee. Additional pictures of the location
are available on the website below.
Sky Road 으능정이 문화의거리 / 스카이로드 Sometimes called Uineungjeongi Cultural Street, Sky Road is named this due to the large video screens
above the main pedestrian walkway that is turned on in the evenings from 6 or 7 PM until 10 or 11 PM most
nights. This is a shopping area both above ground and if you cross the stream the shopping area is below ground
and goes all the way to Daejeon Station. This shopping area is within walking distance from Daejeon Station;
roughly 550 meters. If you take the subway, get off at Jungangno Station (중앙로역) and head out of Exit #1. The
main street with the overhead video screens is the second on your right, but taking a right on any of the four
streets prior to the river will give you good access to the area.
Sungsimdang Bakery / 성심당 When you ask people “what is there to do in Daejeon?” the answer is always “go to Sungsimdang Bakery.” Founded in 1956, the bakery now has several locations, including one in the Daejeon Convention Center and in Daejeon Station itself along with several restaurants in Daejeon. If you are curious how popular they are, go to the lobby in Daejeon Station and see how many people are holding a bag from the bakery. They are most known for soboro bread (소보로빵) which is a sweet bun with a streusel-like upper crust. Pope Francis visited in 2014 and the owner of the bakery was bestowed with the Order of St. Gregory the Great shortly after. Their headquarters is located in the Sky Road area. Samples are randomly available for a number of their breads and a restaurant area is upstairs.
Daedong Sky Park and Murals 대동 벽화마을Daedong or Dae District was formed by Daejeon refugees fleeing the civil war back in the 1950s. Out of
the way to avoid the fighting, it took Daejeon City awhile to enlarge enough to properly connect with the area
but it has always been a poorer district of the city. After seeing how murals can transform areas, the local
government puts on an annual mural competition as part of efforts to revitalize the area. An artsy coffee shop
has opened near some of the murals and there is a small windmill on the top of the hill. Views are nice in both
the day and evening and you can easily spot Daejeon Station from the top of the hill.
ⓖ 30 minutes by taxi (15,500 won), 1 hour 10 minutes by bus
Gyeryong Mountain 계룡산 ▲ Image copyright
Wikipedia.Frequently written as Gyeryongsan or Gyeryongsan National Park, the main 845-meter-tall
mountain lies at the edge of the cities of Daejeon, Gongju, Gyeryong, and Nonsan. The name directly translates
to "rooster crown + dragon + mountain" as hikers who reach the summit say the ridge line resembles a dragon with
the crown of a rooster. The park is spread over an area of 64.6 ㎢ and has multiple entrances. The main entrance
is frequently written as 계룡산국립공원사무소, is west of Daejeon past the national cemetery and is the closest to IBS HQ
and KAIST. There are a number of Buddhist temples on the mountains but the main one people visit from that
entrance is Donghaksa (동학사).
Most of the area is open to the public from May 1st until November 30th and
has a number of hiking trails.
Gyeryong Mountain Pottery Village 계룡산도예촌While technically in Gongju City, this communal
village was formed in 1993 by 18 potters in their 30s and early 40s as a place to practice their craft. Located
next to a village with nearly the same name, you might want to show a taxi driver this address so you arrive at
the correct area: 도예촌길 63. This address will take you to a ceramic culture center (계룡산 도자문화관) that shows works
from the various artists. This location will give you a general idea of what is available and therefore which
pottery store to head to as every artist makes their own unique ceramics. The building is hard to miss as the
entrance is located in a several-meter-tall vase with traditional fish artwork, as shown above. However, the map
of the area is easy to miss so click here to get a general idea of the area. The culture center
is located at the bottom of the map and the circle with trees is actually a parking lot and is a good place to
start as you’ll have choices of places to visit in nearly every direction and everything is within close walking
distance.
The ceramics are a mix of new and traditional with familiar designs or patterns. A fish (물고기)
represents wealth, a large family, career success, and marital happiness. A lotus (연) symbolizes sophisticated
individuals who are not influenced by society much like the lotus flower blooms a beautiful flower in muddy
water. The peony flower (피오니) represents wealth and fame. The yeouidoo (여의두) has curls similar to clouds, is an
object used by Buddhist monks, and represents prosperity in everything and the virtue of a priest.
Some
of the traditional pottery uses a white clay with dark brown or black paint. This "paint" is actually old lead
that was ground up and painted onto the pottery. This centuries old method is still used in this village but
nowhere else in the country. Originals can still be seen in Donghaksa Temple near the main entrance of Gyeryong
Mountain.
The area makes a distinction between ceramics and porcelain as the former is baked in kilns
between 950 and 1100 °C and the latter is baked at over 1300 °C and the soil properties determines which
temperature is better for the final object. A number of kilns are located in the area and are a mixture of
traditional structures built with clay and electric. The area is rather quiet during work hours but gets pretty
busy during weekends.
Sutonggol 수통골This area is another entrance to
Gyeryongsan National Park and is farther south than the main entrance mentioned previously but by bus this is an
easier location to reach as #104 runs the route and ends at Sutonggol. The area has a number of restaurants and
coffee shops lining a small stream that connects with an entrance to the national park. Fifteen minute walking
distance to Hanbat National University means the area has a younger vibe compared to other entrances to the
mountains. The location is also popular with hikers who want to have a meal or drinks after trekking. The road
is one way so be careful not to leave a parking lot going the wrong way. Best to visit when flowers and foliage
are in bloom.
ⓗ 35 minutes by taxi (15,000 won), 1 hour 20 minutes by bus
Daecheong Lake, Dam, and Park 대청호반자연생태공원Daecheong Dam was constructed in 1980 which then was the start of Daecheong Lake. There is a museum
near the dam and a small park. Various restaurants surround the lake and the observation area provides a great
view of the dam and city. Several roads are also lined with cherry blossom trees which draws a number of people
during their brief blooming period. The Daecheong Dam Water Culture Center is located directly next to the top
of the dam after many flights of stairs, English content unknown.
ⓘ 37 minutes by taxi (14,000 won), 1 hour by bus
O-World 오-월드 ▲ Image copyright Wikipedia.This
cultural theme park includes a zoo with 130 species of animals, 17 rides, and a number of flowers. The park is
divided into Zoo Land, Flower Land, Joy Land (rides), and Bird Land. The park opens at 9:30 or 10:30 and closes
at 6 or 8 PM depending on the season. Generally, tickets are 12,000 won for adults or 29,000 to access the
safari, rides, and other areas but prices also fluctuate depending on the time of year.
ⓙ 50 minutes by taxi (26,000 won), 1 hour 45 minutes by bus
Yetteo Folk Village 옛터민속박물관Technically located in Daejeon by very far south of the city, Yetteo is a privately owned folk village
with a traditional restaurant, coffee and tea shop, Western restaurant, and modestly sized museum. After four
years of work since their groundbreaking, they opened in 2001 and have become a popular location for taking a
break away from the city. While taking up only a small parcel of land, the property is very well designed and
very photogenic in both the day and night time. They ferment and sell their own kimchee, soy sauce, and chili
paste, among others. Ample parking is available and as of late 2018 they are undergoing an expansion of their
facilities. Difficult to get to but worth the trip. Museum is open 10 AM to 10 PM. Their traditional Korean
restaurant is open 11:30 AM until midnight, Western restaurant 11:30 AM until 10 PM, and tea/coffee shop opens
10 AM and closes 12:30 AM Sunday through Thursday and 1 AM Fridays and Saturdays.
