Korea’s capital city Seoul is two-faced. It’s a keeper of Joseon Dynasty’s 500-year-old history and tradition, and also a fine example of amazing economic growth and modernity. A bustling city of ten million people, Seoul may look like a busy modern city, but its back alleys are filled with rich history and interesting tales spanning almost 600 years. If you want to see the real Seoul, just stroll along the nostalgic and serene alleys in Bukchon.

Come out of the exit number 4 of Anguk station on subway line 3 and you’ll meet up with a group of people eagerly waiting to see the hidden side of Seoul.
Bukchon, which literally means the north village, is situated north of Jongno and Cheonggyecheon. Located between the Gyeongbok Palace and the Changdeok Palace, the Bukchon area measures nearly 1.13 million square meters and includes six dongs or neighborhoods. Bukchon is famous for its cluster of traditional Korean housing, hanok, 900 of which remain in the area. Noblemen and government officials of Joseon Dynasty made homes in Bukchon for its proximity to the royal palaces and great living environment. Here’s cultural and historical guide Eom Hong-ryeol to explain more.

It was called Bukchon because it was to the north of Cheonggyecheon, and it was a residential area for high-ranking officials and noblemen. Since it was located between two palaces, officials were able to quickly go to the palaces when summoned by the king. With Mt. Bukak standing behind it, the neighborhood had a good natural sewage system, because the higher the ground, the better the drainage. Also the entire village faced south and Mt. Nam, so its residents enjoyed a great view. All these factors are what made Bukchon an exclusive residential area.

Bukchon became a tourist attraction when the Seoul city government kicked off the Bukchon hanok project in 2001. Over the next decade 303 hanoks were renovated and over 4 kilometers of alleys were repaved to create a walking tour path in Bukchon. Tourism promotion officer Choi Yong-hoon of the Seoul Metropolitan Government is here to tell us more about the project.

Hanoks were disappearing one by one, so the Bukchon rehab project was launched in 2000. A long-term Bukchon development plan was designed in 2006 and the Seoul Hanok Declaration was announced in 2008. The city of Seoul started the hanok registration system and subsidized 12 billion won in construction and renovation costs. The city government also invested more than 28 billion won to purchase old hanoks due to be demolished to restore them. We have started a Bukchon alley renovation project, provided courses on traditional culture, arranged cultural events for foreigners, and designed a building plan for hanok clusters to preserve the hanok culture.

The Seoul Municipal Government’s effort to preserve history has paid off in 2009 when the Bukchon renovation project was selected a winner of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Culture Heritage Conservation. Most of the hanoks left in Bukchon were built during the 1930s, because larger and older hanoks were demolished or sold in pieces during the Japanese colonial occupation. Cultural and historical guide Eom Hong-ryeol explains more.

When Korea was colonized by Japan in 1910 noblemen and government officials in Bukchon sold their houses before leaving the neighborhood. Japanese realtors bought them and took them apart to sell off the parts. Then they built smaller hanoks, which were far from traditional hanoks. They were mostly homes for the middle class.

The narrow alleys of Bukchon testify to the tragic history of Korea in the early 20th century. Having lost their motherland and jobs, Bukchon residents let go of their household staff and sold whatever they could. The antique stores of Insa-dong located across from Bukchon began to gather around that time. So the fall of Bukchon coincided with the rise of Insa-dong.

Bukchon walking tour is at its best when you take advantage of the city-sponsored Green Tour Course Program accompanied by a cultural and historical guide. The tour programs are provided in Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and English at 10 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon Monday through Friday, and at 10, 2, and 3 on weekends and holidays. The tour usually takes two to three hours. The programs grew so popular that last year alone roughly 73 hundred people enjoyed them. What kind of interesting tales await tourists in the Bukchon hanok village? The story begins at the Unhyeon Palace.

You have to know the history of the Unhyeon Palace. You see that building? It’s the Hyundai Group building and a little hill between that building and the Unhyeon Palace was where Seoungwan, an old weather forecasting agency, was located. That hill was named Unhyeon, meaning a cloudy hill. When King Gojong moved to the Changdeok Palace, he built a new palace here and named it the Unhyeon Palace. The site used to measure more than 33 thousand square meters, but only about 9,250 square meters remain today.

The Unhyeon Palace was King Gojong’s birthplace. He grew up here until he was 12 and was enthroned as the 26th king of Joseon Dynasty. Living up to the title of the royal birthplace, the tall gate looks down on the tourists.

