Seoul is never short of cafes. But cafes that capture its visitor’s heart don’t come common. Recently, I found a quaint little independent cafe hidden off a narrow alleyway at Euljiro. Brimming with the glorious bits and pieces of heritage and personalities, the cafe is as mysterious and enchanting as the femme fatale in the old Shanghai movies, keeping me going back for more.

Tucked away in the narrow alleyway nearest to Euljiro 3-ga station, Coffee Hanyak-Bang 커피한약방 offers a unique kind of experience with its Chinese décor, old Shanghai nostalgic ambience and a sense of intimacy, a true hidden oriental gem in downtown Seoul.

I do not intend to sound exaggerated, but the cafe is really well hidden behind the old shop houses along Exit no. 1 of Euljiro 3-ga station. It took me some time to finally locate it — back in this dark and narrow alley unfit for vehicles. Seriously, nobody would even think of the existence of such beauty at the back of this alleyway.

Stepping into the cafe was like entering a movie set by the highly acclaimed and renowned Chinese movie director Wong Kar-wai. Each and every corner of the cafe were tastefully arranged with antique furnitures. According to the owner of the cafe, the furnitures including the Chinese medicine cabinet, carved flower bar and coffee making table, ceiling lamps and chairs are all exquisitely flown from China.

“Hanyak-Bang” is the romanization version of  “한약방”, which means traditional Korean medicine room. The cafe was named after “Korean Medicine Room”, as the owner hopes to brew each and every cup of coffee just like how earnestly people brew traditional medicine centuries ago – Thick,  strong and pungent.

A huge patch of steel frame can be seen on the ceiling right above the counter, probably a result of crumbling cement — this little imperfection of the building has transformed into a piece of art during the renovation. I think this is another great location for some oriental beauty photo shoot or Wong Kar-wai movie inspired pre-wedding photo shoot, no?

Their menu at the bar, made of an old piece of wood.

Coffee wise, they have the normal hand drip coffee (KRW3,500) , special hand drip coffee (KRW4,000), which you can choose the origin of your coffee beans from the list they have. Other than hand-drips, they have Latte (KRW3,800), Cappuccino (KRW3,800), Caramel Latte (KRW4,000), Vanilla Latte (KRW4,000), Maple Latte sounds yummy! (KRW4,000), Mocca Latte (KRW4,000), Espresso (KRW3,000), Affogato another all time favourite of mine (KRW4,000), Espresso Con Panna (KRW4,000) and Dutch Coffee (KRW5,000).

Not a fan of caffeine? Here are some of their non-caffeinated drinks:
Fresh fruit juice KRW 4,000
Wine Ade KRW5,000
Fruit Tea KRW4,000
Hot Chocolate KRW 3,500
Iced Chocolate KRW3,500
Milk KRW2,500
Soda KRW3,000
Organic Flower Tea KRW4,000
5 Grains Latte  KRW 5,000

They do not serve meals, but they have sandwiches, cakes, cookies and chocolates to go with your drinks. I am more interested in their seasonal menu, which includes cup-Bingsu (shaved ice) and Sangria in summer and Glühwein (aka Vin Chaud or mulled wine) in the winter.

I ordered a “Special Filter” coffee on my very first visit and came back to my temporary seat, which the owner sets up using an antique stool and a chair. It is very nice for him to accommodate me despite having a full house at his cafe. It was interesting to sit right in front of the counter. No one would reject a great chance to observe how their cuppa was made, isn’t it?

Barista Yongbin Go, who worked with coffee every day for the past 4 years.

As I was taking photos at the seat, the owner came with a piece of chocolate truffles. “a small token of apology” he said, just because I had to take that temporary seat. Awwwww…. such a sweet gesture. ^^

They use single origins for their hand-drips. Hot water was slowly poured over the aromatic ground, water percolates through the filter, producing these dark, full bodied fluid — Here come my Hand-drip Special 필터스패셜 with Kenya Beans. As expected, it captured the strong and rich flavour of the beans, with smooth, dry finishing — exactly what I like. (Kenya beans can’t possibly go wrong in any case), but I prefer it thicker. Well, my bad, I should inform the barista about my personal preference beforehand, but the coffee was great nonetheless.

Interested to find out more about the cafe, I went on my 2nd excursion to the cafe to try out their non-hand drip coffee. It was 330pm in the afternoon and I knew I needed something sweet to perk me up– Espresso Con Panna, perfect for a cloudy afternoon like today. Topped with the soft and creamy whipped cream, this baby was served in a glass wine for an elegant touch. As expected, the sweetness of the cream balanced out the natural bitterness from the espresso, leaving an aromatic and smooth touch on your tongue, a dreamy marriage of espresso and the dense whipped cream.

