Closed for One Month Due to Internal Renovations
Wooriok, recognized as one of Seoul's top four Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurants and famously popular as an "open-run naengmyeon house," has suddenly closed for business. The restaurant, which drew long lines of customers every day during the peak summer season, has abruptly suspended operations, drawing attention to the reasons behind this unexpected closure.
On July 30, numerous posts expressing disappointment over Wooriok's sudden closure appeared on online communities and social networking services (SNS). In photos uploaded online, a notice was seen posted at the restaurant's main entrance, reading: "We apologize. We are temporarily closed for internal repairs. We ask for your understanding. Thank you."
The restaurant's telephone answering machine on this day also stated, "Due to unavoidable internal construction, we are temporarily closed," and added, "The reopening date will be announced online in the future. We sincerely ask for your understanding."
It has been reported that Wooriok's closure will last for about one month. It is unusual for a Pyongyang naengmyeon restaurant, which typically records its highest sales during the summer, to suddenly close for an entire month.
Some netizens raised suspicions, asking, "Could it be that an order to suspend business was issued?" However, Jung-gu District Office, which has jurisdiction over Wooriok, reportedly stated, "We have never issued any administrative measures such as a business suspension for this establishment."
Netizens reacted by saying, "I decided to spend my vacation in Seoul instead of traveling abroad because of Wooriok, but now it's closed for a month due to construction," and "I was planning to visit Wooriok in August."
Wooriok, one of the oldest naengmyeon restaurants in Seoul, is a symbolic eatery renowned for its Pyongyang naengmyeon and has also been featured in the Michelin Guide's 'Bib Gourmand,' maintaining its popularity.
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