Korea Trip 2022: Hopping Around South Chungcheong Province

My younger uncle on my dad’s side and his family live in the city of Asan, and my plan was to spend a few days with them immediately following my two-and-a-half-week-long trip in the southern part of Korea. From Jeonju, I took a KTX train to 처난아산역 경부고속선 (고속철도) [Cheonan-Asan Station Gyeongbu Highway Line (Express Railroad)] | Naver link. After arriving, I used Kakao T to get a taxi, which then took me to my uncle’s apartment; the fare cost ₩7,900 ($5.59). It was nearing 2:00pm when I arrived, and after settling in a bit, I decided to get a late lunch. Apartment complexes generally tend to have dining and shopping areas nearby, and this place was no different.

A quick Naver search led me to 스시우이 (Sushi Ui) | Naver link, which was empty - not a complete surprise, as they were about to take their afternoon break (this is common for a lot of restaurants in Korea) within the hour. Using a tablet located at my table, I quickly ordered the 우이특초밥세트 (Ui Special Sushi Set), which cost ₩19,000 ($13.45). Minutes later, this came with a cabbage salad, pickled radishes, one fried shrimp, fish cakes in broth, and 12 pieces of sushi. The sushi spread was prepared well and tasted quite nice, with my favorites being the soy sauce marinated raw shrimp, raw octopus, and tuna. I liked the accompanying dishes as well, making for a great meal overall.

After lunch, I walked back to my uncle’s apartment and took a nap. When my uncle’s wife and sons arrived home, I spent the night reconnecting and getting to know them better. My uncle was actually on a work trip out in Gangwon Province and would return the following evening. Since the others had work and school the next day, that left me essentially a full day to myself. I asked my uncle’s wife for local recommendations, and she graciously gave me some.

The next morning, after everyone else had already taken off, I walked over to a bus stop to take a bus over to 현충사 (Hyeonchungsa Shrine) | Naver link, which is the shrine of Yi Sun-sin, the renowned admiral and military general who emerged victorious over the Japanese navy during the Imjin War in the Joseon Dynasty. The shrine’s grounds are very wide and showcase a multitude of fascinating things such as a nearly-500-year-old ginkgo tree, Yi’s archery range, and his home. Also located on the grounds are tombs for Yi’s family members, including his descendents. The shrine’s biggest draw is Yi’s memorial portrait, which is proudly and reverently displayed at the “new” shrine (the old one still stands). For history buffs who want to know more about Yi and the Imjin War ought to check out the 현충사 유물관 (Hyeonchungsa Shrine Museum), which is quite thorough in its coverage, though none of their descriptions are in English.

After leaving the shrine, I walked down a path straight toward 곡교천 (Gokgyocheon Stream), where I soon found myself on the 현충사 곡교천 은행나무길 (Hyeonchungsa Gokgyocheon Ginkgo Tree Road) | Naver link. This ginkgo tree-lined road stretches for several kilometers along the stream, and it provided impressive sights galore (even though the leaves were still green) and a thoroughly relaxing experience. There are plenty of restaurants and cafe located nearby, and I also saw a couple food trucks even though they weren’t in service. I walked westward on this road until I crossed 충무교 (Chungmugyo Bridge) | Naver link and started heading south on 충무로 (Chungmu-ro) into the heart of Asan.

I must have walked for about a half hour before interesting restaurants started appearing, and after a quick Naver search, I entered 진주황포냉면 (Jinju Hwangpo Naengmyeon) | Naver link. The day was quite warm, and a bowl of cold naengmyeon sounded like the perfect antidote. I ordered 섞어냉면 (mixed naengmyeon) and 메밀꿩만두 (buckwheat dumplings), which cost ₩17,000 ($12.05) in total. The naengmyeon came topped with a heap of cucumbers, radishes, sliced meat pancake, and 황태무침 (seasoned dried and shredded pollack). I initially really enjoyed this dish and how these different flavors came together, but the more I ate it, it got less appetizing; the meat pancake seemed to progressively stick out texturally. The dumplings - which were steamed quite well - fared better.

From the restaurant, I took a taxi over to 신정호 (Sinjeongho Lake) | Naver link, with the fare costing ₩4,600 ($3.26). Though the sun was out, it and the skies seemed obscured, as though a veil had been cast between us. While I did wonder whether this was Asian dust (which can get severe in Korea), air conditions were said to be quite good. In any case, this added an almost ethereal quality to the lake, which I enjoyed observing as I walked around the its northeast end. I figured there would be a lot of people out and about since this was a Friday afternoon, but there were only a handful, and most of them were inside nearby cafes and restaurants.