It is also a cafe that roast their own beans manually — roasting their own coffee beans guarantee freshness. Typically, the aroma of a roasted coffee beans would fade after 5 days, and the overall cup quality would drop in 10 days. (So now you know how old your coffee sold at BIG brands and chain coffee stores actually is.) It is also cheaper by roasting their own beans manually so that customers can enjoy good quality coffee at a lower price!

The house pet is a parrot (?) befitting the overall oriental atmosphere of the cafe. No idea what breed is that but it is Über cute! Point your camera towards him and he’ll come closer to you and strike a pose for your camera.

Writer’s Note: A small cafe with quaint atmosphere very suitable for dating, gathering or even quality time alone. The settings are just oh-so-Wong Kar Wai movie, suitable for couple/pre-wedding photo shoot. Best of all, they serve good coffee in pocket friendly price tags. One black coffee costs KRW3,500 here and I am sure you’ll need to add one or two more bucks for the same thing at the coffee chains down the street. Life is too short, and there are so many things an independent cafe can offer that the international coffee chains seem to neglect. It is time we take a closer look at these independent/ indie cafes around us.

Have you been to any independent cafes in Seoul? What are your best “Hidden” cafes in Seoul? I am interested to know more about them ; )

Contact Details:

Coffee Hanyak-Bang 커피한약방
서울시 중구 을지로2가 101-34
Tel. 070-4148-4242
Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-10pm, Saturday 11am-9pm. Close on Sunday.

Direction:

1. Coming out from Euljiro 3-ga Station, exit no. 1. You’ll see shop houses at your right hand side.

2. Walk down the street, until you see the first junction, turn right. The construction site will be at your left hand side. Continue to walk down the street, where you’ll see this ginseng chicken restaurant at your right hand side.

3. The cafe is located at the back alley right beside the ginseng chicken soup.

So when Sangjun ofOneday Hanbok contacted me for the idea of roaming the streets of Seoul in Hanbok, I was actually thrilled with the proposal. Travelling around in traditional Hanbok might sound peculiar, inconvenient or too touristy for some of you, especially for people who have been in the country so long that sometimes we don’t consider ourselves as “tourist” anymore. Well, I just could not resist the beauty of traditional Korean clothing, so I decided on trying out this very interesting Hanbok rental service provided by Oneday Hanbok.

Disclaimer: This is a review based on an invitation from Oneday Hanbok to try out their service. I am not paid for the review. Opinions are my own. 

Oneday Hanbok is a cozy little hanbok rental shop located conveniently in downtown Seoul that provides friendly hanbok rental service. There are about 100 to 110 sets of hanbok in the shop, ranging from traditional hanboks to the more modern designs, for both sexes.

If there is one word to describe their hanbok selection, it would be “quality”.

For the Korea-Travel-Pros (and perhaps for those who joined any tour packages to Seoul) you might encounter hanbok trying sessions at least once in your trip. It could be at the entrance of certain performance hall, folk village or right after you finish your kimchi making class. However, I believe none of these agencies provide hanbok which the quality is on par with hanbok available at Oneday Hanbok.

Hanboks here are carefully selected through different possible ways, including direct purchase from hanbok makers and through networks of newly weds. Some of the collections in the shop are purchased from Korean newlyweds, who custom made their hanbok for their wedding and decided to sell them off after the wedding. This means the hanbok here is of the latest design possible!

Here are some of my picks from their websites. They look lovely, aren’t they?

If you are visiting Seoul with your significant other, rent a set of couple hanbok while exploring the city (especially the older part of Seoul such as Samcheong-Dong and Bukchon) would be something fun and meaningful.

These hanboks comes in various sizes (S-XL) and designs. Visitors can try 3 sets of hanbok before concluding on the design they would like to rent for. After deciding your hanbok, it is time for some fun mixing and matching with their collection of hair accessories, hanbok handbags and a wide variety of Norigae (노리개), accessories to hang onto woman’s jeogori. 

Other than providing hanbok rental service, customers may engage professional photography service with Oneday Hanbok. All you need to do is to contact them regarding your concept, session duration and preferred locations for a price quote.

They also provide paid hanbok pick-up service should you have a tight schedule and felt burdensome to travel all the way back to the shop to return the hanbok after your rental session.

Feel like boosting your hanbok experience to the fullest? They provide necessities such as hair curler, bobby pins and hair bands, should you feel the need to DIY an updo for your hair to match your hanbok.

Since the shop does not provide hairdo service, I figured it is best to learn one or two DIY braiding or updo, just in case you like yourself in the hanbok so much that you wanted to create a neat and tidy image to coordinate the look. One very simple tip is to refer to YouTube! Haha. YouTube is really my savior, more so when I need instant solutions for makeup and hairdo. Here are two hairdos that I researched the night before our hanbok rental session. I must say these two hairstyles are super easy to do,  and you only need a couple of bobby pins to complete the look!

