Come Visit Bukchon Hanokcheong in Seoul City

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] Seoul City announced on the 20th that it has finalized the schedule for the first half of this year at Bukchon Hanokcheong, a citizen shared space, through a prior public contest, and will hold various exhibitions for six months starting in January.

Bukchon Hanokcheong is one of the public hanoks purchased by Seoul City in 2003 as part of the 'Bukchon Improvement Project' carried out since the early 2000s to preserve hanok and the hanok area landscape, and is used as a citizen-open hanok.

Since 2017, the city has been operating Bukchon Hanokcheong as a shared hanok for all citizens, where any Seoul citizen wishing to exhibit content suitable for the locality of Bukchon and hanok can apply for rental.

In the first half of this year, 16 rental exhibitions will be presented. The exhibitions will feature traditional culture and crafts such as ceramics, wooden furniture, traditional flower arrangement, and bojagi (wrapping cloth), as well as contemporary crafts including pen drawings and photography, with participation from students, artists, and groups. Individual exhibitions will last from 1 to 3 weeks, and exhibitors will be present to guide visitors through the exhibitions.

In addition to viewing the exhibitions, the view of Gahoe-dong from Bukchon Hanokcheong is another point of appreciation, making it a highlight of the Bukchon scenery that visitors should not miss.

Meanwhile, Bukchon Hanokcheong operates from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed every Monday), and admission is free. Exhibition program applications are accepted in advance twice a year through the Seoul Hanok Portal, with applications for the second half exhibitions scheduled to open from May.

Kang Maeng-hoon, Director of Urban Regeneration at Seoul City, said, “Public hanoks that embody Seoul’s past and present are architectural assets effective for regional cultural regeneration,” adding, “We will continue to expand opportunities for more citizens to appreciate and enjoy their value together.”