Seoul K-Medi Center: Learn About Traditional Korean Medicine
Are you interested to learn about traditional Korean medicine? Ever wonder where you should go in Seoul to get learn more about holistic Korean medicine?
If you haven’t heard of the Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Market, then now is the time. Specifically for this post though, we’re going to delve into the Seoul K-Medi Center (서울한방진흥센터), a space built purposefully in the pursuit of teaching more about the traditional Korean medicines so locals and tourists can learn more about holistic medicine.
I had visited Yangnyeongsi Market years ago before this center was established and I did not know what I was looking at at all. This center is really impressive and offers a lot in the way of Korean holistic medicine education so get ready!
Take a trip to the Seoul K-Medi Center near Yangnyeongsi Herbal Market in Seoul:
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How To Get There
Address: 26 Yangnyeongjungang-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 동대문구 약령중앙로 26)
By Public Transportation: Go out of Jegi-dong Station, exit 2. Walk straight to turn left on a road just after the station and walk straight for a bit. You’ll find the center on the right. It can’t be missed.
Basic Info
Hours: March – October: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm; November – February: 10:00am ~ 5:00pm
Days: Closed Mondays, public holidays, and New Year’s Day
Website: kmedi.ddm.go.kr
What To Know
Seoul K Medi Center is a multipurpose cultural complex that was established to promote traditional medicine through exhibitions, educational programs, and participatory activities. At the heart of the Yangnyeongsi Herbal Market in Seoul where there are medicinal herbs galore sold along the streets.
If you’ve ever been interested in Korean traditional medicine and want to learn more about it, definitely start here. When you walk up to the building you’ll immediately note how striking the building it. It was built to look like a traditional Hanok, but it’s much larger than most Hanoks you have probably seen. Through their activities and programs, they hope to help the general public gain a better understanding of traditional Korean medicine, which has a rather remarkable history.
The Seoul K Medi Center is made up of a number of different facilities related to traditional herbal medicine including the Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Museum, the Korean Medical Clinic and Bojewon K-herb Experience, the K-Beautyshop, the K-herb Promotion Zone, the K-herb Café, the K-herb Foot Bath, and the Yaksun Cooking Classroom. To say there is plenty to do here is an understatement.
What To Do
Programs and events at the Seoul K Medi Center range from history lectures to guided museum tours, participatory activities, special talks by doctors of Korean medicine, and monthly concerts. Tourists and local foreign residents are welcome to attend any and all programs.
Visit the museum
The Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Museum (서울약령시한의약박물관) presents an introduction to traditional Korean medicine and its history, medicinal herbs, remedies, and presents how nature can be healing.
There are interactive videos and they offer activities to cultivate and collect medicinal herbs, and learn about nutritional therapy as related to your own personal body constitution. You’ll find this a lot in Korea when you visit spas that they will ask what your personal body constitution is in order to recommend what baths you should soak in.
- Fee: W1,000
Get a massage
The Korean Medical Clinic and Bojewon program promotes the historical value of Bojewon, a medical institution from the Joseon period which tended to the healthcare needs of the people. You can experience the meridian and acupuncture of oriental medicine through a heating massage mat and heated eye covering and breathe in the delicate aroma.
- Fee: The Bojewon Oriental Medicine Experience is W5,000
- Experience Times: 11:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm
- The experience is first-come, first-served and you can check in at the information desk on the first floor so check in when you arrive in case some times are booked up, you can reserve a time later and go to the museum first.
Enjoy a foot bath
Visit the K-herb Foot Bath Healing Center and comfort the mind and body while resting your feet in warm water with medicinal herbs. Seasonal herbs are used like wormwood or chrysanthemum. It’s a beautiful space and you can experience the “head is cold, and feet are warm” health secret of Koreans.
- Fee: W6,000 per person. There can be up to two people in one herbal bath if you want.
- Experience Times: 10:20am, 11:20am, 1:20pm, 2:20pm, 3:20pm, 4:20pm
- The experience is first-come, first-served and you can check in at the information desk on the first floor so check in when you arrive in case some times are booked up, you can reserve a time later and go to the museum first.
Join a cooking class
The Yaksun Cooking Classroom specializes in individualized food suggestions and provides healthy recipes of dishes made with medicinal herbs. There are classes to learn how to make herbal medicine tea, herbal medicine dessert, handmade fruit syrups, and herbal medicine lunch boxes.
- Fee: W15,000 ~ W30,000 per person depending on the cooking program
- Experience Times: 10:00am ~ 1:00pm
- To Book A Time: Call the Seoul K-Medi Center at 02-969-9241 to book a day
Buy some herbal cosmetics
Visit the K-Beauty Shop, K-herb Promotion Zone and buy some high quality medicinal herb based eco-friendly cosmetics and hair products. Traditional medicine products have beneficial effects for the health. There are also teas and other everyday goods for sale if you want to kickstart your herb based lifestyle. You’ll find that the best-selling products from the Yangnyeongsi Market and selected products from around the country are presented according to theme for you to easily find what you’re looking for.
Enjoy some herbal tea
If you love herbal tea like I do, then don’t miss out on a visit to the Chamdajeong Café where they have a wide variety of herbal medicine teas. You can also enjoy traditional foods like yakseon lotus leaf rice, pumpkin porridge, and traditional Korean rice cake.
- Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9:00am ~ 8:00pm; Sunday: 12:00am ~ 6:00pm
Take a market tour
If you want to go beyond the Seoul K-Medi Center and see the living herbal market that surrounds the center, then sign up to take a market tour with a guide. There’s a lot to learn about the modern and historical value of the area. The “Tour around Yakridan-gil” is a great program to understand and learn more about the nearby market with a docent.
- Fee: W10,000 per person
- Experience Time: March – June & September – November on Tuesdays through Fridays at 2:00pm
- Language: Tours are available in Korean, English, and Japanese
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