How to Travel Gongju’s Old Town

The Method of Trip in Gongju — How to Travel Gongju’s Old Town

A city where the foothills of Mount Gyeryongsan meet the Geumgang River, and where history has settled into every corner. Just an hour by train or an hour and a half by bus from Seoul, Gongju invites you to travel it as if you actually lived there — for a day, or for a night and two days. Here are a few ways to do just that.

Words Parc Jinmyoung
Photos Shin Gyucheol

For a lunch spot that will shape your first impression of Gongju, we chose ➊Gomgol Sikdang. Housed in an old hanok, this restaurant serves grilled fish and charcoal-grilled pork on a griddle. The golden, crisply grilled fish arrives with a generous spread of house-made side dishes — braised fish cakes, seasoned seaweed stems, seasoned bean sprouts, braised tofu — a table that speaks to Gongju’s warm hospitality. The salty, chewy grilled pork, smoky from the charcoal, is the kind of dish that makes you want more rice.
From Gomgol Sikdang, it’s a three-minute walk to ➋Jemincheon Stream. In the old town, there’s no getting anywhere without passing through Jemincheon. This 4.2-kilometer ecological stream originates in Gongju’s Geumhak-dong and flows into the Geumgang River in Geumseong-dong. Along both banks stand the area’s most important buildings, from the Joseon-era government offices of Gongju-mok and Chungcheong Gamyeong, to modern institutions like Gongju City Hall, Gongju High School, Gongju Girls’ High School, and Gongju Medical Center — all centered around this stream. It was also along Jemincheon that boarding students settled when they came to study in Gongju, once known as a city of education.

Walking along Jemincheon, you’ll come across a grand building that blends beautifully into the village. This is ➌Cafe Front, run by Village Hotel, a local company that develops Gongju’s culture and produces content. The entire building operates under a hotel concept, and the café — located on the first floor — earned its name ‘Front’ for that reason. It uses beans roasted in Gongju and makes desserts with locally grown wheat. Next to Front is ‘Susunjip,’ a café and exhibition space renovated from a former tailor shop, and on the third floor sits ‘Blueprint Book,’ a neighborhood bookstore and local publisher. The greatest appeal here is being able to enjoy such varied content all in one place.

Cross Banjukgyo Bridge and keep walking, and you’ll reach Jungdong intersection. We climbed the steep red brick steps to reach ➍Jungdong Catholic Church. Jungdong Church is Gongju’s representative cathedral and the first church built in this region. Designed in medieval Gothic style by Father Choi Jongcheol Marco, who modeled it on Yakhyeon Cathedral in Seoul, it was designated Chungcheongnam-do Monument No. 142 in 1998. The interior is open only during Sunday Mass hours (Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Sundays at 10:30 a.m.).
As the sky begins to redden, hurry toward ➎Gongsanseong Fortress — you won’t want to miss the sight of the whole village bathed in sunset light. Gongsanseong was the mountain fortress that protected Gongju, the capital of the Baekje kingdom, and it remained the center of local administration through the Joseon dynasty. Take a walk along the 2.2-kilometer fortress wall. Enter through the gate, and walking left brings the Geumgang River into view, while walking right offers a view over the entire village.

Once you arrive in Gongju, begin your journey into the city’s past at ➊Jungdong Catholic Church, the first church built in this region. Constructed in 1937 in medieval Gothic style, the building’s tall, pointed bell tower over the central entrance and its arched doors and windows carry a classic Korean elegance. The history of Catholicism in the Gongju region traces back to the Sinyu Persecution of 1801. In 1784, when Yi Seunghun Peter first sowed the seeds of the Gospel on the Korean peninsula, Yi Jonchang Ludovico, a native of Cheonan in Chungcheongnam-do, began spreading Catholicism to Gongju as well. During the Sinyu Persecution, Yi Jonchang was martyred at ➋Hwangsaebawi Rock, visible to the northwest of the church. Today the site is a Catholic pilgrimage destination and has been designated a Chungcheongnam-do monument. During the Byeongin Persecution of 1866, it’s said that at least 248 identified believers were martyred at the Gongju provincial government office.

Old houses stylishly reborn as cafés, independent bookstores full of character, guesthouses, and galleries have recently sprung up around ➌Jemincheon Stream, breathing new life into Gongju’s old town. Though it’s now a beautiful stream that serves as a resting place for locals and travelers alike, Jemincheon’s revival didn’t happen overnight. Until the mid-2000s, the stream had been neglected to the point of giving off a foul odor — and it was none other than Gongju residents who saved it. They repaired the sewage system to block wastewater inflow, and built retention basins, wetlands, and sedimentation ponds upstream so various organisms could thrive, sending purified water downstream. A walking path was also created alongside the water.

Among the shops lining Jemincheon, the most eye-catching is the Spanish tapas bar ➍08001 Barcelona, a space where the owner recreates the diverse food culture experienced while living in Spain. Born out of nostalgia for Barcelona, this wine bar mainly serves Spanish wines, and its signature dish is a platter piled high with seasonal fruit, ham, and cheese. Since you’ve come to Gongju, a city of cultural heritage, why not spend a night at the hanok guesthouse ➎Bonghwangjae? Push open the creaky wooden gate and you’ll be welcomed by a well-kept courtyard and a beautifully preserved hanok. Beneath rafters that speak to the passage of time, you’re sure to sleep deeply.

Gongsanseong Fortress is lovely at sunset, but an early morning visit to ➏Gongsanseong Fortress is just the thing to wake up body and mind. Beyond the fortress gate, the park is filled with locals out running or strolling. And isn’t a daytime beer part of the romance of travel? For a taste of Gongju’s local beer, head to ➐Pulkkot Cafe. Alongside carefully dried flower teas, you can sample the full lineup from Weizen House, Gongju’s craft beer brewery. The beers are distributed nationwide, but nothing beats tasting them locally. Featuring symbols of Gongju like the Geumgang River and chestnuts, these beers carry the brewery’s wish to craft something as beautiful as Gongju itself.

Gongju served as the administrative center of Chungcheong-do for roughly 330 years, until the Chungcheongnam-do provincial office was relocated to Daejeon during the Japanese colonial era. The ➑Former Gongju Town Office, opened in 1923, is a modern architectural heritage site that still bears traces of that period. It served as the Chungcheongnam-do Financial Cooperative Federation Hall, then as the Gongju town office, then as the Gongju city hall, before being sold to a private owner. In 2008, the city of Gongju purchased it back, returning it to the community. The first floor showcases the building’s history, while the second floor features a photo zone recreating the old town office and a rest area.
If you’re looking for a special gift to commemorate your trip to Gongju, visit ➒Gokmuljip. Gokmuljip is a grocery café that unearths and collects Korea’s diverse native grains, offering sustainable food and content built around them. Upstairs in the same building is Design Books, an independent bookstore specializing in literature. Gokmuljip’s courtyard also hosts exhibitions and pop-up stores on themes like healthy food culture and the joys of good eating, so check their Instagram before you visit.