20 Hyeonmu 1-gil, the Korea Traditional Culture Center Where Hanji and Korean Cuisine Meet
The Korea Traditional Culture Center is a cultural and arts institution located at 20 Hyeonmu 1-gil, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, a five-minute walk from Jeonju Hanok Village. It operates four organizations, including the Hanji Industry Support Center and the Hansik Creative Center. After the building was completed in 2012 and the corporation was established in 2013, it held its opening ceremony in 2015. Admission to the exhibitions is always free.
Why it is located at 20 Hyeonmu 1-gil, just a five-minute walk from the Hanok Village
The Korea Traditional Culture Center is located at 20 Hyeonmu 1-gil, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk State (lot number: 14-2, Gyeongwon-dong 3-ga). It is a cultural and arts institution established to oversee and lead national Korean culture (K-Culture) policies at the regional level, and its postal code is 55000.
The significance of this location is immediately apparent from its distance. It is a five-minute walk from Jeonju Hanok Village and lies at one end of a sightseeing route that circles Gyeonggijeon and Jeondong Cathedral, making it easy to plan together with a stroll through the alleys of the Hanok Village.
Completed in 2012, incorporated in 2013, and opened in 2015 — the Center launched in three stages
Construction of the building was completed in July 2012. The foundation established to operate it completed its incorporation the following year, in February 2013. In August of the same year, Jeonju City and the Korea Traditional Culture Center signed an entrusted-operation agreement, establishing a public operating system. In December, the selection of the Traditional Culture Creation Center was finalized with funding from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Tourism Promotion and Development Fund.
The opening ceremony, marking its actual launch, was held in April 2015. In June of that year, the Center took over the Traditional Culture Creation Center project, and in December it received approval to host the Korean Food Creative Center, completing the framework of the integrated operating system seen today. In other words, about three years passed between the building's completion and its actual opening.
Hanji Industry Support Center, Korean Food Creative Center, Traditional Culture Creation Center, and four pillars under one roof
The Korea Traditional Culture Center has a structure in which one foundation manages four organizations—the Hanji Industry Support Center, Traditional Culture Creation Center, Millennium Jeonju Premium Products, and Korean Food Creative Center—for efficient operation. The building also includes affiliated exhibition spaces such as the Jeonju Craftworks Exhibition Hall and the Jeonju Millennium Hanji Hall.
Between May and September 2014, permits for use and profit-making activities were granted to 17 workshops. The resident workshops continuously exhibit and sell their works through the Jeonju Craftworks Exhibition Hall within the Center, which serves to promote individual workshops and expand cultural exchange at home and abroad.
09:00–22:00, and exhibition admission is free
Operating hours are 09:00–22:00, and admission to the exhibitions is free. Notices and exhibition schedules are available on the official website (https://www.ktcc.or.kr/main/), and telephone inquiries can be made at the main number, 063-281-1500 (fax: 063-283-1201).
However, 09:00–22:00 refers to the operating hours of the entire building, while the actual opening hours of permanent exhibitions and individual workshops or centers are often shorter. If you are visiting for a specific exhibition or workshop, it is safest to confirm the details again in advance using the relevant center's telephone number.
Korean Food Creative Center cooking experience room: reservations by email application
The cooking experience room operated by the Korean Food Creative Center accepts reservations by having visitors complete an online application form and send it by email to [email protected]. After sending the application, visitors must receive a reservation-confirmation text message for the booking to be considered finalized. The inquiry number is 063-281-1583, different from the main number.
In addition to the cooking experience room, the Korean Food Creative Center contains a Korean food archive, a food-model exhibition room, and a library and rest area. It is a suitable arrangement for looking through reference materials or sitting down for a short rest while waiting for or after completing an experience.
Our Playground Marudal and Jeonju Millennium Hanji Hall — if you are bringing children
The building contains Our Playground Marudal, designed with children in mind, and the Jeonju Millennium Hanji Hall, which presents the history and production process of hanji. The Living Five Senses Experience Zone offers hands-on programs in which visitors assemble or match traditional culture-related content, and visitors who complete the stamp tour available at the information desk receive a small souvenir.
The Center itself has stated that one of its business objectives is to increase visits from family tourists by creating experience facilities and a promotional hall aimed primarily at children. Because traditional culture can feel somewhat difficult as a subject, the intention is to improve accessibility by designing the space around hands-on activities.
A walking route combined with Jeonju Hanok Village: the practical value of a five-minute walk
A five-minute distance is useful when planning an actual itinerary. You can divide the day by walking around Gyeonggijeon and the alleys of the Hanok Village in the morning, then reserving a hanji or Korean food experience at the Center for the afternoon, with almost no travel time wasted.
For those traveling by car, the official directions introduce a route from Jeonju IC that passes Jeonju Station, then enters via a right turn toward Dongbu Market after going through Geumam Plaza, Girin-ro, Jeonju City Hall, and the Five-way Intersection. Several city bus routes also pass nearby stops, including Dongbu Market and the area near Hyundai Motor Company and the Jeonju KT branch.
It may not be the right fit for everyone
This is less a place to visit for one large permanent exhibition hall and more a destination whose full value comes from reserving hanji, Korean food, or craft experience programs. Visitors expecting an overwhelming collection of artifacts on the scale of the National Museum of Korea may find it relatively modest.
By contrast, visitors who reserve a cooking experience or hanji-related program by email in advance and plan to take part actively may have a very different level of satisfaction. It is worth keeping in mind that same-day participation may be difficult for those who drop in spontaneously without a reservation and expect to join an experience.
Before You Go
- Address
- 20 Hyeonmu 1-gil, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk State (Gyeongwon-dong 3-ga 14-2)
- Hours
- 09:00–22:00
- Admission
- Free admission to exhibitions (experience programs require separate confirmation by type)
- Phone
- 063-281-1500
- Official site
- https://www.ktcc.or.kr/main/
- Transport
- About a five-minute walk from Jeonju Hanok Village (the Gyeonggijeon and Jeondong Cathedral area)
The information above is accurate as of the time of writing. Check the official information again before visiting.
Places
Nearby Attractions 5
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Gyeonggijeon ShrineA royal historical site housing a portrait of Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty -
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Jeonju Hyanggyo Confucian SchoolA historic site preserving the appearance of an educational institution from the Joseon Dynasty
Food & Dining 4
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Sambaekjip Jeonju Main BranchA long-established restaurant known for kongnamul-gukbap (bean sprout soup with rice) and moju rice wine.
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