Staying in an extravagant hotel downtown is a great way to place yourself at the center of the world,
but sometimes, you want to fade into the background and blend in with nature.
For this, the first place that comes to my mind is an old hanok (traditional Korean house)
in the mountains of Wanju-gun, Soyang Gotaek.

How to get to Soyang Gotaek
Address: 472-23, Songgwangsuman-ro, Soyang-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do
When riding a taxi: Fare approx. KRW 20,000
When riding a city bus: Take bus 810, 820,
or 81 and transfer to Soyang village bus 82-1 at the Soyang Nonghyup Bus Stop.


The first thought I had when I saw Soyang Gotaek was that it had much more to offer than I expected.
I often associate restrained simplicity with hanok stays,
but Soyang Gotaek, in addition to its accommodations, offered a bookstore, café, and other facilities onsite.
Sometimes, I find that staying in a hanok provides a chance to admire traditions, yet can feel lacking in terms of activities.


However, this was not the case at Soyang Gotaek.
It was, in a way, a different interpretation of restraint.
The complex was not so large as to dominate the surrounding nature,
but offered just enough to enjoy while maintaining harmonious balance with the mountains nearby.

Soyang Gotaek is located at the top of stone stairs built into a well-cultivated garden.
Each step brought me closer to a view of the hanok behind the gate, building a sense of anticipation even before check-in.
The anticipation culminated at the Korea Quality (KQ) certificate hung on the gate.
To me, it was the final, unmistakable guarantee that I would have a great stay here.


After passing through the gate, I found two hanok buildings centered around a carefully kept grass field.
The buildings exuded a dignified air, perfectly in line with the Doesilbong Peak behind it,
resembling a sense of elegance possibly associated with the old yangban (aristocracy).
Indeed, Soyang Gotaek was established with three 180-year-old houses in the Gochang and Muan areas,
which were condemned for dismantling, in the summer of 2010 before being relocated and rebuilt at this site.
The management explained these houses were reborn from the hands of artisans specializing in cultural heritage,
who dedicated a considerable amount of time in maintaining the historicity and beauty of the buildings.
That cleared up any questions I had about the natural beauty of the Soyang Gotaek.


Soyang Gotaek has nine types of rooms total, from Jewoldang to Seohyeondang.
Given that these houses were rebuilt from historic ones, each room has its own history.
The name of the place I stayed at, “Hyeondang 2,” meant “a house that shares warmth.”
It was named after the legacy of the previous owner, who, as a social worker,
shared warmth with a great number of people.
The management explained that great care was taken to maintain the late Joseon period aesthetics of the house during relocation.

The most eye-catching part of the Hyeondang 2 was the numaru (raised open floor space) oriented toward the garden.
Unlike a usual maru (open floor space), the numaru here had a small surrounding fence,
which gave it the air of a handsome traditional pavilion.
It was also open on three sides, so if you took a seat on a cushion,
you could feel the mountain breeze tickling your cheeks.
The valley behind the main gate, leading to Jongnamsan Mountain,
presented a view that spoke to every facet of my goal on this trip—a healing stay within nature.


The indoor area was divided into two rooms, a living room and a bedroom.
The pillars and exposed rafters showed these rooms had been lovingly transplanted and recreated from the historical house.
Many hanok stays tend to use contemporary interior design in outwardly traditional buildings,
but at Soyang Gotaek, everything was maintained true to the historical buildings.
Even the doors were hemmed in with traditional paper, with neither a mosquito net nor glass windows in sight.
Sure, they are less convenient than the modern luxury that we have come to rely on,
but perhaps they are worthy prices to be paid to enjoy the unique charm and the scenery of the countryside.
Of course, that does not mean that Soyang Gotaek eschews all modern comfort,
for the room was equipped with air conditioning, a minibar, and Wi-Fi.

In the traditional dresser, there were some simple snacks, an electric kettle, and a fan.
I could use the kettle to prepare the tea laid out on the table.
The bedroom, located further in, was furnished minimally, with nothing more than simple bedding.
However, the room did not feel barren. On the contrary, the bedding was a pure cotton set embroidered by the hanok owner,
and it filled the room with an air of comfort.


It had been some time since I slept on the floor, but I nevertheless slept very well, perhaps because of the bedding.
In addition to the bedding, the curtains in the room also had the same embroidery patterns.
These curtains were connected to a bamboo frame, which allowed them to be relocated where needed.


The bathroom in the furthest corner of the room was the only truly modern part of the room.
The toilet, wash basin, and showers were all furnished to modern standards.
The bathroom was a dry one and thus had the washing area a step lower than the rest.
Amenities were sourced from the Korean hotel amenity brand, “Calmomentree,”
the hair dryer was from Dyson, and there was no shortage of combs, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.

I finished my tour of the room and made my way to the bookstore, “Flicker,” which I had passed by on the way in.
As the first independent bookstore in Wanju,
Flicker holds regular events like “midnight bookstore” and “book talks with authors.”
But even without these events, Flicker is valuable as a quiet place to read a book in a beautiful atmosphere.
I had no book, only a smartphone, but I was able to freely rent books from the bookstore.


I had a simple dinner in the restaurant nearby
and came back to Haeondang to find the gentle lights illuminating the complex.
I got a can of beer, sat down on the numaru,
and had some good talk with a friend over the sound of frogs warbling.
Happiness felt so simple, and so was healing.

The next morning, I visited Café Dubhe for breakfast.
“Dubhe” (Alpha Ursae Majoris) is the first star in the Great Dipper, and the café named after that,
despite being very contemporary in its design sensibilities,
kept the theme with the hanok by mixing stone and wood in its design and emphasizing a sense of open space.


The breakfast was a bowl of warm scorched rice soup,
served with an array of Jeolla-do side dishes. It was no king’s table or buffet,
but it had a simple yet elegant taste befitting the historic house.
With the fruits, tea, and traditional Korean sweets served after the meal, it is also quite filling.


At 10:30 a.m., the checkout time, I exited the room feeling a sense of regret as one night was too short to enjoy a stay here.
But that was not the end of the stay, for I did not use the “welcome tea” option when I checked in,
and I was able to use it with my checkout.
Not having used the option gave me a reason to stay for a spell longer.
With the “welcome tea” option, I could choose two beverages from the ones offered at Café Dubhe.
I had a cup of coffee, etched the view of the Soyang Gotaek into my mind, and set out back to the city.

Many accommodations these days make use of restored hanok to offer hanok stays,
but not many of them can claim to offer an authentic experience.
In that sense, Soyang Gotaek offered a true, authentic experience of staying in a historic hanok.
It is, of course, because of the relocated buildings,
but what gives it the air of authenticity is the fact that it is located within nature, surrounded by beauty.
If you need simplicity over extravagance, peace over bustle,
and emptying over filling, give Soyang Gotaek a visit for your next itinerary.