This is the Unhyeon Palace. You can see how tall the gate is. The gate is called “soseul daemun”, meaning a soaring gate. The presence of soseul daemun indicated that a high-ranking government official lived there. Because officials used to ride a gama, carried by menservants, or a horse-drawn single-wheeled carriage, the gate had to be tall and wide enough for a gama or a carriage to pass through.

The gate was built to let a big carriage pass through. In the 21st century the soseul daemun of a nobleman’s house is opened to let tourists pass through. The Unhyeon Palace used to be magnificent enough to rival the royal palaces. But some parts were torn down and only the men’s main quarter and women’s quarters remain today.

This place is called Noandang, the main part of the house. This is where the master lived. He would sleep here, read books and greet guests, and even did some backroom political dealings. King Gojong’s father would discuss political affairs with his cronies and tell his son what to do. Now, this place over here is called Yeonghwaru.

The Bukchon walking tour begins in earnest once tourists are outside the Unhyeon Palace. The tour starts at the Bukchon Cultural Center.

This is the Bukchon Cultural Center, which also serves as a community center for Bukchon residents. The center offers various courses on Korean culture, like a fan-making course. There’s even a PR room, so take a look.

The Bukchon Cultural Center is housed in the old residence of a powerful Joseon era official. Here’s tour guide Jo Young-hee.

The Bukchon Cultural Center used to be an aristocratic residence built for one of Queen Myeongseong’s relatives. Queen Myeongseong was King Gojong’s wife and you can imagine how big the house was. The house was a replica of Yeongyeongdang, a large residence in the back garden of the Changdeok Palace. This is where the heritage of Bukchon started.

Hanoks with dark gray tiled roofs line the entryway to Bukchon and glisten in stark contrast to the sparkling blue. Children shout and play in the schoolyard like children have done for decades. Gye-dong is probably the friendliest and most folksy part of Bukchon. The Gye-dong neighborhood features a public sauna, a small beauty parlor, a real estate agency manned by a wizened old man, a mill doubling as an oil shop, and a hardware store filled with all sorts of knickknacks.

At the end of the meandering alley stands Choongang Middle and High School. Having served as a backdrop to the popular Korean drama “Winter Sonata,” the schools are favorite stops for Japanese tourists. They can also have a bird’s eye view of Seoul from up here.

A little way away from the Choongang Middle and High School is 31 Gahoi-dong가회동 where you can find the largest number of hanoks. Here are cultural guides Kim Gwang-rye and Lee Kyung-soon.

-This place is featured often on TV. Hanok roofs are beautiful and one can see why hanoks are so attractive. You can also see Mt. Nam from here and the incline is not bad.
-This place is a hanok preservation zone. Look at how the hanok eaves are touching each other. It’s a very small village, but very elegant and picturesque. You can also reach Samcheong-dong if you go down a little from here.

You may still be surrounded by the city’s past, but your eyes show the city’s present. Seoul’s impressive skyline and Mt. Nam Tower stand in front of your eyes.

Here is the Prime Minster’s office and that big house over there is Cheong Wa Dae, the Blue House. And then there’s the Gyeongbok Palace and this mountain is Mt. Bukak. To its west stands Mt. Inwang, Mt. Nam to its south, and Mt. Nak to its east. Four gods stand guard at each mountain to protect the city.

The walking tour comes to an end at Jongchinbu inside the Jeongdok Library in central Seoul. Once a place where officials discussed matters that concerned the royal family and its clan, Jongchinbu is Seoul’s tangible cultural asset number nine.

This was an agency in charge of royal household affairs. Close members of the royal family such as cousins or nephews were not allowed to get involved in politics. Instead they were given honorary jobs like taking care of king’s family records, royal portraits, and the royal tombs.

It took about two and a half hours to complete the walking tour. But it sure wasn’t boring or exhausting.

-Seoul certainly is a capital city. I felt like I’ve seen Joseon’s old capital of Hanyang today.
-I feel nostalgic about hanok. It’s really great to see large hanoks. They’re so beautiful and graceful. I’m relishing the beauty of hanok and today’s entire experience.
-I found out about the meanings of the patterns on the hanok wall. I came to care for hanok even more.

Time seems to have stood still in Bukchon. Walking along the streets of Bukchon will transport you back 600 years to the peaceful days of the early Joseon Dynasty.