As the end of my residence in Korea slowly approached, I decided that I would try to explore and experience new places that I still had yet to discover. My eagerness and curiosity brought me to the city of Chungju, located in North Chungcheong Province.

Luckily it was not too difficult to get to as there is a bus terminal and train station in Chungju. There are three methods to get to Chungju from Seoul – train from Seoul Station; bus from Express Bus Terminal, Nambu Bus Terminal, or Dong Seoul Bus Terminal; or fly from Gimpo Airport.

As taking the bus was the most convenient, I departed from Express Bus Terminal by purchasing a ticket from the touchscreen kiosk. The bus ride was almost two hours so I was able to spend the time to catch up on sleep and be rejuvenated to roam around the city once I arrived.

The restored home open for visitors

Before heading to my accommodation I decided to check out the local traditional market where I ended up having a late lunch. After my delicious meal I strolled around the market to see everything they had to offer. At the west end of the market I came upon a small hanok, a traditional Korean house, which was the restored childhood home of the former United Nation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon!

His farewell speech to the UN

Inside the house were life-size figures of Ban Ki-Moon and people depicting notable moments of his childhood, such as Ban Ki-Moon studying hard into the night or his mother working tirelessly to take care of the family. It was such an inspiration to learn that Ban Ki-Moon persevered in his youth to become a global leader in present day, and that it did not matter where one comes from but only if one was dedicated to their dream.

A statue of the former UN Secretary-General

After reading every plancard in the home, the sun was starting to descend gradually, which prompted me to make my way to a popular destination in the city called Chungju Light World.

Chungju Light World: a lighted replica of London Bridge

It opened in early 2018 and is Korea’s largest light theme park to date. As it was more convenient, I took the taxi from the market area where the driver took me right to the entrance of the park.

Chungju Light World: upward view from inside Saint Peter’s Basilica

Another upward view from inside

I was able to purchase a ticket and enter the park right away since the ticket box line was not too long. The park was enormous and it seemed like the light replicas of famous landmarks seemed endless! With the night sky approaching fast, the light structures grew more bright and beautiful. The park was divided into zones, with the largest LED structure being the replica of Saint Peter’s Basilica, having a hundred-meter-long tunnel.

It was easy to spend hours at this park, but it was now time to head to my accommodation to appreciate the traditional side of Korea.

Although I have stayed in various accommodations throughout Korea, I was not too familiar with the Korean traditional house, hanok. As such, I decided to spend my evening at Seoyusuk, a hanok situated in the northwestern outskirts from the center of the city. After sightseeing around the urban part of Chungju it was time to make my way to the rural side. With the guidance of the tourist information office located in the bus terminal, I took an intercity bus heading towards the city of Wonju but got off at a township of Chungju called Eomjeong-myeon. There I took a taxi for the rest of the way to the hanok which ended up being around 13,000 won.

View of the hanok in the front of the property

A giant banner greeted me with the information that a café had recently opened up on the premises. It also mentioned that the property was featured in various Korean television programs such as the ongoing series called “2 Days & 1 Night”.

I followed the sign on the ground to the office building where the owner welcomed me and showed me to my room immediately as the night was getting colder by the minute. She kindly gave instructions on the usage of the facilities, such as how to lock the door and to control the temperature of the room. I put effort into paying attention to her words because I kept getting distracted by the awe of the interior. It was different from all the hanok I have seen pictures of, you see. It was a circular hanok room.

A trunk stood in the very center of the room. From the top of the trunk were logs extending out to help hold up the roof. All the cloth in the room was handmade and hand sewn, from the decorations hanging from the walls to the blanket covers.

Ceiling view of the hanok room

There was even a bowl of potpourri lain atop a wooden chest. After admiring the room and setting the room temperature to my liking, I decided to wash up and head to bed early.

Persimmon left over on the trees for the birds

Morning came and I awoke early to explore the grounds. Two dogs greeted me as I stepped out the door and put my shoes on. The dogs and I walked to the next building to the north, which was the café. It offered coffee, tea, and various pastries but was not yet open. Right in front of the café was a persimmon tree which still had some fruit hanging from it, which I was told that they were deliberately left over for the birds to consume. The owner noticed that I was roaming around so she made me breakfast. Complimentary.

A tree on the property decorated

With my belly full, I was ready to see what else was nearby the accommodation while slowly walking my way back to the nearest township. My wish to stay at a traditional Korean house had been fulfilled just as the current year came to a close.