Following the tracks, following the taste (Gangneung) -2
by Yoo Na-hyunPosted : April 15, 2026, 17:20Updated : April 15, 2026, 17:26
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Cherry blossom petals fall at the birthplace of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
A portrait of Heo Gyun is displayed at the Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Hall in Gangneung, Gangwon Province (L). Exhibits related to "Hong Gildong," the first Korean novel written in Hangeul, are also on display at the memorial hall on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
A monument honoring the five literary figures of the Heo family stands at the Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon Memorial Hall in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. The stone commemorates five writers from the same family on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
In quiet courtyards once lived Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon, siblings whose words outlived their time. His Hong Gildong — often called Korea's first novel written in Hangul— still echoes in the air.
Here, Gangneung reveals another layer: not just a place to visit, but a place that remembers. The past does not interrupt the present; it settles into it, like a quiet undertone.
Gangneung Jungang Market is crowded in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Blocks of "modubu" (fresh tofu) are served at a restaurant in Chodang Sundubu Village in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
A signature dish, "jjamppong sundubu" (spicy seafood soft tofu stew), is served at a restaurant in Chodang Sundubu Village in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
By the time you reach Gangneung Jungang Market, the journey finds its flavor. Crisp dakgangjeong (sweet fried chicken), soft gamja ongshimi (potato-paste noodle soup), ojingeo sundae (stuffed squid), and the delicate warmth of Chodang tofu — these are not just foods, but continuations of place. Here, visitors and residents move through the same narrow lanes, sharing space, sharing appetite.
Dakgangjeong (sweet fried chicken) is displayed at Gangneung Jungang Market in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
A vendor prepares ojingeo sundae (stuffed squid) at Gangneung Jungang Market in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Nothing feels staged. The market does not perform for tourists; it simply continues. And in that continuity, the boundary between travel and daily life dissolves. Gangneung stays with you in quiet ways.
Visitors relax at Anmok Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Visitors watch flowers at the birthplace of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
A woman relaxes at the birthplace of Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
It is there in the moment the sea opens before you, and something within you loosens. Not dramatically, not all at once—but enough to notice.
Visitors walk along the trail around Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Sculptures depicting a scene from "Hong Gildong" stand at Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 8, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
This is why people return. From 2026 to 2027, the city will mark its "Visit Gangneung" years, expanding what it offers. But the essence may remain unchanged: a place where movement leads to stillness, where arrival feels less like an end than a continuation.