1. Hanbok Updo

2. Easy Low tail Hairdo:

So this is the hanbok I selected for the day. After a simple explanation about rules and regulations, we set off for our photo taking session at Unhyungung Palace 운현궁, one of the least popular historical sites very, very suitable for a photo shoot. (because we don’t want any unnecessary photo bombing LOL) Other royal residences at downtown with relatively lesser visitors could be found at my other posting: 6 Hidden Gems in Downtown Seoul here.

Just in case you are wondering, no, we are not restricted to the studio. We can just roam around any place we wanted within the rental time limit, without anyone from the shop accompanying us! 

It happened to be the coldest day this winter on the day we visited Oneday Hanbok — A minus 11 celsius degree, with the strong wind blowing, making it feels like minus 21 degree according to the report that day. We tried very hard to crack the brightest smile for the camera, but the outcome was like meh~ haha! Our initial plan was to first visit Unhyungung Palace, then walking around Samcheong-Dong, then get into a high school campus nearby for a few shoots. Unfortunately, the weather was so bad that we couldn’t help but hide into a tea house right after Unhyungung Palace. = (

Pictures are taken by Ke Chean Neoh, with slight editing done by me.

Writer’s note: My hanbok session with Oneday Hanbok was certainly enjoyable. Staffs at Oneday Hanbok are very friendly too!  While we roam around the royal residence, some of the locals asked if there was any event going on and complimented on our very beautiful hanbok. I guess it is because our hanbok look different from the usual rental hanbok at the palaces. If you are planning on an extraordinary trip to Seoul, a day in Hanbok around the downtown area could be ideal. For couples who want unique memories in Seoul, a “hanbok date” would be lovely too, no?

Excellent Location: The shop is located in the middle of the downtown Seoul– right at the underground shopping district of Euljiro 4 ga Station. With the direction provided on their official site, it was really easy to locate the store. More importantly, the shop is located a few subway stations from almost every major attraction. I did some research of the location of the shop to each attraction and here is the outcome: Gyeongbok Palace and Gwanghwamun are 4 subway stations away from the shop. Changyung Palace, Deoksu Palace,  Insadong, Samcheong-Dong and Bukchon are 3 subway stations away. Jongmyo is just one stop away. Super duper convenient!

Price: The rental goes as low as KRW4,500 per hour, with a minimum rental of 2 hrs. Currently they are having a 4 hrs promotion at KRW13,000. The set of hanbok will cost you at a reasonable KRW26,000, if you intend to rent the hanbok for a day. With KRW 4,500 per hour you get to dress in quality, beautiful hanbok (with accessories rental provided), I don’t think there are other better deals out there to be frank.

A big thank you to Oneday Hanbok for the 4 hours hanbok session. Hope you guys enjoy the post! And if you are interested in their service, here you go! Will you guys be trying their hanbok rental service in Seoul? ^^

Contact Details:

Oneday Hanbok (click me)
Il-Hong Building, Level 3, No.303, Chungmuro 4 (sa) ga, Jung-gu, Seoul.
서울특별시 중구 충무로4가 125-3 일흥빌딩 3층 303호
***Please note that from December 4th 2015 Oneday Hanbok will move from the current underground store to the above-mentioned address***
Email: onedayhb@naver.com
Tel: +8270-4202-4310
Operating Hours: 10am-8pm daily.
**Clear details on rules and regulations, rental and etc are written on their site**

Direction:

1. Coming out from Chungmuro Station Exit no.8, locate Il-Hong Building 일홍빌딩at your left-hand side. You’ll see KB Bank and KIA at the first floor of the building. (if you see the bank and KIA you are on the correct track!)
2. Go to the 3rd floor of the building and knock no. 303!

Yurim-Myeon, a noodle house that is located near City Hall Station, serves one of the best cold buckwheat noodles in Seoul. Serving their noodles from a recipe passed down through 3 generations, this place has gathered “Noodles Know-How” for more than 50 years. I was told they serve 6 menus (menus may differ slightly due to season changes) with pride because they only use ingredients that are grown in Korea.

Here are the dishes they serve during my visit a week ago:

메밀 국수 Memil Guksu (buckwheat noodles) KRW 7,000
비빔 메밀 Bibim Memil (buckwheat noodles with red hot pepper paste) KRW 8,000
비빔 국수 Bibim Guksu (noodles with vegetables and red hot pepper paste) KRW 7,000
냄비 우동 Naembi Udong (udon noodles in a hot pot) KRW7,000

As their Naembi Udong is the most popular dish, we settled down with one of it and a “Memil Guksu” buckwheat noodles.

