Why You Should Visit Jeonju Hanok Village During Your Next Visit to South Korea
On our website, we will occasionally evaluate or mention products and services. If we believe a product or service is good, and the merchant selling it provides an affiliate programme, we have no problem referring others to it via an affiliate link, which means we may receive a commission or other kind of income if you purchase the product we promote.
If you’ve ever been to New York or Chicago or Seattle—or any other big city really— you’ll know the constant traffic noise, crowded restaurants, piles of trash, and a general rushed feelings that are hallmarks of metropolitan areas. While Seoul is quite clean and there are numerous great attractions to visit, if you’re looking for something special and off the beaten path, a trip to Korea’s south eastern Jeolla Province to the city of Jeonju might be just what you’re looking for.
The Jeolla Province is well known for having some of the most delicious food in Korea and the city’s Hanok Village allows visitors to be transported back in time to earlier eras. During a visit to the Hanok Village, visitors can rent Hanbok, or traditional Korean clothing for a small fee (around 10,000KRW or $7 USD) and walk around the area.
In the Hanok Village, there are a number of activities to try, including archery, and traditional Korean games including the now famous Dalgona game featured in the series Squid Game where participants try to remove shapes from a molten sugar wafer using a toothpick.
If this were the Squid Game, we would have been eliminated :’(
Visitors can even opt to stay in one of the Hanoks and sleep overnight, but please be aware that many of these accommodations typically do not have beds and instead include traditional Korean bedding that is laid out on the floor. In the cooler fall and winter months, the heated floors of Hanok are typically turned on and are very enjoyable to lay on.
Finally, during your visit to the Jeonju Hanok Village, we reccomend trying bibimpap (비빔밥), as Jeonju is renowned as one of the most famous regions for bibimpap, or try the deokgalbi (떡갈비), which is a grilled beef patty with a sweet and salty sauce. Typically restaurants in Korea serve food with various side dishes (called banchan 반찬). Check out our review of one fantastic in the Hanok Village called Kkot-Dam-Jib (꽃담집) which means flower garden in English and their delicious dakgalbi. (Here is the address for the restaurant: 38 Eunhaeng-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do).
This is the Deokgalbi with rice steamed in a bamboo leaf as well as the meal’s side dishes, which are included in the price.
While Jeonju is about a 2.5 hour KTX ride away from Seoul, if you’re looking to see one of the most beautiful cities in Korea and get out of the city, Jeonju is an excellent option. If you’re looking for a guided tour, check out this one if you’re already in Jeonju or if you would like a day tour from Seoul, there is this one. Happy travels.
