Written by Bobby McGill
Photographed by Ryu Seunghoo

Sunset viewed from Dara Park ⓒ Seoul Selection

Situated on the small , mountainous Goseong Peninsula at the southern tip of Korea, Tongyeong lies right in the heart of Hallyeohaesang National Park, making it home to some of the country’s most pristine natural scenery.

Often referred to as “The Naples of Korea,” the quaint seaside city of roughly 135,000 people and exactly 151 islands is known for having been home to several respected artists, poets, writers and composers. And the maze of waterways just off her shores has witnessed some of history’s greatest sea battles.

With several prominent international events over the course of the year, including the Tongyeong International Music Festival (Mar 22—28, 2013), the Korea Triathlon in October and the Tongyeong Art Festival in both May and October, Tongyeong offers a great place to get away from Korea’s buzzing metropolises for a nice spell of R n’ R and a great sample of Korean seaside culture.

Lay of the land

The city’s unique layout along both sides of the Tongyeong Canal offers it a mountainous natural barrier against the south sea winds, making it one of Korea’s warmest winter getaways.

The canal, which was converted from a shallow strait by the Japanese in 1932, divides the city into its two most prominent land masses spanned by the picturesque Tongyeong and Chungmu bridges which offer dazzling views when lit up beneath the evening skies.

Though not nearly as picturesque, a far more interesting way to get from one side of the canal to the other is to take a stroll through the Haejeong tunnel, which was also constructed by the Japanese in 1932, and holds the distinction of being the first underwater tunnel in Asia.

In general, Tongyeong is a small city, so your best bet for getting around is taxi rather than the Korean language-only bus system. Even a taxi trek from one end of the city to the other will run you little more than KRW 4,000.

‘Turtle Ship’ replica ⓒ Seoul Selection

History

Long before the Japanese made their mark on Tongyeong’s waterways, their navy was in and around the area doing battle with legendary admiral and naval strategist Yi Sun-sin during the seven-year Imjin War (1592-1598).

While the Korean army was being overrun ashore, Yi’s brilliant tactics completely eliminated the Japanese navy as a factor in the war. In four campaigns, Yi fought 23 naval battles without a single defeat. In two of his most legendary engagements Yi captured or sank 59 of 73 Japanese warships at the Battle of Hansan and later forced the retreat of 333 enemy ships with only thirteen Korean warships at the Battle of Myeongnyang.

By cutting off Japanese supply lines, Yi foiled Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s plan to invade China by way of Korea. To this day, Yi Sun-sin remains a legend amongst international naval strategists.

SEE>

Tongyeong offers a wealth of attractions to satisfy nearly any taste. While English info is difficult to come by, even at the tourist centers, the city has put together a great bilingual tourist map to help you get around with relative ease.

If you arrive by intercity bus, you can hop on any local bus outside the station (with the exception of 650 or 652) to get down to the waterfront. Once there you will find yourself in a prime location to hit a number of the city’s offerings, such as the replica of Admiral Yi’s iron-clad “Turtle Ship,” located right across the street from the Jungang traditional market.

Right off the waterfront, spanning a small foothill just behind the Napoli Hotel, is the Dongpirang Wall Painting Village. There you will pass through a maze of murals painted on the walls of small interconnected alleyways heading up to the top. Lee Young-ju, a chemistry major from Kyungwon University in Seoul, was visiting Tongyeong for the first time and was most impressed with Dongpirang. “It is great to see all of the paintings, I really enjoyed that most in Tongyeong, and also the view from there.”

A 10-minute walk from Dongpirang is Nammangsan Sculpture park, where sculptures by various international artists are scattered  along a scenic natural trail that winds around the face of the hill.

If you’re planning a short stay in Tongyeong, there is the city bus tour. The all day excursion takes you to the 400-year-old Changnyangmyo Shrine, the Haejeong tunnel, the local history museum, Mireuksan Cable Car and includes a ferry ride out to Hansan-do. The bus departs once a day at 9:30am in front of the Napoli hotel on the waterfront and returns back at 4:30pm. The cost is 15,000 won. You can get more info by calling 055-645-8588.

Dongpirang Wall Painting Village ⓒ Seoul Selection

The islands

A major draw of Tongyeong is the numerous offshore islands, many of which can be reached by several ferry services at the central terminal. According to Lee Keun-byul, ecoguide for the national park system, the most popular island destination in Tongyeong is Somaemul-do.