The tsuyu soup stock and shallots arrived first before the noodles. Judging at the tsuyu itself you know it is going to be very different from ordinary Japanese soba as Japanese soba is usually served with a clearer sauce. Yulim-Myeon’s version of tsuyu, however, is mixed up with chopped radish.

The cold buckwheat noodles arrived a few minutes later. It was rather plain in appearance with dried seaweed on top of the noodles through the translucent gloss shining from the noodles itself is clearly a good sign of a well-prepared dish.

From what I understand, good soba is rinsed rather vigorously in cold running water. The most common misconception about making soba is the idea that you plunged the noodles in the cold water to cool them off, which is, in fact, wrong. Good soba is rinsed (or washed to be exact) under cold running water repeatedly. This procedure is said to effectively get rid of excess starch which will adversely affect the flavour of the noodles.

It was a total surprise that a serving of buckwheat noodles actually comes in two separated bamboo mat boxes that come in a stack. I didn’t know about it until I tried to remove the noodle boxes. ^^;;

This is basically how you eat their noodles: pour the shallots in the soup stock, add some mustard and mix them well. To eat it, simply take a portion of the noodle, one mouthful each time, dip it briefly in the sauce, and there you go SLURPing~

The tsuyu soup stock was well-done, I must say. Sweet and saltish, the fragrance of the soup stock imbues the radish with well-rounded flavours. Noodles come in smooth, chewy al-dente texture on the tongue. Together with the crisp of the shallots and radish, it is a refreshing pleasure to slurp it down your throat.

If you paid close attention to Korean pop culture recently, I am sure you’ll find this picture above very familiar — it was the filming location of the popular drama <My love from the Star> starred by Kim Suhyun and Jeon Jihyun. In fact, the place where I took the picture was exactly where Do Minjoon (Kim Suhyun) was seated in the drama.

Remember the scene Cheon Songyi said that she hated eating alone? Do Minjoon was actually having udon with Lawyer Jang while receiving Songyi’s call that she was hungry. When he decided to get her a meal, he remembered Songyi’s preference for having someone dining together with her, so he actually got home with two udons just to eat dinner again with her!

So how does this Naembi Udon actually taste like?

It is a rather simple dish with mushrooms, fish cakes and an egg. The soy sauce-based broth is light and clean, with light saltiness, leaving a bit of sweetness on your tastebuds. A comforting dish I would say, but nothing more than that. To be honest, the texture of the noodle does not leave me much impression. It pales in comparison with Tamoya Udon we have in Liang Court back in Singapore. If you really crave good udon in Seoul, I would recommend the Udon chain from Shinjuku —Marukame that landed in Gangnam last winter.

My Verdict: Their cold buckwheat noodle (maemil guksu) is currently top of my list. I am certainly going back for it. I heard their Bibim maemil is great too. If you like spicy cold noodles, you should go for it. However, I don’t think I am going for their Naembi Udon. It is nice, but a tad too simple. Not unless I am not feeling well during colder days and needed something comforting and not too heavy. This place certainly gains a little more publication after the <My love from the star> drama craze. That said, serving up noodles for more than 50 years, they certainly know their ground and was already well-loved by the people, even before the drama. The Ideal place to visit this summer if you need to cool down the heat a bit.

Contact Details:
Yurim Myeon 유림면
139-1, Seosomun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul
서울 중구 서소문로 139-1 (서소문동)
Tel: +82-2-755-0659 (Reservation available during lunch time only)
Operation hours: 11am- 830pm.

How to get there: As there are no big carparks nearby, it is recommended to take public transport to the restaurant.

1. Get off at City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1 or 2), Exit 12, or 11. I recommend taking Exit 11. 2. Upon exiting the station, walk towards the direction to Deoksugung Doldam-gil. 3. Pass one building, and immediately turn left into an alley. You’ll be able to see their front gate, which look like this:

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In my recent collaboration with KTO, I was introduced to some sites worth exploring. These places are relatively quiet than major tourist sports. If you have half a day to check out the City Hall area in Seoul, what would you do?

Here I came up with a tour plan including 6 relatively peaceful sites around downtown Seoul (aka City Hall Station area). These sites are not only perfect for a slow stroll but also ideal for quality time with your loved ones. If you need an injection of Korean arts, and musicals or simply want to immerse in the rich Korean culture, this half-day tour plan in downtown Seoul is great for you.

Downtown/ City Hall Half-day Tour Plan: 

Daehanmun Gate at Deoksugung Palace → Stonewall Walkway → Seoul Museum of Art → Jungmyeongjeon Hall → Jeongdong First Methodist Church  → Jungdong Theatre

(Click on the map to enlarge) Just follow the sequence of Red → Blue → Green → Purple to complete the trip!

