The Atlas Obscura Guide To South Korea

110 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in South Korea

Updated August 7, 2026

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Unusual Attractions in South Korea

The park was built in 1980, and has a few of the decade’s icons still on hand.

Seoul, South Korea

Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park

Plenty of old carney magic still haunts this photogenic amusement park.

The cafe is known for its excellent drip coffee.

Seoul, South Korea

Coffee Hanyakbang

About as hidden as can be, this specialty coffee shop is wedged between multi-story buildings at the end of a dark, skinny alleyway in Seoul.

One of a few cheese wheel buildings.

Imsil-gun, South Korea

Imsil Cheese Theme Park

A 32-acre fun park dedicated to all things cheese.

Different varieties of kimchi at the museum.

Seoul, South Korea

Museum Kimchikan

Tracking the 1,500-year history of Korea's star cabbage.

Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain

Seoul, South Korea

Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain

The world's longest bridge fountain has hundreds of nozzles that create a beautiful, illuminated spectacle.

The park is structured around a lake that contains a larger-than-life statue of two pairs of entwined legs, upside-down in the water as if the partners’ upper bodies are under the lake’s surface.

Jeju-si, South Korea

Jeju Loveland

South Korea's only sex-themed park.

Third Tunnel of Aggression. (Wikimedia Commons)

Paju, South Korea

Third Tunnel of Aggression

Secret North Korean passage discovered below the world's most dangerous border.

See All 110 Things To Do in South Korea

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in South Korea

The cafe is known for its excellent drip coffee.

Seoul, South Korea

Coffee Hanyakbang

About as hidden as can be, this specialty coffee shop is wedged between multi-story buildings at the end of a dark, skinny alleyway in Seoul.

One of a few cheese wheel buildings.

Imsil-gun, South Korea

Imsil Cheese Theme Park

A 32-acre fun park dedicated to all things cheese.

Different varieties of kimchi at the museum.

Seoul, South Korea

Museum Kimchikan

Tracking the 1,500-year history of Korea's star cabbage.

See all 11 Places to Eat in South Korea

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore South Korea

Architecture 24

History & Culture 18

Museums 16

Buddhism 14

Architectural Oddities 11

Temples 10

Water 8

Art 7

Pagodas 6

Sculptures 6

Design 5

Parks 5

Sacred Spaces 5

Islands 5

Statues 5

Royalty 5

Military 5

Nature 4

Amusement Parks 4

Colonialism 4

Places To Stay 2

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wants to go to ‘Jangdokdae’
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wants to go to Sewoon Sangga (Sewoon Plaza)
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wants to go to Sky Pizza
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has been to Gamcheon Culture Village

Stories About South Korea

Grilled eel and all the sides.

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Enjoy sizzling shellfish and duck over charcoal.

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Mafra Palace Library is home to a colony of itty-bitty bats that keep its many historic volumes safe from pests.

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Here, brunost shavings garnish a cup of ice cream.

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At Yangdong Market in Gwangju, a statue of a hand holding jumeokbap aloft honors the humble food.

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The no-man’s-land between North and South Korea.

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Earlier this year, excavations at Wolseong Palace unearthed more evidence of human sacrifice during its construction.

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Remains sealed in the foundations suggest builders would do anything to protect the heart of a fledgling kingdom.

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Standard toilets like this one are not usually profitable enterprises for the user, but a new project in South Korea is changing that.

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The project transforms human waste into biogas, and allows participants to buy everything from bananas to socks.

by Jessica Leigh Hester, Atlas Obscura

Lists Featuring South Korea

Third Tunnel of Aggression. (Wikimedia Commons)

Heyri Art Valley

The not-at-all bustling entrance to Dorasan Station.

Bridge of No Return

7 Places Worth Trying to See on a Visit to the Korean DMZ

One of the world’s most historically contentious borders is peppered with intriguing attractions.

Including Third Tunnel of Aggression, Heyri Art Valley, and Dorasan Station