When in Suncheon: A Mini Travel Guide

By Julienne Mei Magbanua

If you’re traveling to South Korea and want to go somewhere outside of Seoul, or if you just want to visit a new in-country destination, you can add Suncheon to your travel list! Suncheon is a city located in South Jeolla Province. It is home to tourist attractions that may not be familiar to a lot of foreign tourists but are definitely worth visiting. These include the Nagan-eupseong Folk Village, Suncheon Open Film Set, and Suncheon Bay National Garden.

Nagan-eupseong Folk Village

It takes about an hour to go from the Suncheon bus terminal to the Nagan-eupseong Folk Village by bus. The way to the walled village requires traveling up a mountain, as it is located at the top. Once you arrive, you will be welcomed by a beautiful view of the mountain range.

The folk village is surrounded by a stone wall and inside are multiple huts. There are figures displayed of people, depicting what life looked like in the early days. (A little disclaimer: Several of these depictions may be disturbing to some.)

There are some activities to try and traditional Korean games in different areas. I visited during Chuseok, so it might be different on a regular day. You don’t have to worry about getting hungry, as there are several food stalls inside as well as souvenir shops. The admission fee for a regular adult is 4,000 won, but fees vary.

Suncheon Open Film Set

If you’re a fan of Korean movies or dramas set in the 1960s to the 1980s, the Suncheon Open Film Set is the place to go. The filming site brought to life films such as A Werewolf Boy and A Memoir of a Murderer. The place takes you back to thepast with its various set designs and props. You can even dress up with their old school uniform rentals to better immerse yourself in the setting and enjoy the old movie theater experience as well. If you’re up for traditional Korean snacks, the film set also has them, and you can witness how they’re made. The entrance fee is 3,000 won for adults, 2,000 for teenagers, and only 1,000 for children.

Suncheon Bay National Garden

The Suncheon Bay National Garden is a pride of South Korea. With over a thousand square kilometers in area, the national garden features hundreds of species of flowers and trees, and there are animals as well. The Suncheon Bay National Garden includes several gardens with diverse and unique themes. One of these is the Lake Garden, designed by world-renowned landscape architect Charles Jencks.

If your feet grow tired of walking, you can grab a coffee at the café or have a meal at the restaurant inside the park. You can also catch live performances by artists or just ride a mini train to take you around. There are other rides that you can try, like the monorail that connects to the wetland park or the boat that travels between the east and west sides of the national garden.

“One of these is the Lake Garden, designed by world-renowned landscape architect Charles Jencks.”

If you’re planning to go to the Suncheon Bay National Garden, it is recommended to allot at least half a day to fully appreciate its beauty. But if you can only spend a few hours, they offer a discounted rate of 5,000 won if you enter in the evening, which starts at 5 p.m. Regular admission is 10,000 won.

While it may be far from Seoul (around four hours away from where most of the tourists concentrate), Suncheon is certainly worth visiting. From my personal experience, I had a really great time in the city, and it has actually become one of my favorites in the country. Suncheon is an underrated city in South Korea that more people should consider exploring. If I had another opportunity, I would definitely love to go back to Suncheon to visit these sites again, and perhaps check out other tourist spots in the area as well.

Cover Photo: Suncheon Open Film Set movie theater. (Julienne Mei Magbanua)