Going to a cafe after a meal is always a good idea in Korea, and I found one in 그래비티 신정호수점 (Gravity Coffee Sinjeongho Lake Branch) | Naver link. This inviting cafe is several stories tall and even has an elevator. The 벌꿀휘낭시에 (honey financier) and 고구마라떼 (sweet potato latte) sounded quite out of the ordinary, so I bought both for ₩9,700 ($6.87). With my tray in hand, I took the elevator to the fourth floor rooftop, which was empty and featured a pretty terrific view of the lake. The financier was delectable and still somewhat moist, and it cut apart very easily without being crumbly. On the other hand, the sweet potato latte was incredibly sweet, almost to the point where I had a difficult time finishing the drink. The flavor of the sweet potato certainly came through, but there was no way it should have been that sweet.

My final destination of the day was 외암민속마을 (Oeam Folk Village) | Naver link. I took a taxi from the lake, and the fare cost ₩9,000 ($6.38). Shortly after I arrived, my eyes fell upon a very traditional village that people still live in! The village rises progressively higher up a hilly area, and most of the houses were built facing south or southwest so that they receive a lot of sunlight. In fact, it was established due to the favorable climate (the houses are protected from seasonal winds blowing from the northwest during winter) and the environment, and it became a major clan village starting from the 1500s. I paid the admission fee of ₩2,000 ($1.42) before entering the village. From the main entrance, the first thing I saw were a series of scarecrows propped up on terraced farmland - I didn’t know what was being grown there, but if I guessed, it would have been rice. From there, I could walk inside the village however I pleased, so long as I heeded any residents’ requests to respect their privacy. While a good number of these houses had tiles on their roofs (indicating that regional noble families once lived there), others had thatching (for common families). Scattered throughout the village were shrines and homes that important people once lived in. I loved seeing simple things like fences made from stacked rocks, chestnut husks scattered across a tin awning, and a neighborhood cat strolling about.

While walking inside the village, I stumbled across 여진이네 (Yeojin’s), a hanok cafe that doesn’t even appear on Naver nor KakaoMap. I asked the hostess where to sit, and she told me to walk around the building so I could access the “yard” area, which had quite a collection of flowers as well as multiple tables set up. I stepped onto a platform so I could sit at a 소반 (soban), a traditional tray-like table. I ordered an 아이스티 (iced tea) for ₩3,000 (estimated $2.10), and I sipped on it while quietly observing my surroundings. While I wouldn’t say the tea was extraordinary, it was cold, and it just felt right as I relaxed in that yard.

As I approached the village’s main entrance to leave, I noticed that there appeared to be some kind of an exhibition off to the side. As it turned out, this is the 외암민속관 (Oeam Folk Museum), which showcases the lifestyle of the village’s ancestors. This outdoor museum contains replicas of the houses inhabited by people of varying social classes as well as everyday household items, from farming tools and cookware to bedding and furniture. It was incredible to see how this village had preserved its history, natural environment, and traditional lifestyle.

Some time after I left the village, my uncle’s family (including my uncle, who had just returned from his work trip) and I had dinner at 이차돌 아산배방점 (Ichadol Asan Baebang Branch) | Naver link, which was in the same vicinity as Sushi Ui from the day before. We ended up ordering several rounds of 차돌박이 (thinly sliced brisket) and two 쫄면 (jjolmyeon - a cold noodle dish) to share among the five of us. Thinly sliced brisket is a common sight at any Korean BBQ restaurant, both in Korea and the U.S., and they’re perfect for hungry diners, as they cook completely within seconds on the grill and burst with flavor thanks to the meat’s marbling - making them perfect for ssam. The jjolmyeon came with handfuls of sliced cabbage, carrot, cucumber, soybean sprouts, and egg. Once we mixed everything up with some chili paste, it became a great accompaniment with the meat.

The next day, my uncle’s family and I went on a day trip to the city of Cheonan, specifically to visit the 독립기념관 (Independence Hall of Korea) | Naver link, a massive Korean history museum focusing on the independence movements during the Japanese occupation. This was on a Saturday, and as it turned out, countless other families also had the idea of going. The roads leading to the main entrance were backed up, and by the time we finally entered and managed to find parking, it had taken us nearly an hour to crawl just over a mile.

