Hugging the west bank of the Gapcheon River, Yuseong is a lively district in the South Korean city of Daejeon. It’s home to family-friendly museums and a landmark bridge and is on the doorstep of one of South Korea’s first national parks.
Things to do in Yuseong-gu
Travelling with kids? Don’t miss a visit to the KIGAM Geological Museum, which features an impressive array of life-size dinosaur skeletons and ancient fossils. Established in 2001, it’s the first museum dedicated to geology in South Korea and regularly hosts geology-related film screenings, lectures and hands-on experiences.
Yuseong District is also home to the National Science Museum, which opened in Seoul in 1926 before moving to Daejeon in 1990. Marvel at the vintage airplanes and boats on display in the outdoor area before stepping inside, where you can get hands-on in the worlds of biology and space. A highlight of the museum is its dome-shaped observatory hall where laser shows are held. A short stroll from the museum is the Expo Bridge, a twin-arched landmark that’s colourfully illuminated at night.
Sprawling west of Yuseong District is Gyeryongsan National Park, which was established in 1968 as South Korea’s second national park. It centres around the summit of “Rooster-Dragon” Mountain and is renowned amongst locals for its Feng shui characteristics. Follow one of the hiking trails that wind through its lush valleys where Japanese snowbells and Mongolian oaks grow, providing habitat for small-eared cats, otters and black woodpeckers.
Getting around Yuseong-gu
Yuseong District is around 35 minutes by train from the centre of Daejeon and one hour from Cheongju International Airport, which has flights to destinations across Asia. Regular trains connect destinations throughout Yuseong District to central Daejeon while a network of buses travels throughout the district.