“Around 390,000 tourists visited it last year,” says Lee. “When you reach the top you can see an amazing view of Tongyeong and the other islands.” Somaemul-do is actually two islands, connected by a land bridge that can be traversed at low tide, so check tide times beforehand if you want to make the walk across.

There are simply too many islands to see over the course of even a few days. A good choice, which offers a peek into the area’s storied past, is Hansan-do, home to Jeseungdang, the military complex where you can sit in the same spot where the admiral himself once sat, looking out across the water, composing poetry, saying prayers and planning his famed battles. The ferry ( T. 055-644- 5464) for Hansan-do leaves every hour, takes about 25 minutes and costs 9,000 won for the round trip.

Harbor town of Tongyeong ⓒ Seoul Selection

Oysters ⓒ Seoul Selection

EAT>

In a word: Seafood. It is everywhere along the bustling waterfront, offering everything from sashimi to fried fish to barbecued shellfish. Tongyeong supplies 70% of Korea’s yearly oyster haul and a wealth of restaurants here serves all manner of oyster dishes. One of the more famous is Yeongbingwan, located across the canal on Mireuk-do Island. Try the gulbap, a hot bibimbap dish with oysters, along with an order of fried spicy oyster cakes called guljeon. Yeongbingwan (T. 055-644-8028) closes at 8pm, so get there early.

Tongyeong is also famous for Chungmu gimbap, a simple meal of rice, kimchi and spicy slices of squid wrapped up in seaweed. It is served by several restaurants right across from the ferry station.

And don’t forget to try the honey bread, known as kkulppang. This sticky treat comes in a variety of types, all with sweet bean paste in the middle. There are several shops that sell it all along with waterfront. Remember to ask for a lot of napkins.

GO>
Intercity buses run between Seoul’s Nambu and Express bus terminals and Tongyeong. The trip takes a little over four hours and the fare will run you between 20,000 to 34,000 won. If you’re not a fan of long bus rides, you can take the KTX to Busan. From there it is about an hour and a half from the Seobu Terminal just outside the Sasang subway station and the fare is 9,800 won.

STAY>
Whether you want to stay near the bus terminal slightly away from the action, or spend a few more bucks to stay along the waterfront, there are accommodation options to fit any budget.

• Tropical Dream Resort -Geoje Island
If price is not a concern, the Tropical Dream Resort on nearby Geoje Island is one
of the more elegant, if not unusual, places to lay your head for the night. At first site it resembles an old artillery battery with its unadorned concrete structure jutting out at odd angles. Inside, though, it is pure class. Each room comes with its own outdoor jacuzzi and private patio. Rates will run you between KRW 180,000— 260,000. T. 055-681-5550

• Hotel Gallery
Located on Mireukdo, Hotel Gallery has rooms with a good view, elegant decor and large whirlpool baths. Rates run from KRW 80,000 to 100,000 with a view of the water and easy access to some great restaurants nearby. All of the rooms have free Wi-Fi and the restaurant serves a decent breakfast in the morning. If you want to downgrade a few bucks you can go next door to the Hotel La Belle. Both hotels are new and both are nice for the price. Hotel Gallery: T.055-648-4870. Hotel La Belle: T. 055- 646-8807

• Hotel Hansan
Centrally almost at the mid-point of the canal, Hotel Hansan is a cheap option with minimal amenities. A seaside view looking out on the large ships moored in the canal will run you KRW 60,000 and a room facing away from the water KRW 40,000. It is just a short walk from the ferry terminal. T. 055-642-3374

• Napoli Motel
Perfectly situated on the main waterfront, the Napoli offers great night views of the port. Right across the street you can catch the 9:30am bus tour after picking up your day’s supply of honey bread next door. T. 055-646-0202

