Creative Spaces to Discover in the Alleys of Seohak-dong Art Village
Seohak-dong Art Village is an urban regeneration arts district facing Jeonju Hanok Village across the Jeonjucheon Stream. Explore the Seohak-dong Photography Museum, Seohak Art Village Library, workshops, and galleries by area, but first note that their opening hours and closing days vary.
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How Seohak-dong Across Jeonjucheon Became an Art Village
Seohak-dong Art Village is an urban regeneration area established across Seoseohak-dong and Dongseohak-dong in Wansan-gu, Jeonju. Located across Jeonjucheon from Jeonju Hanok Village, it was once known as “Seonsaengchon” because many teachers and students lived there.
The turning point came in 2010, when musician Lee Hyeong-ro and novelist Kim Jeo-un renovated a hanok in the village and began creative activities under the name “Byeorichae.” Artists in music, visual art, literature, and photography later gathered there, and by the 2018 introduction, it was known as an artists’ village with more than 30 active artists, including painters, installation artists, musicians, ceramic artists, photographers, and novelists.
Current Facilities Created by the 2017 Urban Regeneration New Deal
The Seohak-dong Art Village urban regeneration project was selected in 2017 for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Urban Regeneration New Deal program. After approval of the urban regeneration revitalization plan and confirmation of government subsidies in 2018, it proceeded as a general neighborhood type project. The project ran for four years, from 2018 to 2021, with a total budget of 17.2 billion won, consisting of 10 billion won in national funds, 1.72 billion won in provincial funds, and 5.48 billion won in municipal funds.
The project also included a home repair support program covering approximately 80 houses. The Happiness Plus Center, completed in September 2021, is a two-story above-ground facility with a total floor area of 225.94㎡. It is used for resident welfare spaces, including a residents’ meeting room and learning area. The multi-purpose cultural facility, completed in December 2022, is a three-story above-ground building with a total floor area of 391㎡, used for a communal workshop and hands-on and exhibition spaces.
Starting an Alley Walk at the Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum
The Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum at the listed address is located at 16-17 Seohak-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk State. It is housed in an old hanok renovated at the end of a narrow alley and is operated by photographer Kim Ji-yeon. It began as “Seohak-dong Photo Studio,” later changed its name to the Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum, and became a venue introducing works by local artists.
The telephone number for the Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum is 010-5615-3837. Since it is not an integrated exhibition hall for the entire village, visitors should not assume that other workshops or galleries are extensions of the same building after visiting the photography museum. Operating hours and closing days vary by space, and publicly available sources do not confirm whether photography is currently restricted or whether foreign-language information is available.
Do Workshops and Galleries on Seohak 3-gil Require Reservations?
According to the 2018 introduction, more than 50 spaces—including workshops, galleries, guesthouses, cafés, studios, and bookstores—were operating in Seohak-dong Art Village. A Jeonbuk Saengsaeng TV interview on September 19, 2019, introduced it as a village with approximately 50–60 artists and about 40 workshops.
Some workshops offered hands-on activities such as making fabric accessories and small items, and visitors were informed that these activities could be used by making an advance reservation. Most village workshops and galleries were either free to view or used the price of tea as the admission fee. However, operating hours, closing days, and current activity fees differ by space, so anyone visiting for a particular activity should check that individual venue separately on the official Seohak-ro website.
How to Find Books by Local Authors at the Seohak Art Village Library
The Seohak Art Village Library is introduced as a place characterized by a garden and a red-brick building. It is not a typical tourist souvenir shop but a library containing books from various artistic fields, and it has also been introduced as holding books and collections of works by artists from Seohak-dong Art Village.
The library telephone number is 063-714-3528. This number appears in tourist information materials and differs from the Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum’s number, 010-5615-3837. It is advisable to note the names separately so that the two spaces are not searched as the same place. The library’s current operating hours and closing days could not be confirmed from this material.
From Jeonju Station and the Express Bus Terminal to Gongsunae Bridge
From the Jeonju Station First Meeting Road bus stop, take local bus 119 or 545 and get off at the Gongsunae Bridge bus stop. The walk from the bus stop to Seohak-dong Art Village is approximately 230 m. For foreign visitors departing from Jeonju Station, it is practical to confirm with the driver or a map app that they should get off at the Gongsunae Bridge stop before focusing on the bus number.
