Seoul Culture

Korean culture is alive and well, with traditional performances staged everywhere from palace grounds to night markets. The city's most prominent performing arts centres are Seoul Arts Center (tel: (02) 580 1300; website: www.sac.or.kr) and Sejong Center for the Performing Arts (tel: (02) 399 1114; website: www.sejongpac.or.kr), which offer music, theatre, dance and film as well as art exhibitions.

The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (tel: (02) 580 3300; website: www.ncktpa.go.kr), National Theater of Korea (tel: (02) 2280 4125; website: www.ntok.go.kr) and Chongdong Theater (tel: (02) 7511 500; website: www.chongdong.com) have regular traditional Korean performances. Seoul Nori Madang (tel: (02) 410 3168/9), an outdoor amphitheatre, and Namsangol Hanok Village (tel: (02) 2266 6923; website: http://fpcp.or.kr) have free outdoor performances in summer.

Dinner theatres such as at the traditional Korea House (tel: (02) 2266 9101/3; website: www.koreahouse.or.kr) combine traditional Korean table d'hôte with a folk music and dance show. The popular show, ‘Cookin' Nanta', which uses kitchen skills and tricks to create a spectacle, is held at the Nanta Theatre (tel: (02) 739 8288; website: www.nanta.co.kr).

Cinemas such as the 16-screen state of the art Megabox, COEX Mall, 159-1 Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu (tel: (02) 6002 1200; website: www.megabox.co.kr), show English-language and world-renowned Korean films and are concentrated in Gangnam-gu.