FYI>
eng.tongyeong.go.kr

March 20, 2013 / Issue No. 572 Looking for Writers We are looking for writers to pen the Korea Essential 2013 series, a cooperative project between the Korea Foundation and Seoul Selection. We’ve published 12 volumes so far, which you can find on Seoul Selection’s online bookshop. This year, we plan to release four volumes: Hanbok and Korean Fashion, Taekwondo, Korean Traditional Medicine, and Korean Dance. Each volume is about 20,000 words; manuscripts should focus on providing readers fun, easy explanations rather than excessively technical content. If you are interested in writing, please send a resume and writing sample to the appropriate supervisor below: Hanbok and Korean Fashion: Hye Young Park pubco@seoulselection.com Taekwondo: Hwa-pyeong Kim word@seoulselection.com Korean Traditional Medicine: Eugene Kim planner@seoulselection.com Korean Dance: Jin Lee publisher@seoulselection.com Korea Essential Series Buy all 12 volumes in one convenient set Seoul Selection is pleased to announce that we’ve bundled all of our Korea Essentials volumes into one convenient set. The Korea Essentials series is a cooperative project between the Korea Foundation and Seoul Selection to furnish the international reader with insight and basic understanding into the arts and culture of Korea. The content of this series is based on material published in Koreana, the Korea Foundation’s magazine. Hangeul: Korea’s Unique Alphabet Traditional Painting: Window on the Korean Mind The DMZ: Dividing the Two Koreas Traditional Food: A Taste of Korean Life Jeju Island: Reaching to the Core of Beauty Museums & Galleries: Displaying Korea’s Past and Future Joseon’s Royal Heritage: 500 Years of Splendor Traditional Music: Sounds in Harmony with Nature Korea’s Natural Wonders: Exploring Korea’s Landscapes Religion in Korea: Harmony and Coexistence Korean Ceramics: The Beauty of Natural Forms Korean Architecture: Breathing with Nature Around the Web A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler. Experiencing Korean culture at Incheon International Airport. Yonhap interviews the head of Harvard’s Korea Institute. A Korean photographer examines cross dressing through history. A North Korean taunt spotlights gender issues in inter-Korean relations. Plastic surgery baffles inbound tourists. Seoul from Mt. Achasan. Dale visits the ruins of Gulbulsa in Gyeongju. Fun times in Wolmido with Steve. Let’s explore the Sangdo Station area. The Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival is coming soon! Events Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF) This month the annual Tongyeong International Music Festival kicks off its 10th year as the premier western classical music showcase in Korea. If you’re headed to Tongyeong for the music fest or just looking for a good getaway anytime of year, we’ve got some tips on where to go and what to do. VENUE: Tongyeong Citizens’ Center and other venues of Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do PERIOD: Mar 23–28 ADMISSION: Depends on program MORE INFO: T. 02-3474-8315, www.timf.org GETTING THERE: Express buses to Tongyeong depart from Seoul Express Bus Terminal (travel time: 4 hours). The Script—Live in Seoul The biggest Irish band since U2 comes to Korea for the first time ever. So much has changed for the Script since they released their first album four years ago. First they broke into Ireland and Britain; then the States; then everywhere from Asia to South Africa. Along the way, they toured with U2, Take That, and Paul McCartney, sailed through the second-album syndrome that sinks so many bands, played to a 55,000-strong crowd at an historic hometown show in Dublin, amassed almost four million followers on Facebook and 1.5 million on Twitter, and saw their singer star on TV talent show The Voice. Their music has been featured in popular television programs such as 90210, Ghost Whisperer, The Hills, Waterloo Road, East Enders, Made in Chelsea, and The Vampire Diaries. VENUE: Uniqlo AX DATE: Mar 27 ADMISSION: KRW 110,000 Tickets: http://ticket.interpark.com/global MORE INFO: T. 02-332-3277 GETTING THERE: Gwangnaru Station 광나루역 (Line 5), Exit 2 Jane Birkin—Serge Gainsbourg via Japan English actress and singer Jane Birkin will dedicate her upcoming Seoul concert to her lifelong music partner and composer Serge Gainsbourg. In 1969, she and Serge Gainsbourg released the song “Je t’aime… moi non plus” (“I love you… me neither”), written by Gainsbourg and featuring both of them on vocals, which caused a scandal for its sexual explicitness. Some 20-plus years after his death, Birkin’s devotion to spreading his work around the world has raised his profile. Currently, Birkin is working with a jazzy quartet of European-based Japanese musicians. VENUE: Universal