Over 260 Years of Sweet Potato History at Yeongdo Jonaegi, from a Single Root Brought by Jo Eom

Why Jo Eom’s 1763 Return Journey from Tsushima Led to Jonaegi in Yeongdo

The starting point of this memorial hall is the story of Jo Eom, who traveled to Japan in 1763, the 39th year of King Yeongjo’s reign, as chief envoy of the Joseon diplomatic mission and brought sweet potatoes from Tsushima on his return journey. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture explains that this facility was established to commemorate the fact that Jo Eom planted these sweet potatoes in Yeongdo, while the Yeongdo-gu operating ordinance also includes “the management and promotion of historical materials related to the first sweet-potato cultivation site at Jonaegi” among the memorial hall’s functions.

Thus, this is less a place that simply displays sweet potatoes than a site where visitors can trace how a crop brought across the sea became part of the history of food in late Joseon and the local memory of Yeongdo. The place name “Jonaegi” is introduced as referring to the area of the hill in Dongsam-dong where memories of Jo Eom and the sweet potatoes he brought remain, while its location at the foot of Bongnaesan Mountain evokes the hilly terrain that was farmland at the time.

A Small Memorial Hall at 75 Beotkkot-gil, Open from 10:00 to 18:00 but Closed on Mondays

The address is 75 Beotkkot-gil, Yeongdo-gu, Busan (Cheonghak-dong), and visiting hours are 10:00–18:00 every day. The hall is closed every Monday, January 1, and the day of Seollal or Chuseok, so if your itinerary falls on a Monday, it is better to switch to another Yeongdo route. As the operating ordinance allows visiting hours to be adjusted if necessary, it is safest to confirm before departure by calling 051-419-4047.

General admission is free. However, paid tour programs including the memorial hall have been operated as separate products, and an information page from the Korea Tourism Organization updated in 2025 introduced a tour for groups of four or more at 35,000 won per person. It is best not to assume that free exhibition admission and the cost of experiences or tours are the same thing.

• Visiting hours: 10:00–18:00
• Closed: Every Monday, January 1, and the day of Seollal or Chuseok
• General admission: Free
• Inquiries: 051-419-4047

Planning Separately for the 103.96 m² Cooking Experience Room on the Second Floor and the Exhibition

The second floor of the building has a 103.96 m² cooking experience room. It is equipped with seven workstations, consisting of one for instructors and six for participants, seven induction cooktops, two sinks, one refrigerator, two electric rice cookers, two blenders, and two combination microwave ovens. This space is a facility for rentals and programs rather than part of the permanent exhibition.

The rental fee for the cooking experience room is 20,000 won per hour, including preparation time, while wireless microphones and speakers and a beam projector cost 10,000 won per session. Applications must be submitted at least 15 days before the planned date of use. The Yeongdo-gu Culture and Tourism Division’s Tourism Promotion Team provides advance consultation and application guidance at 051-419-4044. In 2024, a cooking class for 48 families accompanied by children was also recruited on a first-come, first-served basis at this location.

About 300 m from the Cheongsan Academy Stop on Bus No. 9, with an Uphill Final Stretch

By public transportation, local Yeongdo guidance indicates that visitors can take Busan city bus No. 9 from Nampho Station or the area near Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, get off at the Cheongsan Academy stop, and walk about 300 m. Other visitor information also mentions Yeongdo-gu Village Bus No. 5 as an access option. However, the memorial hall is on a hillside at the foot of Bongnaesan Mountain, so the section after the bus stop includes some inclines.

If you are traveling with a stroller or wheelchair user, or with someone who has difficulty walking, consider the uphill sections and slopes after getting off the bus first. Since the official information does not confirm whether accessibility facilities and foreign-language assistance are always available, it is advisable to call 051-419-4047 in advance if you need support. If you are visiting only the exhibition, allowing approximately 40 minutes to 1 hour for the indoor and outdoor areas should be sufficient.

Bongnaesan Public Parking Lot: 100 Won per 10 Minutes and the Variable of Narrow Hillside Roads

When arriving by car, local visitor reviews recommend using Bongnaesan Public Parking Lot below the memorial hall. According to those reviews, the fee is 100 won per 10 minutes, and the route from the parking lot to the memorial hall continues in the direction of the sweet-potato garden and outdoor sculptures. Since fees and operating conditions may change, give priority to signs posted on-site.

This is not a large tourist facility on a flat coastal plain, but a space adjoining residential areas and hillside roads at the foot of Bongnaesan Mountain. Therefore, groups traveling in large vehicles, novice drivers, or multiple cars on weekends may find it better to consider public transportation or getting dropped off by taxi. After parking, the route flows naturally if you first view the outdoor garden and sculptures before entering the indoor exhibition.

A Half-Day Linking Bongnaesan Mountain and Huinnyeoul Behind the Sweet-Potato Garden and Sculptures

The Korea Tourism Organization’s introduction states that there is a sweet-potato garden in one section of the memorial hall’s outdoor park, where children can also experience growing sweet potatoes themselves. Visitor reviews mention sweet-potato character sculptures, small play facilities, and an activity yard. However, planting and harvesting experiences cannot be assumed to be regular programs, so if you are visiting for a specific activity, check the schedule and recruitment notices separately.

Local guidance introduces a route from the memorial hall to the summit of Bongnaesan Mountain that takes about 50 minutes. If you want only a short indoor visit, finish at the memorial hall; if you want to walk, continue in the direction of Bongnaesan Mountain, keeping the two types of visit clearly separate. It is also possible to combine Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, the memorial hall, cookie making, the Bongnaesan loop trail, and Huinnyeoul Culture Village into one route, as in the “Yeong Vibe” Tourism Dure example. However, considering the slopes and travel time, it is better not to pack too many hillside routes into one day.