Way up in the hills of Seoul’s Hongdae neighborhood is the oft-overlooked Modern Design Museum (근현대디자인박물관), founded in 2008 by university professor Park Arm-Jong. The two-story space houses his 15,000-item collection of design paraphernalia, including spooky daguerreotypes, nationalist pins, wartime postcards, 1960s toys and electronics (fridges, TV sets, washing machines), and a bundle of official merchandise from the 1988 Olympics. An additional gallery in the basement is devoted to contemporary arts; when we stopped by, the artists themselves were on hand to talk about their work. Admission is 5,000 won ($4.41 USD).

36 Wausan-ro 30-gil, Seogang-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea; +82-70-7010-4346.