Art Center DATE: Mar 30, 7pm ADMISSION: R: KRW 132,000, S: KRW 110,000, A: KRW 88,000 MORE INFO: T. 02-6339-1232 Tickets: http://ticket.interpark.com/global GETTING THERE: Achasan Station 아차산역 (Line 5), Exit 3 Gwangyang Maehwa Flower Festival In English, the maehwa is called the “ume flower,” and Gwangyang-si was the first place in Korea where ume flowers were cultivated in bulk. This flower festival was the earliest of its kind and started in 1997 to publicize the ume flower, its fruit (a form of plum), and products made from them. The festival site is noted for its scenic beauty, filled with ume blossoms, and a famous Korean movie, “Chihwaseon,” and TV show, “Damo,” were filmed on this location. VENUE: Gwangyang Maehwa Village, Jeollanam-do PERIOD: Mar 23–31 ADMISSION: Free MORE INFO: T. 061-797-3714, www.gwangyang.go.kr/gymaehwa GETTING THERE: It takes more than three hours to get from Seoul to Gwangju Gwangcheon by express bus. One-To-One MBA Event Increase your salary potential, move up the career ladder, or work abroad with the most internationally recognized business degree: the MBA. A unique and customized event format that helps you select the right MBA program. – One-to-one meetings and workshops with Admissions Directors – Personalized MBA orientation – Interactive MBA conferences – GMAT, TOEFL, and IELTS advising – Scholarship opportunities Mandatory registration via this link. VENUE: Novotel Ambassador Gangnam DATE: Mar 21, 4pm–9:30pm MORE INFO: www.accessmba.com GETTING THERE: Sinnonhyeon Station 신논현역 (Line 9), Exit 4 RASKB: Visit to Sewang Brewery and Botapsa Temple Located in Jincheon County, North Chungcheong Province, Sewang Brewery is one of Korea’s oldest continuously functioning breweries. Built in 1930, and run by the same family for three generations, the beautiful wooden brewery—built of pine cut from the forests of Mt. Baekdusan—was so perfectly designed for its task, that when repair work was done in 2006, it was discovered its framework hadn’t rotted at all. The clay jars in the fermentation room are from the 1930s, too. The brewery even got featured in cartoonist Huh Young-man‘s serial in the Dong-A Ilbo, “Sikgaek.” If you’re a fan of makgeolli, you won’t want to miss this excursion—Sewang Brewery produces some of the finest makgeolli in the Republic of Korea, along with a wide variety of other interesting yakju (medicinal liquors). We’ll be trying some of its firewater at the brewery’s recently built tasting center and gallery. PS: I’ll be leading this tour. DATE: March 30 COST: 65,000 won for members and 78,000 won for non-members MORE INFO: See this link. GETTING THERE: See link above. Seoul Village Criers The blog Seoul Village is collecting recordings of the voices of the criers hawking services in Seoul’s various neighborhoods. Got a recording device? Why not help Seoul Village out. See this link for more information. Everyday Koreans Amseojae Pavilion   Amseojae, a scenic pavilion used by 17th century scholar Song Si-yeol during his time in exile in the Hwayang Valley, Goesan. Photo by Robert Koehler. *Click the photo to see a full-size version at our website. NOTE: If you have a photo you would like to see in our Everyday Koreans section, please sent it to story@seoulselection.com. Photos should be AT LEAST 950px wide. Send a one-line bio, too. Notifications Tell Us About ‘Your Korea’: If you’re a longtime resident of Korea and would like to share your story in KOCIS’s KOREA Magazine, shoot an email with your story idea to book@seoulselection.com. Update Your Shopping Mall ID – Seoul Selection encourages you to change your ID and password for our online bookshop and shopping mall at Seoulselection.com. The old IDs and passwords no longer work following our recent upgrade. Looking for translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Eugene at planner@seoulselection.com. Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok. Seoul Selection via Ingram – Seoul Selection now has a direct wholesale distribution agreement with Ingram Book Group, the world’s largest wholesale distributor of publisher content. By choosing to allow Ingram to represent our material, we have opened our titles to a wider audience. Our titles will be available for order through Ingram at more than 35,000 distribution channels worldwide. Ask your local bookstore to have Seoul Selection titles available! Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at book@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

Freelance Contributors Wanted – SEOUL magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should have a strong interest in Korean culture and be able to interview Koreans. Send your resume and writing samples to book@seoulselection.com.

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