SEOUL, December 3 (AJP) - The flavors from lunch still linger, but now it is time to walk through Songjeong itself. Even without leaving the station area, small scenes reveal how long people have lived and moved through this neighborhood. The pace is slower here, and the traces of time sit close to the surface.
Songjeong Kobrang Fairy Village — stories tucked between homes
Past the 1913 market and deeper into the residential lanes, bright murals begin to appear along the walls. This is Kobrang Fairy Village, a compact cluster of alleys lined with scenes from children’s books — Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk. Walking through feels a little like stepping into a paper page.
What stood out most was that the village is not a staged attraction. People actually live behind the painted walls; children ran past while the murals watched quietly. The art is woven into everyday life, not placed on top of it..
Songjeong Small Art Museum — a brief, quiet stop
A few steps beyond the village sits the Songjeong Small Art Museum, a compact space that operates free of charge. It is small enough to enter without hesitation and calm enough to make even a short visit meaningful.
The current exhibition, “Revisiting Home,” features a local artist whose works bring back scenes familiar to older generations but almost foreign to younger ones. The scale is modest, but the care inside the space is unmistakable.
Songjeong Maeil Market — a market still rooted in daily life
Walking about ten minutes from the station leads to Songjeong Maeil Market. Even before arriving, the sound of vendors and customers reaches the street outside. Unlike the renovated 1913 market, this place has the unmistakable feel of a traditional, lived-in market.
Most striking here were the people — far more locals than visitors. Grandparents carried shopping baskets, bargaining over vegetables and dried fish. Vendors called out to customers with easy familiarity. Nothing is polished or staged, and that is exactly why the market feels genuine.
Back to the station — a short but full walk
Leaving the market and returning to the station closed out nearly six hours of wandering. The fairy-tale alleys, the quiet museum, the crowded market — all small pieces of a neighborhood that moves at its own pace. Songjeong does not change quickly. Time moves more slowly here, but that slowness reveals the place more clearly.
A trip connected by a single station. No long transfers, no complicated plans — just a neighborhood that shows its depth when walked slowly.
reporter
Han Jun-gu
jungu141298@ajupress.com
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