From all my travels around South Korea, Jeollanam-do has been my favorite place to visit, probably because of its natural beauty, majestic mountain ranges,and it’s small villages with their unique culture and special dishes. It’s hard to know the true reason, but there’s one thing I’m sure of: every trip to Jeollanam-do is unique. This time wasn’t any different.

A sign at the Gomtang Street

The first time I heard about the city of Naju was from a Korean-American, whom I met by chance during one of my trips around Korea. He shared his story with me, saying that his hometown was Naju but he left for the USA when he was 10 years old, during the turbulent 60s, and hasn’t been back to Naju since. He described how the houses in the village looked, with their straw ceilings and traditional floor heating system called ondol, and how life in the village was difficult but peaceful at the same time. That’s why I decided to visit Naju.

One of the best ways to experience the city of Naju is by experiencing the food the city has to offer. Naju has three main food streets: Naju Gomtang Street, Yeongsanpo Hongeo (Fermented Skate) Street, and Gujinpo Eel Street. Due to the distant location of Gujinpo Eel Street, this article will focus only on Naju Gomtang Street and Yeongsanpo Hongeo Street.

Naju Gomtang Street is located in the old part of the city, close to the main shopping areas like the buzzing Naju Moksagoeul Market, or the historical buildings of the city like Geumseonggwan. This building was one of the many gaeksa (inns), established as government buildings during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties).

Gomtang being prepared in a traditional way

The famous Naju Gomtang

Why is Naju gomtang so special? Gomtang is made by boiling broth with lean beef and bones in a big pot for a long time, and it is eaten with steamed rice and kimchi. Aside from being one of the most popular meat dishes in Jeollanam-do province, Naju gomtang is much less greasy than usual gomtang

because it uses less bone and more meat in the recipe. This, along with the addition of more radish, green onions, and garlic, intensifies the flavor and gives it a special taste. It also reduces the smell of fat and provides more nutrients than regular gomtang.

View of the Gomtang Street

Naju Gomtang Street has many old restaurants, some of which have been open since the 50s, maintaining the Naju Gomtang tradition for decades. The long lines during lunchtime show just how famous those restaurants are among the locals and tourists.

A traditional Japanese house

My next stop in Naju was Youngsanpo district. It is a district separated from downtown by the Yeongsan River, so if you want to go there from the bus terminal or Naju Gomtang Street, I highly recommend taking a bus or taxi. Youngsanpo district is a very peculiar neighborhood, as if you took a time machine back in time. Everything looks like it did in the 30s: the form of the roads and houses, the colors, and the structure. I felt like I was walking through a Korea under Japanese colonial rule. The only other city in Korea where I felt the same sensation was Gunsan.

The Hongeo street

Youngsanpo district is also famous for its street called Yeongsanpo Hongeo (fermented skate) Street. In the past, the skates caught were transported along the Yeongsan River. Sometimes transporting the skates took up to a week due to the distance, causing the skates to ferment naturally. This led to them developing the unique flavor of hongeo. As a result, hongeo became a traditional dish of the region. There are about 30 restaurants around Yeongsanpo that specialize in this delicacy. Traditional hongeo is served with boiled pork slices and kimchi, a dish known by the name of hongasamhap. Accompanying this dish with a glass of rice wine is suggested to maximize its flavor. Hongeo can be eaten in different ways: raw, spicy, steamed, or boiled.

Jukjeon alley at Youngsanpo district

Aside from its famous Hongeo Street, Yeongsanpo district has a lot to offer. As a photography enthusiast, one place that really caught my eye was Jukjeon Alley. It’s a narrow street filled with restaurants and houses from the colonial period, making it an excellent spot for a photo session. The origin of the name of Jukjeon Alley comes from the past, when the street used be filled with firewood merchants that stood with their shops open even before dawn. Jukjeon is a type of firewood used during that time.

Among the buildings in Yeongsanpo, another one that impressed me was Ilbonin Jiju Gaok, which literally means House of the Japanese. This house was home of Kurozomi Itaroka, the wealthiest Japanese landlord in Jeolla province during the colonial rule in Korea. The mansion is said to have been made in the year of 1935, and after the liberation the house was used as an orphanage, a private house in 1981, and in 2009 the house was bought by the city of Naju. Now it’s used as cultural center and museum, which is a must stop if you come to Yeongsanpo district. You can walk though the historic house and experience traditional Korean tea! It’s an incredible experience.

Interior of a Japanese house

Naju can be reached by bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal and takes about hours. I booked the tickets online on the KOBUS website. Tickets start from 19,800 won for a one-way ticket. The city can also be reached in four hours by the slow train, called Mungunghwa, from Seoul, with tickets starting from 23,300 won for a one-way ticket. KTX tickets are available for a starting price of 47,200 won for a one-way ticket, which takes two hours.

Naju Moksagoeul Market
14, Cheongdong-gil, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Open every day from 09:00~21:00

Geumseonggwan
8, Geumseonggwan-gil, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Open every day (Except national holidays) from 09:00~20:00

Naju Gomtang Street
Jinggosat-gil, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Open every day from 08:00~21:00

Yeongsanpo Hongeo Street
Yeongsanpo-ro, Naju, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Open every day from 08:00~21:00

Yeongsanpo Jukjeon alley
17-3, Yeongsan2-gil, Yeongsanpo-ro, Naju, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Open every day

Ilbonin Jiju Gaok (House of the Japanese)
3871-4, Yehyang-ro, Naju, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Open every day (Except national holidays) from 10:30~18:00

Bus from the Naju Bus Terminal to Yeongsanpo district:
110,114, 111, 113, 100, 101, 400, 999, 500, 501

Bus from the Naju Train Station to Yeongsanpo district:
1160, 160, 400, 999, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105, 107, 108, 109, 301, 302

Bus from the Naju Train Station to Naju Gomtang Street:
999, 100, 160, 402, 100, 107, 108, 700

Hotel façade

If you want a good location to experience everything that Naju has to offer, Bitgaram Hotel is a must. It has a good range of rooms available at a great price and is less than a five-minute walk from Naju train station. The rooms are comfortable and there is an option to have a delicious breakfast for 6,000 won. This hotel is a good option for those who want to have a good and convenient place to relax after a day exploring the city of Naju.

Interior of the hotel room

Around the hotel, there are plenty of options for buses, so if you want to explore downtown or Yeongsanpo it will take less than 15 minutes to arrive at those destinations by bus.

How do you get to the hotel? If you are traveling from Seoul, there are many options with different prices. There is a slow train called the Mungunghwa, with tickets starting from 23,300 won one-way. This way takes four hours. If you want a fast and more comfortable way, I would suggest the KTX. Tickets start at 48,200 won each way, and it takes only two hours and 40 minutes.