From Jeonju Express Bus Terminal, walk approximately 570 m to the Kookmin Bank Geumam Branch bus stop, then take local bus 402, 545, or 970. Get off at the Gongsunae Bridge bus stop and walk approximately 230 m. Since current bus intervals and route changes could not be confirmed from publicly available sources, check real-time bus information before departure to avoid a long wait.
What Free Public Parking and Village Admission Fees Really Mean
The Seohak-dong Art Village public parking lot can be used free of charge. However, the village is not operated as a facility with a single ticket booth and one unified exhibition hall, and no integrated admission fee has been confirmed. Most workshops and galleries have been introduced as offering free admission or substituting the price of tea for an admission fee.
Therefore, it should not be understood as a tourist attraction where one ticket grants access to every space. Individual spaces may be closed or occupied with ongoing work, and activities may require reservations. Publicly available sources do not confirm the parking lot’s location and current capacity, wheelchair or stroller accessibility, or slope and stair information for each alley.
What to Keep in Mind About the 2018 Festival and 2023 Filming-Location Visit
The “Kunst Seohak” art festival has been held at Seohak-dong Art Village since 2018. The 2019 festival was scheduled for September 20–24, while the former “Art Village Alley Festival” was held on November 3 and 4, 2018, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.; its inquiry telephone number was 010-6659-9179. These dates and times refer to past events and are not current schedules.
The village is known as a filming location for the drama “Twenty-Five Twenty-One.” The Soribangmangat filming location, introduced as one of the sites, had its interior set dismantled as of January 2023, leaving only a small wooden sign outside. It takes approximately 15 minutes to walk along Jeonjucheon to Hanbyeokgul, but the Baramsswaeneun-gil road near Hanbyeokgul is still a roadway despite its low traffic volume, so visitors should watch for cars when taking photographs.
Why You Should Choose the Spaces You Want to Visit on the Seohak-ro Website Beforehand
The official website of Seohak-dong Art Village is https://www.seohakro.com/, and there are no village-wide operating hours; instead, each space operates individually. Since closing days also vary among village workshops and galleries, visitors who want to see several places in one trip need an itinerary that checks whether each space is open on the day of the visit.
No official recommended viewing time for the entire village has been confirmed. If combining it with Hanok Village, visitors can make use of the geographic relationship across Jeonjucheon. Those who want to explore the art spaces in depth can use the Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum’s telephone number, 010-5615-3837, and the Hanok Village Tourist Information Center’s number, 063-282-1330, separately. The Seohak-dong Art Village Field Support Center ended operations in December 2022.
Before You Go
- Address
- 16-17 Seohak-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, Jeonbuk State, Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum
- Hours
- Check the website; each space operates individually
- Closed
- Closing days vary by workshop and gallery
- Admission
- Most village workshops and galleries are free to view or substitute the price of tea for admission. Check each space separately
- Phone
- Seohak-dong Photography Art Museum: 010-5615-3837
- Official site
- https://www.seohakro.com/
- Transport
- Take local bus 119 or 545 from the Jeonju Station First Meeting Road bus stop, get off at the Gongsunae Bridge stop, and walk approximately 230 m to Seohak-dong Art Village. From Jeonju Express Bus Terminal, walk approximately 570 m to the Kookmin Bank Geumam Branch stop, take local bus 402, 545, or 970, get off at the Gongsunae Bridge stop, and walk approximately 230 m
- Parking
- The Seohak-dong Art Village public parking lot is available. Free of charge
The information above is current as of the time of writing. Check the official information again before visiting.
Places
Nearby Attractions 3
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1
Jeonju Hanok VillageA village where you can explore traditional hanok alleyways and historical and cultural spaces. -
2
Hanbyeokgul TunnelA place to stroll through and take photos of an old railway tunnel beside the Jeonjucheon Stream. -
3
Seohak Art Village LibraryA library specializing in art-related books, offering creative programs.
Food & Dining 2
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4
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5
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