Hanok stays, soju tastings and rice wine distilleries: Exploring North Gyeongsang

Food & Travel

Published: 18 Jun. 2024, 07:07

Hanok stays, soju tastings and rice wine distilleries: Exploring North Gyeongsang

[LOCAL 100]

Korea is witnessing a surge in foreign tourists, but the crowds are heavily focused in its capital metropolis, Seoul. Despite great landscapes, gourmet delicacies and grand festivals, rural areas across the peninsula are having a hard time attracting tourists. With the goal of welcoming 20 million foreign travelers to Korea by the end of this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism introduced a two-year project, Local 100, in October 2023. The culture minister will personally visit each of the 100 selected areas throughout 2024 and 2025 to introduce Korea’s hidden gems and find out what the central government can do to help spread the tourism wealth. The Korea JoongAng Daily will be accompanying the minister on his journeys.

Culture Minister Yu In-chon and press ride a tractor through the Nakdong River on the way to Menge Village in Andong, North Geyongsang, on Thursday [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

DAEGU and ANDONG, North Gyeongsang — The first heat wave warning of the year blared on Daegu locals' phones on June 12, but Culture Minister Yu In-chon wasn’t daunted.

Tossing aside his blazer while sporting a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, Yu, on his visit to Daegu and Andong, North Gyeongsang last week, biked around a historic hanok (traditional Korean house) cluster, rode a tractor across a river and toured prized soju and rice wine distilleries.

“There is more to Daegu and Andong than just the one or two tourist spots that these regional areas are known for,” Yu told the press on Wednesday.

Culture Minister Yu In-chon bikes around hanok (traditional houses) at Otgol Village in Daegu on Wednesday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

The Korea JoongAng Daily tagged along with the culture minister for two days where Yu visited the cities’ lesser-known tourist spots to observe and, hopefully, breathe new life into them.

His trip seemingly had one clear takeaway: modern-day travelers to the Korean countryside desire simple but deep experiences.

“Visitors were most impressed with the starry night sky, crossing the Nakdong River and the fields of flowers,” said Yu after speaking to about a dozen young tourists at Menge Village, Andong, on Thursday.

“These are humble things,” said the minister, but it is why tourism is ultimately a people-oriented industry.

“Even if it is abandoned land or some place far from civilization, people will go.

“What really matters is the kind of person running the sites, and their mindset and life values.”

Culture Minster Yu, middle, takes pictures with tourists among buckwheat flowers in Menge Village, Andong, on Wednesday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Andong: Traditional spirits and hanok stays

Tucked under the rocky cliffs of Mount Cheongnyang, Menge Village in northern Andong is literally off the grid. Naver Maps, a local GPS app, even has difficulty locating the place.

To get there, one must mount a tractor that shuttles the village’s day and overnight visitors across Nakdong River. After rain, when the water level rises, the owner, Park Sung-ho, operates rafts.

Aerial view of Menge Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang [JOONGANG ILBO]

Upon disembarking the tractor, one witnesses a whole new type of scenery. The grass is neatly mowed, picturesque cabins are scattered around and a field of cream buckwheat flowers is in full bloom. By the riverside, there are kayaks, parasols and a bench swing.

Menge Village's operator Park Sung-ho in his wheat field [JOONGANG ILBO]

Menge Village is a deserted Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) town refashioned into a bucolic tourist stop by Park.

The village has made media appearances, featuring in the 2021 historical series “Mr. Sunshine” and the 2021 reality show with boy band Seventeen, “In the Soop.”

Arguably, however, the most prized part of Menge Village is its soju distillery, which produces Jinmaek, a globally recognized brand of soju made of wheat from Park’s wheat farm in the village — instead of rice. Park also uses oak barrels in the place of hangari (clay fermentation pots) to ferment the alcohol, which imbues Jinmaek with a flavor similar to single malt whisky.

Jinmaek distillery inside Menge Village [JOONGANG ILBO]

The recipe, Park says, comes from Andong scholar Kim Yu (1491-1555), who wrote the cookbook “Suunjapbang” (1540).

Park regularly hosts soju tasting, like the ones done with wine, pairing the alcohol with traditional Korean bites.

Jinmaek soju [JOONGANG ILBO]

“One thing led to another because I didn’t think I could make a living off just farming,” said Park who first settled in the abandoned village in 2007 and began farming wheat. “For instance, the stay program started as just me renting out my room to guests, and then it expanded. Centering on farming, we’ve created different activities to do in the village.”

Minister Yu was impressed, calling Menge Village “a model for regional tourist spots to strive for.”

“Tourism isn’t just about injecting money into a place,” said Yu, “and in this sense, Menge Village serves as an exemplary model for a tourism spot in a declining regional area.”

Just about a five-minute walk from Menge Village is a more than 600-year-old hanok called Nongam Jongtaek that is open to day visitors as well as overnight stayers.

Aerial view of Nongam Jongtaek in Andong [JOONGANG ILBO]

The hanok belongs to Joseon Dynasty scholar and writer Yi Hyon-bo (1467-1555) and is now run by his ancestor Lee Seong-won.

Nongam Jongtaek is also well known for its in-house rice wines — makgeolli and cheongju (distilled rice wine) — and soju.

The spirits, dubbed Ellyeop Pyunjoo, are made in small batches, distilled in the backyard of the hanok where whiffs of sweet makgeolli fill the air.

Ellyeop Pyunjoo are made in small batches, distilled in the backyard of Nongam Jongtaek [SCREEN CAPTURE]

They are based on recipes passed down in Yi Hyon-bo’s family for hundreds of years.

Its most popular kkotsool (flower-infused alcohol) cheongju priced at 38,000 won ($27) contains an acacia aroma, the brightness of apples and the slight bitterness of grapefruit.

Nuruk or traditional Korean fermentation starter, outside Nongam Jongtaek's distillery [LEE JIAN]

Daegu: A burgeoning culture

In the sprawling city south of Andong, Daegu Art Factory used to be a tobacco storage facility before it was renovated into a culture center and residency in 2013.

The stylish five-story building now hosts innovative exhibitions and shows, as well as residency programs for young artists.

A scene from a recent performance at Daegu Art Center [DAEGU ART CENTER/SCREEN CAPTURE]

Yu met with the employees of Daegu Art Factory and discussed what Daegu as a city should represent to attract more tourists.

“Daegu is a place with many colors — a city that is accepting of people from all walks of life, as I understand it,” Yu said. “Everything can be commercialized into a tourism product — something as simple as installing a bench overlooking a view or a mural can draw in visitors these days.

“A lot of that is up to the younger generation in Daegu and I am glad to meet many of you today.”

Yu talks to employees of Daegu Art Center on Wednesday [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

As an avid cyclist who has been seen going to work on his bike, Yu also dropped by Otgol Village, a 20-minute drive from Daegu’s urban area. The village offers an electric bike tour around its historic hanok cluster, which is some 400 years old.

Comprising some 20 traditional establishments, 15 families still reportedly live in Otgol Village. A few empty houses are open for stays, and the village also offers activities like traditional games and rice making upon reservation.

On Wednesday when Yu and the Korea JoongAng Daily visited, a group of young Taiwanese tourists were walking into the village.

“I’m glad to see foreigners coming here even though it is a bit far from the city,” said Yu. “The problem, however, is that these regional areas are passing points en route to other destinations. The responsible governments must work with locals and civilian groups to curate unique experiences that will tie them here for longer periods.”

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]