1.Daehanmun Gate @ Deoksugung Palace. 덕수궁 대한문 

The Daehanmun Gate right outside the Deoksugung Palace is a landmark of the area. This colourful gate stands out among the concrete forest of downtown Seoul, leaving its guests a prominent first impression. The palace conducts a daily changing of the Royal guards’ ceremony. Be sure to catch the ceremony on time. Read more about it here in my blog post about Deoksugung and the ceremony here: http://goo.gl/ujQ6Ko

Ceremony Schedule: 11:00, 14:00, 15:30 (Closed on Mondays)

2. Stonewall Walkway 덕수궁 돌담길 

The Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway or Doldam-gil is one of the most beautiful walkways in Seoul. Stretching about 900 metres in total, the walkway has over 20 benches and 130 trees, which provide an extraordinary romantic atmosphere, especially in Autumn and Winter. This stonewall walkway was Korea’s first successful attempt at creating a comprehensive urban space where both people and nature can coexist. The road was built using eco-friendly materials and the utmost precautions were taken to ensure pedestrian safety.

It was a bright and sunny afternoon at 3pm when we visited the stonewall walkway. Not a perfect time for couples to get in the mood for romance though. I would suggest an evening stroll, or maybe only include this activity on your to-do list during Spring or Autumn. Winter is another option as there will be considerably lesser pedestrians hence less chance to get photobombed kkkkkkkkkk

Autumn and winter at stonewall walkway look pretty amazing here. This background looks perfect for a pre-wedding photoshoot, no? For those who are searching for a good wedding photo location in Seoul, this place is what I will recommend.

3. Seoul Museum of Art 서울 시립 미술관 

Being one of Korea’s leading art museums, SeMa has gained its reputation through a series of impressive special exhibitions. Bring your date here for a romantic escapade. Impress her by telling her some historical facts about the beautiful building: It is built at the site of Gyeonghuigung Palace in 1988 and moved it its current location in May 2002. The entrance of the museum has a beautiful Renaissance Façade, originally part of the Supreme Court which was built in 1928.

Opening Hours: 

Weekdays: 10:00-20:00
Weekends & Holidays: 10:00-19:00
Nov- Feb: 10:00-18:00
Last Admission: 1 hr before closing.
Closed on Mondays.

I love the ambience around this neighbourhood and often take my time to stroll around the area before following my schedule of the day. Most of the time the main exhibition hall on the 1st level are free for admission.  Do check the admission and exhibition details at the Museum ^^

Bonus: Drama “My Love From Another Star” Filming Location 별그대 촬영지 

If you are a fan of the drama “My Love from Another Star”별에서 온 그대 you’ll surely find the below stone-paved walkway familiar. This walkway actually appeared in one of the scenes in episode 7 of the drama 별그대 “My Love from Another Star”. Do you know which scene was that? ^^*

It was the scene where Lawyer Jang was miffed by Do Min Joon when he found out that Do Min Joon bought the handphone just because Cheon Song-yi asked him to. Remember that part where Lawyer Jang said that for the past decade he had been urging Min-joon to get a handphone but was totally being ignored now than when Song-yi asked about it..

Min-joon explained that he bought the handphone out of convenience but when Lawyer Jang checks the phone, he confirms that Song-yi is saved in the No. 1 slot. XD Min-Joon got caught red-handed and he tries to explain that  Lawyer Jang is No. 2 and offers to swap their orders, but Lawyer Jang snaps that he doesn’t care and it’s childish! Hilarious enough!

4. Jeongdong First Methodist Church 중동 제일 교회 

Established in 1987 by American Methodist missionary Henry Appenzeller, Jeongdong First Methodist Church is the first Protestant Church in Korea. It was the one and only church which was built in the 19th century in Korea. This church has great historical significance as it was the place that fountainhead the “March First Movement” (One of the earliest public movements of anti-Japanese occupation in Korea).

5.  Jungmyeongjeon Hall 중명전 

Jungmyeonjeon Hall, a three-story Western-style building was designed by Russian architect Seredin Sabatin. This building was used as an imperial library from 1897 to 1901. After Deoksugung Palace caught fire, Jungmyeongjeon Hall became the main office of King Go Jong. The building also witnessed the tragic part of history in which the infamous Eulsa Treaty was signed.

Opening Hours: 10:00-17:00, Closed on Mondays. Free Admission.

Jungmyeonjeon Hall looks gorgeous under the 3 o’clock sweltering sun. Personally, I find this place another good option for outdoor couple photo shooting too!

The Chinese Characters of “Jungmyeonjeon” (重明殿). If you can read Chinese, you might notice that the 2nd character “明” look slightly different from what it should look like. Precisely, the character “明” should have “日” as its component. However, the character “目” was used as a component here. It was said that since this building was a Royal library, Go Jong purposely selected the character “目” which literally means “eyes” as an admonishment to see things clearly.

