Woven with Hemp — A New Countryside Escape in Andong's Geumso Village

Woven with Hemp; A New Countryside Escape in Andong — Daemamin-guk, the Hip Country Getaway of Geumso Village, Andong

‘Daemamin-guk’ (a playful pun on Daehanmin-guk, the Republic of Korea, replacing ‘han’ with ‘daema,’ meaning hemp). It's a name that sounds a bit risky, but it has given birth to a travel product that sparks curiosity. In Geumso Village, Andong, famous for Andongpo (traditional hemp cloth), a one-night, two-day countryside getaway has been created around hemp, the very material used to make Andongpo. Here's an introduction to this unconventional rural trip that crosses the line between tradition and taboo.

Hip with Hemp: Geumso Village's New Challenge
Launched under the provocative slogan “2025 Andong Fall Trip, Hip with Hemp!,” Daemamin-guk was selected for the ‘Rural Creatour’ competition hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Rural Community Corporation. After launching its countryside getaway package ‘Geumyangyeonhwa’ in 2024, Geumso Village drew attention as a rural retreat destination in Andong. This time, it's turning heads once again by putting hemp, the raw material of Andongpo, front and center.

In Korea, the word ‘hemp’ still carries an air of unease and caution, but Geumso Village is a legally designated hemp cultivation site under the ‘Gyeongsangbuk-do Special Regulatory-Free Zone for Industrial Hemp.’ The hemp grown here isn't an illegal drug but a treasured village asset, cultivated as raw material for the traditional textile Andongpo. Drawing on this unique culture and history, visitors can experience the once-flourishing glory of Geumso Village, thanks to Andongpo, along with the peaceful rhythms of rural life, over a one-night, two-day stay, exploring hemp within an entirely legal framework.

A One-of-a-Kind Experience
Daemamin-guk features a variety of programs centered on hemp that can't be found anywhere else. These include a dinner of hemp-root baeksuk (whole chicken soup) cooked in a traditional cauldron, floating wish lanterns made with hemp stalks, and a demonstration of Andongpo weaving by master craftspeople accompanied by the traditional loom song. Each activity engages the senses through hemp.
Among them, the signature program is hemp field meditation. Early in the morning, guests can quiet their minds with singing bowl meditation amid the calm and serenity of the hemp field, the symbol of the village, in a healing program unique to Geumso Village. Over the course of the one-night, two-day stay, other activities include a walk and guided tour through the Geumso Ecological Park, as well as a cooking class offering a modern take on the traditional snack ‘chaljjotti’.

A Travel Product Born from a Village in Crisis
This project was conceived as Geumso Village's own solution to overcome the crises facing South Korea's rural cities and farming and fishing villages, including regional decline caused by population loss. It is also expected to bring much-needed vitality back to the village, which was left subdued after a massive wildfire swept through last spring.
Lim Bangho, chairman of the Andongpo Weaving Village Preservation Association, said, “Geumso Village remains the only village in Korea that still weaves hemp cloth using traditional methods to this day. By boldly introducing an unconventional travel experience centered on Andongpo and its raw material, hemp, we hope to offer a legal and one-of-a-kind trip that can only be experienced in Geumso Village.”
With hemp as its killer content, Daemamin-guk weaves together the history, nature, and people of the countryside through Andongpo, the village's identity, and hemp, its very root. We hope this fresh travel offering will showcase new possibilities for rural-themed tourism.