Drinking at the Barbershop — Jungok-dong Residents Sip Makgeolli at Woojeong Barbershop

Since ancient times, a well at the center of a village has provided daily water while also serving as a community space where neighbors gathered and connected. In Jungok-dong, a Seoul neighborhood that still holds onto the warmth of old-town Seoul, there is a place that calls itself just that—a well. Housed in a 40-year-old building that still bears its original sign, ‘Woojeong Barbershop,’ Woojeong is a bottle shop and bar dedicated to introducing traditional Korean alcohol.

Interviewer Parc Jinmyoung
Interviewee Lee Yeram (Woojeong’s well keeper)

What led you to settle in Jungok-dong?
Before Woojeong opened, this space was a small brewery run by an acquaintance of mine. It was too big for a brewery alone, so they were looking for someone to share it with. I happened to have just quit my job as a designer and was taking some time off. At first, it started as a casual idea—opening a traditional alcohol bottle shop as a hobby around my love for makgeolli. Later, the brewery grew and moved elsewhere, leaving me on my own here. I renewed the space so it could also serve light bites to pair with makgeolli, and host events like pop-ups and jazz performances.

The worn sign reading ‘Woojeong Barbershop’ is striking. Was there a particular reason you kept it as is?
Mostly it came down to money. Even the interior is largely unchanged from when my acquaintance first renovated it for the brewery. They tore down the wooden ceiling to raise the height and reused the same material on the walls, which gave it that retro feel. Woojeong’s branding follows that same mood. As you might have guessed, the name Woojeong also comes from the barbershop’s original name. When I designed the logo, I added the Chinese character 井 (jeong, meaning ‘well’) between the letters, which introduced the ‘well’ concept.
At first, I wasn’t sure if the neighbors would understand this concept. As expected, some were confused—a few elderly folks even walked in thinking it was still a barbershop. But after about two years here, they started playfully saying things like, “I came to the barbershop for a drink of makgeolli.”

There are a lot of retro-concept shops these days. Why did you focus so much on the local residents?
As I mentioned, I didn’t choose this neighborhood for its commercial potential or foot traffic, so the reactions of the local residents mattered most to me. Since this all started as a hobby, I’m still in the process of growing the space.

What’s your criteria for curating traditional Korean alcohol?
Honestly, a lot of personal bias goes into it (laughs). I love makgeolli so much that two out of the three showcases are dedicated to it. The rest is filled with takju, distilled spirits, and craft beer. I only bring in what I’ve personally tasted and felt confident enough to recommend to customers.

How do you source the alcohol?
I usually attend liquor-related fairs and events to deal directly with breweries, and I also place orders through distributors specializing in traditional Korean alcohol. Some are seasonal specialties, like the glutinous rice dongdongju from Chiaksan, Wonju, which we only sell in summer. Whenever I travel, I always try the local makgeolli, and the dongdongju I had in Wonju was refreshingly sweet, almost like a sports drink—it was incredible. Customers loved it too. I think of it as a makgeolli that really shines in the heat, so we only offer it during summer.

You also sell food to pair with traditional Korean alcohol.
I wanted to break the assumption that our traditional alcohol has to be paired with Korean food. So the menu is mostly simple dishes you might find at a wine bar—tacos, cheese platters, crackers, and the like.

What makes traditional Korean alcohol so appealing to you?
Its biggest charm is that, with rice as the base, you can use an endless variety of other ingredients. The flavor and aroma change completely depending on what you add. Using seasonal ingredients lets you taste the essence of that time of year. The more you learn about it, the more fascinating it becomes.

You also host various gatherings and events related to alcohol, like Naengteolhoe (a “raid the fridge” tasting session) and Makjazz (a performance combining makgeolli and jazz). How do you plan these events?
Naengteolhoe is a gathering where participants pay an entry fee (33,000 won) and draw a ball to determine how much makgeolli they get to drink. It was designed to help people get into makgeolli. Makjazz is a performance we hold together with the jazz duo 9&4, who first came to Woojeong as customers. The idea came from realizing that jazz and makgeolli share something in common: diversity. Guests sit in a circle at Woojeong, listening to the artists’ voice and guitar from less than a meter away. Wanting to try it in bigger spaces and different regions, we held a performance last August at Kkulkkeok House, a brewery in Busan. Our next stop is Japan.

How did the Japan event come about?
There’s a small city called Unnan (雲南市) in Shimane Prefecture. I suddenly remembered an acquaintance who runs a makgeolli brewery called ‘Omona’ there, so I reached out first with the idea. It turned out that Amanokan (天野館), a ryokan in the area with over a hundred years of history, had also been wanting to host something like this—the response came back almost as if they’d been waiting for it. So we set the schedule right away. Along with the jazz performance, we’re preparing a pairing of kaiseki (会席) cuisine, prepared by the ryokan’s owner who used to be a chef, with makgeolli brewed from local rice. Since this is our first time trying something like this, I’m curious to see how the locals will respond to makgeolli.

Is there a trip that stands out in your memory?
Since starting Woojeong, I’ve been going on brewery tours with friends who also love makgeolli whenever I get the chance. In places with good water and fertile soil, like Gangneung in Gangwon-do, Mungyeong in Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Yeongam in Jeollanam-do, I get to watch breweries make their alcohol firsthand and enjoy fresh seasonal ingredients. It’s been fun discovering a whole world I never would have known if I hadn’t started this.

Any tips for enjoying Woojeong to the fullest?
I feel most proud when I see a customer standing in front of the shelves, deliberating over what to drink—like an adventurer exploring an unknown world. I think choosing an unfamiliar drink is a special kind of everyday experience. I also enjoy recommending drinks based on a guest’s taste and showing them the right order and way to enjoy them. If you come with an open mind, this place becomes a lot more interesting.

What’s next for Woojeong?
First, I want to successfully carry out the global Makjazz project in Japan and expand further into planning makgeolli-related content. Right now, it still feels limited to this one space called Woojeong. Whenever we hold an event, people around me often ask what’s in it for us, but I believe that content which draws people in is ultimately the biggest force in making a space sustainable. It’ll take time, but I plan to keep at it, slowly.