Although admission is free for all visitors, everyone is required to change into slippers before entering the building to protect the building. Even glass flooring was installed to better preserve the patterned tiles.

As the building was designed by a Russian, we can see the influence of the west here in the building, especially from the arched pillars surrounding the building. As the building is built from bricks, after Deoksugung caught fire, Go Jong feels much safer working here and hence shifted his office to this building.

A picture of Go Jong with the officials who second the idea of signing the Japan-Korea protectorate treaty (Eulsa Treaty), one of the saddening past of Korea. You can check out more about the history of Eulsa Treaty here at Jungmyeonjeon.

6. Jeongdong Theatre 정동극장 

Lastly, you may catch your traditional Korean Musical here at the Jeongdong Theatre. There are 2 shows every day at 4 pm and 8 pm. Plan your date wisely. You can either finish off the night with a dinner at the 길들여지기(click me) restaurant in the theatre compound after the show (will be about 530pm), or wind down at the restaurant before getting into the theatre to catch the 8pm show. Currently, Jeongdong Theatre is having their new musical Baebijang-Jeon (배비장전) which I have reviewed earlier on the blog. Check out the ticketing and synopsis here: http://goo.gl/t16VTf

Writer’s note:

This is a suggested half-day tour plan if you wish to explore around Jeongdong/Deoksugung/City Hall area. I hope you like the plan. You may want to modify the itinerary to fit your schedule. If possible, please send me your feedback or leave me a comment below. Just click on the grey little callout button with a “+” at the lower right-hand side and you’ll see the comment box. Have a great day!

]]> https://www.pheurontay.com/6-hidden-gems-at-downtown-seoul/feed/ 0 https://www.pheurontay.com/miso-musical-baebijang-jeon/ https://www.pheurontay.com/miso-musical-baebijang-jeon/#respond Sun, 18 May 2014 15:41:57 +0000 https://www.pheurontay.com/?p=2051 If you are currently located in South Korea and if you love theatre, don’t miss “Miso” the Korean Musical in downtown Seoul. They are the finest theatre producer in Korea that I know of that breaks the language barrier for foreign audiences, yet at the same time has huge local viewership. Try to google a bit and you’ll surely find people raving about “Miso”. (Not the one for drinking of course^^) . I have to say the show was a spectacular lineup of traditional music, lighting and vibrant colours of the elegant traditional costumes of Korea.

If you do not know about Jeongdong Theatre’s Miso show yet, here are some facts for you:

• Over the past 14 years, Miso has attracted a total of approximately 650,000 people.
• As an exceptional show of Korean tradition and culture, Miso has been particularly well received by international fans.
• Miso has been a contributing factor in spreading ‘Korean Fever’ as worldwide audiences gain a deeper appreciation of the traditional art, beauty and elegance of Korea.

Thanks to KTO, I was able to enjoy a lovely afternoon at Jeongdong Theatre. It was a hot and sunny afternoon when we arrived at the place. Before we start, here is a brief introduction to Jeongdong Theatre:

Jeondong Theater (정동 극장) was opened in 1977 with the aim to perform traditional Korean dance and music, delighting audiences of all ages. Years later in 2008, they remarketed their show and named it ‘Miso’  (美笑, literally it means beautiful, smile) and adapted it into a traditional dance drama/love story chronicling the four seasons of Korea.

Since then, they have been receiving love from people from all over the world and ranked as ” #1 Satisfactory”, Best Performance Award, which was chosen by foreign audiences.  The theatre has been delivering amazing pieces every season since then, with pride and their unique interpretation of traditional Korean dance and music.

They have a restaurant bar with a good ambience at the ground level. Do check them out if you are keen. My mom and I had a wonderful date here at their restaurant bar 길들여지기here 2 years ago. I must say it is a good choice for a romantic dinner and theatre date night for couples. They have a solid wine list as well!

The theatre is located in the basement. You’ll need to purchase or collect your ticket at the counter. Check-in your bags at the counter if you want to. Especially if you have been shopping before the show. I remembered they have a Hanbok ( Korean traditional costume) booth for visitors to try on for pictures. However, they do not have that this time around. : (

Here we are inside the theatre. As cameras are not allowed throughout the show,  I couldn’t take pictures of the fantastic performance and share them with you. However, I manage to find some pictures from their official site, check them out here in the post!

The show we are watching today is called Baebijang-jeon (배비장전 裵裨將傳), which is one of the representative literature of Satirical Novel of the Joseon Dynasty – It talks about the fateful encounter of Secretary Bae, an official that we can’t help but love, and Ae-rang, a beautiful woman who is proud and clever. It is a new work of Jeongdong Theatre in 2014 and it just started showing about 2 weeks ago!