My uncle and his wife recommended that we first hit up the 독립기념관 단풍나무숲길 (Path of Maple Tree) | Naver link. As its name suggests, this is a hiking trail flanked on either side by many maple trees, making it a popular spot in the park (the Independence Hall really is that massive) on a day like this, as the fall foliage had appeared. The trail was absolutely beautiful because of this, and I couldn’t stop craning my neck to soak in all the brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow, which would clash with the green from the trees whose leaves hadn’t turned. While I would have loved to go all the way down the trail, my cousins started to feel tired after about 15 minutes of walking, so we turned around.

We initially started to head toward the Grand Hall of the Nation - a gargantuan open-air pavilion - but there were crowds of people gathered there, and we realized that there some well-known artist was performing there, which explained why there were so many people there that day. We spent some time at the nearby White Lotus Pond, where we fed the numerous brightly-colored carp swimming within. Then, since we had arrived having only eaten breakfast, we decided to get some snacks. We bought a pack of 호두과자 (walnut pastries) from 옛날호두과자 독립기념관점 (Long Time Ago Walnut Pastry Independence Hall of Korea Branch) | Naver link and drinks from a convenience store and relaxed at some tables in front of the store. The walnut pastries, which also contain red bean paste, were probably the best that I ever tasted, in Korea and the U.S. Once we stopped hearing music, we walked through the Monument to the Nation, a towering structure split in two resembling the wings of a bird, past the Taeguk Square (which was full of the South Korean flags) and toward the Grand Hall of the Nation. I thought this was a magnificent feat of architecture, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the monument within. Behind the Grand Hall are the exhibition buildings that make up the museum. Since my uncle’s wife had promised to attend her friend’s concert in a few hours, we only got to check out the 6th Exhibition Hall, which covered the National Culture Protection Movement, social movements, and the Korean Provisional Government. I wish it wasn’t so busy on the day we came because there was just so much to see at the Independence Hall, and I only got to see what amounted to a mere glimpse at what it had to offer.

After the concert, we had dinner at 강촌마을왕우렁쌈밥 (Gangchon Village River Snail Wrap) | Naver link, which my uncle and his wife had heard great things about. The restaurant was well known for cooking river snails, so we ordered 우렁이쌈장 (river snail ssamjang) and 삼겹살 (pork belly). The river snail ssamjang curiously came in a clay pot, and sure enough, there were the dark river snails within. After cooking the pork belly, kimchi, and onions on the griddle, I wrapped up everything in lettuce leaves and ate. The pork belly tasted great, but the tremendously comforting river snail ssamjang added dimension to each bite.

The next day, I woke up to several messages from friends asking if I was in Itaewon the night before when the tragic crush occurred. Even though neither I nor any of my family members were anywhere near Itaewon, the news of the crush hung over us that day like a dark cloud, and anyone with a heart felt the pangs of collective grief on that day as well as on the days, weeks, and months ahead.

I originally meant to leave shortly after my uncle and his family returned from church, but they insisted that they drive me up to Incheon that evening (as opposed to me taking the train like I had intended), so in the meantime, why not check out a few more places on the way? All I wanted was to make the most of my time with them, so I sure wasn’t going to say no to that.

피나클랜드 수목원 (Pinnacle Land Arboretum) | Naver link was known to be a good place for families to visit, so this was our first stop. Clusters of brightly colored flowers were seen just about anywhere, fall foliage was in swing, and googly eyeballs were placed on animal-shaped hedges. Speaking of animals, visitors can see and feed deer, llamas, goats, and chickens. There was even a tank full of live squid, though they were clearly there to be prepared and eaten. The arboretum is built into a hillside, and at the top, there was a small waterfall, and from there, we could see a bridge stretch out over the water and continue into the distance. When you’re with people you care about, this place is designed to help lift your spirits, even on a sobering day like this one.

As evening approached, our second and final stop was 공세리성당 (Gongseri Catholic Church) | Naver link. This was the first Catholic church in the province, and from here, the faith spread for miles around, establishing more churches. We walked around the grounds a bit and discovered that the church had recently celebrated its 100th anniversary of being established. Even under the darkening sky and limited lighting within, it sure was beautiful and impressive to look at.