[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Chill like your grandparents: Four retro day trips in Korea

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[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Chill like your grandparents: Four retro day trips in Korea

Published: 17 May. 2024, 15:13 Updated: 04 Jun. 2024, 17:31

KIM DONG-EUN
kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr

″70's and 80's, Streets of Memories,″ in National Folk Museum of Korea in Jongno District, central Seoul, has 12 retro-style themed buildings that resemble those from the 1970s and 1980s. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Trends come and go. An old-fashioned hand-me-down item from your grandparents may be the next “it” thing trending on the internet, its value higher than ever thanks to the story it comes with. A creative twist like turning an old store into a cafe is now a familiar artistic and transformative approach for many young people, who show interest in the culture that trended before birth.

As the demand for retro-style items and spaces continues to rise among young Korean Millennials and Gen Zers, why not spend a weekend flocking to one of those retro-style sites, free of charge and promising a worthy cultural experience?

From reinterpretation of old buildings to a real-life retro village, here are the Korea JoongAng Daily's four retro-style recommendations in Korea for a “retrospective” day trip.

National Folk Museum of Korea
국립민속박물관

National Folk Museum of Korea in Jongno District, central Seoul, showcases old items that used to be commonly used in the 1970s and 1980s. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

If you are a fan of modern art, you may have heard of the famous National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Anguk-dong, Jongno District in central Seoul. However, directly facing the building is the National Folk Museum of Korea, where you can get a glimpse of what the streets looked like in the 1970s and 1980s. The outdoor exhibition area, named "70's and 80's, Streets of Memories," offers a recreation of the neighborhood that may be familiar to the current parent generation in Korea, with a comic book rental shop, a public bathhouse and a school that used to be referred to as the "National People's School," back in the days before being called an elementary school. There are a total of 12 themed buildings to see, so don't miss out on the small knickknacks awaiting at every corner of the alleyway.

A public bathhouse in National Folk Museum of Korea, Jongno District, central Seoul. [CHUNG JU-HEE]

An extensive experience will be complete with a visit to one of the 12 destinations, dabang, Korea's old-fashioned coffee shop. Every Friday at "Yaksok Dabang," from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., you can listen to the curation of songs that were trending back at the time. You can also sign up for the song list adding your story handwritten on a small piece of paper. Hand the little message over to the DJ, who will read out your story and turn on the music you asked for. The event runs from March 15 until Dec. 13.

@tnfmk
37 Samcheong-ro, Jongno District, central Seoul
(서울시 종로구 삼청로 37)
Operating hours: March to October, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., November to February, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Closed on New Year's Day, Lunar New Year's Day and Chuseok Holiday. Last admission until one hour before closing hour)
Free admission
Phone number: 02-3704-3114
Website: https://www.nfm.go.kr/english/index.do

Donuimun Museum Village
돈의문박물관마을

Donuimun Museum Village in Jongno District, central Seoul, shows the street view from the 1950s and 1960s. [DONUIMUN MUSEUM VILLAGE]

If you want a closer peek into the older neighborhoods of Korea, flock to Donuimun Museum Village in Jongno District, central Seoul. Located around thirty minutes by foot from the National Folk Museum of Korea, Donuimun Museum Village reels back further to as far as the early 1900s where visitors can bask in a century's worth-long history of Seoul. From an old-style inn to a theater, you can tour around the village that realistically generates life in the 1950s and 60s. Out of all those buildings, the Donuimun History Museum is a must-visit spot if you want a better understanding of the village. The museum is a renovated space built like a house in the 1960s, later functioning as a restaurant and now refurbished into a cultural exhibition area.

Donuimun Flea Market, which opens throughout December, is not to be missed as well, an opportunity to mingle with all generations and watch fun performances by local artists and magicians. You can refer to the official website for the details, alongside other events taking place every month.

@donuimunmuseumvillage
14-3 Songwol-gil, Jongno District, central Seoul
(서울시 종로구 송월길 14-3)
Operating hours: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Closed on Mondays)
Phone number: 02-739-6994, 02-724-0271
Website: https://dmvillage.info/

Neungnae Station
능내역

Neungnae Station in Namyangju, Gyeonggi, is a closed station that is now a retro-style tourist spot with an old railroad and a train. [JOONGANG ILBO]

National museums, as approachable as they may be, tend to get popular quickly and lose the spark for those who prefer tranquil and lesser-known places. For those who enjoy a more aloof destination, try driving or biking to the old Neungnae Station in Namyangju, Gyeonggi. The station is a petite tourist area that is a favorite spot for many bikers as the biking trail passes the spot. Neungnae Station is now a closed subway station that opened in 1956 and stopped functioning in December 2008, passing over the role to the nearby Ungilsan Station, Gyeongui-Jungang Line.

Although trains no longer pass by the station, the railroad remains untouched, an old train and the station itself included. The reserved space provides entertainment and a retro photo spot for passersby. Groups of families and couples are found hanging out and relaxing near the station or riding bikes, which can be rented near the station. A large cafe spreads out behind the station, so you may stop by for some coffee and take in the view. Nearby, there is also an independent bookstore, "Neungnae Bookshop," that adds a vintage ambience.

566-5 Dasan-ro Joan-myeon, Namyangju, Gyeonggi
(경기도 남양주시 조안면 다산로 566-5)

Gyuam Village
규암문화마을

A street in Gyuam Village in Buyeo County, South Chungcheong [EVALUATION INSTITUTE OF REGIONAL PUBLIC CORPORATION]

For those who are into the rawest, most non-gentrified finds, Gyuam Village in Buyeo County, South Chungcheong, is the apt point to satisfy your niche taste. The village used to be home to a ferry dock and a marketplace but started deteriorating in the 1960s following the construction of the Baekje Bridge and the consequent drop in its traffic. Having been deserted for nearly half a century, Gyuam Village has recently started receiving the spotlight from intrigued tourists, as young artists gathered and began to recreate the neglected neighborhood as a cultural space.

The essence of Gyuam Village lies in the harmony of urban regeneration and the preservation of the old exteriors, alarming those who enter a rather scruffy-looking building with an aesthetically pleasing interior design. For example, an old tobacco store reopened as an independent bookstore named "Segan Books," which also functions as a cafe. The old building's exterior stayed the same while the interior was reinterpreted and went through some extra touches to fill the space with vintage vibes. Cafes, restaurants and accommodations appear at unexpected corners of the streets, so you may go into treasure-hunting mode and check the quiet village for a cool surprise.

Osu-ri, Gyuam-myeon, Buyeo County, South Chungcheong
충청남도 부여군 규암면 오수리

BY KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]