Here I quote the pamphlet:

It doesn’t just present traditional dance and music in a one dimensional dance drama. It goes on to heighten the beauty of form as a holistic performance by harmonizing rhythm, melody, theatrical devices and the Korean traditional dance steps.

Cool enough? Here we go to the Synopsis:

Bae Geol-deok-swe, who always tries to maintain the honour of the gentry, is appointed the government position of the secretary in charge of culture and art. He goes to his new post at Jeju Island with the new district magistrate.

Gisaeng Ae-rang, the legendary beauty in Jeju who dreams of true love.

In Jeju Island, Secretary Bae doesn’t mingle with the people at the welcoming party of the new magistrate. Instead, he goes around scolding the other secretaries for socializing with gisaengs (courtesans).

The magistrate wants to test Secretary Bae who vows never to be seduced by any kind of temptation, so the magistrate declares that he’ll handsomely reward anyone who can seduce Secretary Bae. Ae-rang, one of Jeju Island’s most beautiful women, comes forward, saying she’ll seduce him. The man-servant that works for Secretary Bae agrees to help her. Secretary Bae, who would talk big about the honour of the gentry, sees Ae-rang taking a bath at the waterfall and immediately falls in love with her. With the help of his man-servant, Secretary Bae heads over to Ae-rang’s house.

What happened at Ae-rang’s house then? Of course, I won’t tell you here! It will not be fun if I tell you everything here before you catch the show yourself, isn’t it? ^^

My honest opinion here is that they have a really amazing band and choreographer. Like any other contemporary musical, they use live traditional music bands as accompaniment (how cool is it!). Various traditional dance movements were tastefully choreographed into the piece.

Secondly, the amazing and enormous amount of vivid colours on the stage. From the myriad of changes of the lighting to the costumes of the gisaengs, we see an abundant selection of colours in the entire 80 minutes show. I really admire the selection of the colours, especially on their costumes, truly Korea!

Last but not least, their actors and actresses, I mean, good looking actors and actresses. You get to see the handsome oppas and pretty unnies all at once! And also taking pictures with them at the end of the show too~

Below is a preparation video of Baebijang-Jeon taken from Miso’s Facebook. It gives you a better idea of how the production team comes up with the splendid lighting design and the magnificent stage. Look at the sophisticated arranging of the props and the layering of the background! Kudos to Team Baebijang-Jeon!

My Verdict: I always love Jeongdong Theatre’s production as they guarantee both artistic value and popular appeal in their work. I have watched two of their recent shows by now (the first one was “Love Songs of Chun Hyang” and I love it to bits!) and both of them left me a very positive impression. It is fascinating and entertaining. You don’t need to have fine and meticulous Korean arts or cultural background to be able to understand and enjoy the whole show. The lighting, costumes and the props and stage are beautifully designed and I am sure you will be dazzled by all these impressive stage elements. Have fun watching!

Contact Details:

Jeongdong Theatre (정동극장)[ Read: Jeong-dong Geuk-Jang]
43, Jeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.
Korean version of the address: 서울시 중구 정동길 43 정동극장 

Performance Time: 
Open Run 16:00, 20:00 (closed on Monday)

Admission Fees: 
VIP seats: KRW 60,000
R seats: KRW 50,000
S seats: KRW 40,000

Duration of Performance: 
1 hr 20 mins.

Ticket Reservations: 
+82-2-751-1500
Miso website: www.koreamiso.com (click the link)
K-Performance: www.kperformance.org (click the link)

How To Get There? 
1. If you are coming from Blue Line (Line 1) , exit from Exit.1.
2. Walk straight for about 30 seconds where you could see the Deoksugung Palace stone wall street.
3. Follow this stone wall and it will lead you to the theatre. The whole journey takes 5 mins. by walking.
** if you are coming from Green Line (Line 2), take exit 12. Then follow the small alley on your left-hand side, and walk straight until you see the stone wall street. Follow the stone wall street and you will reach Jeongdong Theatre soon.

And so there goes this post about one peculiar building among the concrete forest of downtown Seoul. Hidden in the midst of the high-rise buildings, the existence of Deoksugung Palace (덕수궁) is noticeably incongruous. Having only visited the National Museum of Contemporary Arts which is located in the palace, I was given another fine chance to take a stroll in the palace itself to understand more about the history of the site.

According to various online resources (visitkorea.org, the palace booklet etc. you name it), Deoksugung Palace was originally belonged to Wolsandaegun (1454~1488), the older brother of King Seongjong (1469~1494) of the Joseon Dynasty. It became a proper palace when Gwanghaegun (1575~1641) ascended the throne and gave the palace the name Gyeongungung in 1611. Afterwards, the name was then changed back to its original title of Deoksugung.

