Stand on the platform at Iksan Train Station and you can watch the Honam Line, the Jeolla Line and the Janghang Line meet in a single junction, with KTX and Saemaul trains passing through all day. This is a city that has been a transport centre since the Baekje period, and the rail lines are still the easiest way to reach it.
Iksan suits travellers who are interested in Baekje history, in Korea's literary and religious heritage, or in the country's jewellery trade. It rewards a slow day of temple sites, museums and markets rather than a quick stop between Seoul and Gwangju.
1. Mireuksa Temple Site
This UNESCO Heritage Site was the largest Buddhist temple in Baekje, established in the 6th century by King Mu. The temple is believed to have been destroyed during the late Joseon Dynasty, but the west and east pagodas and cornerstones still stand. The west pagoda is the largest stone pagoda in East Asia and shows the transition of building materials from wood to stone.
The pagoda was unstable even after a Japanese concrete support was added, so it went through restoration and was opened to the public in 2019. The restoration took 18 years, because rushed reconstruction of the east pagoda caused many controversies. Entry is free. Reach the site by bus 41, 41-1, 60, 60-1, 60-3 from Iksan station, and combine it with the National Iksan Museum next door.
2. National Iksan Museum
Formerly known as Mireuksaji Museum, this reopened as a national museum in 2020. It holds many treasures from the Mireuksaji Temple and Baekje artifacts from the Iksan and Gunsan region. It sits next to the Mireuksa Temple site, so the two make a natural pair.
Opening hours are 09:00-18:00 Tuesday to Friday and 09:00-19:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is free.
3. Jewelry Museum
The Iksan Jewelry Museum houses 119,000 rare jewels and fossils, and provides a complex culture and exhibition where history and culture coexist, letting visitors enjoy the benefits of various cultures. It opened in May 2002 next to a Dinosaur museum.
This is the anchor of the city's identity as "The City of Jewelry". If your visit falls in April or October, pair it with the Iksan Jewelry Festival.
4. Wanggung-ri Relics Museum
This is a relic presumed to be a royal palace. It was used as a palace during the Baekje period, but is presumed to have been changed to a temple in later generations, and then the temple was destroyed and turned into a ruin over the years.
It stands at 631-30 Wanggung-ri, Wanggung-myeon. The same area hosts the Iksan Jewelry Festival at 8 Hoban-ro, Wanggung-myeon, so the two can be seen on the same trip.
5. Nabawi Cathedral
Nabawi Cathedral is a unique type of building that combines Korean and Western architecture. The front is decorated with a Gothic three-storey vertical bell tower and an arched entrance, while the roof and walls maintain the traditional wooden hanok shape.
It is at 146, Nabawi 1-gil, Mangseong-myeon. Go for the architecture rather than for a service, and take your time over the contrast between the Gothic front and the hanok body.
6. Iksan Soil Castle
This is a fortress with a circumference of about 714 m, a theme-type earthen castle built using both soil and stone. Facilities such as the south gate, water polo and building sites remain in the earthen castle.
It is at san 52-2 Seogodori, Geumma-myeon, and can be reached on +82 63-859-5797. Wear shoes you do not mind getting dusty, as the earthworks are the point of the visit.
7. Prison filming location
If you have ever watched a prison scene in a Korean film or drama, chances are it was filmed here, at the country's only purpose-built prison set. It is at 154-4, Wacho-ri, Seongdang-myeon.
This is a set rather than a historic site, so treat it as a look behind the camera. It pairs well with the prison experience below, which is in the same district.
8. Experiencing Prisoners in Prison
The set consists of the first and second floors, and the interior and exterior walls of the building are equipped with phrases necessary for edification. Although it is an experience, you will see how precious freedom is.
It runs 10:00-17:00 at Hamnang-ro 207, Seongdang-myeon, on +82 63-859-3836, and is free. Book ahead if you are coming as a group.
9. Garam Literature Museum
Garam Byung-gi Lee, whose pen name was Garam, was a scholar of Korean literature who established the theory of Modern Korean Sijo, the traditional three-verse Korean poem. This literature museum was founded to commemorate his achievement in Korean literature.
It is at Garam 1-gil 76, Yeosan-myeon, on +82 63-832-1891. Hours are 09:00-18:00 from March to October and 09:00-17:00 from November to February, and it is closed every Monday.
10. Experience making red pepper paste
Here you can see more than 3,500 traditional jars on 20,000 pyeong, and experience making red pepper paste using only organic ingredients. It is at 1424-14 Iksan-daero, Hamyeol-eup, on +82 63-861-2288, and costs ₩15000.
This is a hands-on stop rather than a viewing one, so allow time to work. The rows of jars are the sight as much as the paste itself.
11. Iksan Jewelry Festival
Held in April and October, this festival lets you buy jewellery at reasonable prices as well as watch 60 jewellery companies' colourful jewellery and heartfelt works. There are also various attractions such as the Royal Palace Jewel Theme Tourist Site and the Baekje Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It takes place at 8 Hoban-ro, Wanggung-myeon, on +82 63-834-5100. Because it shares its setting with Wanggung-ri, plan the two together.
12. Chrysanthemum Festival
Various events are held here, including outdoor chrysanthemum exhibitions, promotion and sales of agricultural products, national chrysanthemum product contests and cultural performances. It is at Hamaro 322, on +82 63-859-4977.
The wider city festival calendar also includes the 10,000,000 Chrysanthemum Festival in October and November, the Iksan Jewelry Expo, the Seodong Festival and the Stone Culture Festival. Check which is running before you book.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Mireuksa Temple Site, reached by bus 41, 41-1, 60, 60-1, 60-3 from Iksan station. Walk the west and east pagodas and the cornerstones, then step next door to the National Iksan Museum for the Mireuksaji treasures and Baekje artifacts.
Afternoon: Head to the Jewelry Museum for the jewels and fossils, then continue to Wanggung-ri Relics Museum to see the presumed Baekje palace site. If you are visiting in April or October, the Iksan Jewelry Festival at Wanggung-myeon fits into the same afternoon.
Evening: Finish at Nabawi Cathedral in Mangseong-myeon, where the Gothic bell tower and arched entrance sit above a traditional wooden hanok body. The changing light suits the mix of stone front and timber walls.
How do I get to Iksan?
The railway junction is where the Jeolla and Janghang lines meet the Honam Line and the Honam HSR, and it is served by frequent trains to and from Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Mokpo, Jeonju, Suncheon and Yeosu. Iksan Bus Terminal also provides daily bus service to most cities in South Korea, with express buses to Seoul, Ansan and Incheon.
Which museums in Iksan are free?
The National Iksan Museum is free, and so is the Mireuksa Temple Site. The prison experience is free as well. The red pepper paste experience costs ₩15000.
When are the festivals held?
The Iksan Jewelry Festival runs in April and October. The 10,000,000 Chrysanthemum Festival is held in October and November. Other festivals with various themes are held through the year, all reflecting local history and culture.
What is the local story associated with Iksan?
Local tradition includes the story of Seodong and Seonhwa, which was broadcast from 2005 to 2006 as "Sedongyo" and is also dramatized in the Paradise in Autumn Festival.
Check the festival calendar and train times, then start building your own day around the pagoda, the museums and the jewellery quarter.