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5. Trip to South Korea

Korean Folk Village, Suwon, South Korea (Daytrip)

Trip to South Korea – Part 8: The King Of Dramas

Korean Folk Village Map


The site is easily reached using public transport. Visitors can take the train from Seoul to the Suwon Station, Exit 4, and then use the provided free shuttle or pay for a taxi to take them the remainder of the way right to the front entry of the village. The drive will take approximately 30 minutes.

At the entrance of the village there is a map with key points to visit while you’re there.
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Museum

The extensive grounds of the Korean Folks Village are essentially a big park. Perfect for taking a stroll in while enjoying both nature, and the sights of historical architecture.

A museum also gives the visitor additional insights into daily life in a Korea of the past.

Miniature displays inside the museum depict typical daily activities in historical Korea.

Korean Folk Village

Feel like getting in on the action?

There are multiple opportunities to do so at the Korean Folk Village.

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Korean Folk Village
Several replicas of ancient workshops can be found all over.
Several replicas of ancient workshops can be found all over.
Several replicas of ancient workshops can be found all over.
“Treadmill (Di-Dil-Bang-Ah): Treadmill is an instrument to grind grain stepping on them. There are one-legged and two-legged treadmills. The two-legged treadmill was called Bang-ah-meo-ri (mill head), Bang-ah-heo-ri (mill waist), or Bang-ah-da-ri (mill leg). It’s an invention of our ancestors who regarded it as a human body….”
Several replicas of ancient workshops can be found all over.
“…Because this mill looks like a woman, men weren’t allowed to touch, get on, or step on it at all. There are various folk customs about the treadmill. In the first month of the Lunar New year, people used to steal treadmills from neighboring villages as a ceremonial play. They also put dirty clothes on treadmill legs to prevent epidemics from being transmitted to them from surrounding villages. In addition, there are over thirty proverbs related to the treadmill. This shows, how the treadmill was a really essential tool in the lives of people in the past.”
Several replicas of ancient workshops can be found all over.
Don’t worry if your Hangul is not up to snuff yet. All descriptions are in both Korean and English. (This is a close-up of the description for the treadmills in the previous 2 pictures.)
Baskets with straps made from fabrics were commonly used to carry things over longer distances.
We spotted several staff around the village dressed as characters that would have been seen walking around in the old days.
Korean Folk Village
As part of the re-enactment of a traditional wedding ceremony, here we see the procession with musicians and the bride being carried inside a palanquin to meet the groom.
Korean Folk Village
A beautiful pavilion invites for a rest [and of course, a photoshoot].
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Korean Folk Village
A historical family residence.
Replicas of outdoors stone/clay ovens.
Typical historical cooking utensils.
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Houses with a stone base could be heated via build in fireplaces underneath the house.
Korean Folk Village

Inside this room life size replicas depict a harmonious family scene.

Suwon Filming Location

The Korean Folk Village can lay claim to having been the filming site for many popular Korean dramas. This includes both historical and modern dramas, one them being the famous “My Love from a Star” starring Jun Ji-Hyun and Kim So-Hyun.

Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
A multitude of pathways throughout the village invite visitors for a leisurely stroll.
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village
Korean Folk Village

Hungry from all that exploring? No worries. An extensive food court provides ample choices and allows you to enjoy a delicious outdoors lunch.

Korean Folk Village

Multiple seating areas strewn about in case you need to rest.

Visitors to the Korean Folk Village can imagine themselves as guests while enjoying a historical wedding re-enactment. (Is anyone else getting strong “Goong” vibes from these pics?)

Exploring Suwon

Marketplace Entrance

As I went through these pictures I remembered that we had been looking for this particular entrance but couldn’t find it. The place is called Paldalmun (팔달문), which is one of the entrance gates to the Hwaseong Fortress. In our very limited Korean we asked a woman where it was. As soon as she started to use words such as 왼쪽 (oenjjok) “left” and 오른쪽 (oreunjjok) “right”, we knew we had arrived at the barrier that was language. So, we followed her hand gestures instead. She was very friendly and we were able to find our entrance to the fortress after all.

A steadfast reminder of ancient times, these structures stand in stark contrast to the modern world surrounding them today. Impressive in size and architectural design, they are a sight to behold.

A little stream flanked by paths allows for a relaxing (or perhaps romantic?) walk. It also provides a perfect backdrop for some beautiful pictures. (Time to break out that selfie stick once again.)

Several of these plates can be found embedded into the sidewalks on the streets of Suwon. This particular one is dedicated to the Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion (a World Heritage Site).

Banghwasuryujeong Pavilion

Cee and R.

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