Visitors can enjoy watching the ceremony of the changing of royal guards at 11:00, 14:00, 15:30. It takes about 10 minutes to finish the show. Personally, I prefer the Gyeongbok Palace’s ceremony better as the compound is bigger over there and the result of the pictures taken there came out way nicer.

As Deoksugung palace is located in the middle of modern buildings, the traditional costumes and the modern background just looked like another Korean drama scene that the prince from the Joseon Dynasty has time travel to the future!  Now you get what I mean? ^^

The royal guard ajussi looked into my camera when I tried to take a selfie! That’s funny!

Jeonggwanheon Pavilion 정관헌 (靜觀軒). Literally, the name means “Palace from which to watch the garden, silently.” — a very zen-like name. This building was renovated and re-opened in 2006. It was the first western-style building built in the palace in 1900. Widely known as the King’s Lounge, it is said to be a place for the King Go Jong to enjoy coffee and snacks and hold various banquets here. Influenced by western culture and lifestyle, Go Jong enjoyed drinking coffee and spending his leisure time here. The back of the building had secret passageways to the Russian Emissary, which still exist today.

Seokjojeon. Another western-style building in Deoksugung Palace. It was being built by a British man for his company but in 1905, when the construction was still ongoing, the ownership was transferred to Japan. It was finally completed in 1910. After Go Jeong’s death, this place became a Japanese art gallery open to the public.

Overall the palace is an interesting combination of both Korean and Western features. Many of the buildings in the palace compound were designed by Russian or Europe architects hence the heavy western element in the interior despite the original Korean traditional motifs. The King’s bedroom was adorned with a fine chandelier and golden curtain rod, which speaks of the influences of the modernisation of the royal family at the turn of the 20th century.

Writer’s Note: Deoksugung Palace is a relatively small royal palace compared to Changgyung Palace and the famous Gyeongbok Palace. This means the site would be relatively quiet compared to other major sites, which is a plus point for me. Do check out the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (click to find out more)  in the palace compound if you are interested. Deoksugung Palace is also known as the only palace that sits alongside a series of western style buildings that add to the uniqueness of the surrounding scenery. Basically, I would recommend a palace trip right after they start operating or towards the end of the day to avoid the crowds hence the best time for you to capture good pictures.

Located at the corner of Seoul’s busiest downtown intersection, the palace is also famous for its elegant stone-wall road. (덕수궁 돌담길) I will be posting about it in the next post so please check back some day next week?

How to Get There?
There are basically two ways to visit the palace by public transport. Two subway lines intersected at City Hall station, which made the way to Deoksugung all the more convenient. Click the map below to enlarge.

If you’re visiting via Line No. 1 ( Blue Line), just come out from exit No. 2 and Keep walking straight until you see Daehan-mun. There you are at the destination! Easy peasy.

If you are visiting during the spring/summer 2014, you’ll definitely see these yellow ribbons tied tightly between the trees by the roadside. It is a nationwide campaign for the Sewol Ferry Disaster. If you don’t see these yellow ribbons, the campaign must have ended before your visit. Then try to locate the Seoul Plaza or Seoul City Hall opposite where you are. If you can see them from across the road, you are on the correct track.

If you are visiting via Line No.2 (Green Line), please come out from exit No. 12 and walk straight. You’ll see Daehan-mun down 1 block. ; )  Please refer to the map above if you need further guides.

Operating Hours: *** Closed every Monday. ***
09:00 – 21:00 (Ticketing 09:00 – 20:00)
Adult: KRW 1,000 per entry. Group Adult (10 pax and above) KRW 800 each.
Kids: KRW 500 per entry. Group Kids (10 pax and above) KRW 400 each.
** Junghwajeon Hall is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 16:00

All-Inclusive Tickets: (KRW10,000) 
Recommend to people who resides in Seoul or having a long-term trip.
This all-inclusive ticket includes: Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace (Rear Garden included), Changgyeonggung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, and Jongmyo Shrine by buying one all-inclusive ticket. May be used within a month after purchase.

Time Schedule for Changing of Royal Guards Ceremony:
Ceremony Schedule: 11:00, 14:00, 15:30 (Closed on Mondays)
Ceremony Course:
Daehanmun Gate at Deoksugung Palace → Seoul Plaza → Cheonggye Plaza → Gwangtonggyo Bridge → Bosingak Bell ** Bosingak Bell Ringing Ceremony takes place at noon.

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With this post, I am pleased to announce that I am now an honorary ambassador with the Korean Tourism Organisation. As part of the program, I will be travelling around Korea and bring you exciting updates on social media about cool places and good eateries that are not to be missed. This also means you’ll see active updates on the blog, my instagram (click here to follow if you haven’t) and my Facebook page.

Sounds exciting enough, no? Please join me throughout the journey! ^^ 많이 많이 읽어 주시고 사랑해 주시길 바랍니당~