Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace by the Stream of Nostalgia
Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace in the Old Town of Okcheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, is the restored home where poet Jeong Ji-yong was born and spent his childhood. Explore the birthplace and Jeong Ji-yong Literary Museum together for free, then continue to Cheongseokgyo Bridge, the stream, and the mural alley.
I’ve been here?
Your check-in helps the next traveler.
13 people viewed this week Be the first
One tap — no writing needed
Okcheon’s Old Town, where Jeong Ji-yong was born in 1902
Jeong Ji-yong’s birthplace is located in Hagye-ri, Okcheon-eup, Okcheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, in what is now the Old Town area. The poet Jeong Ji-yong was born here on May 15, 1902, according to the lunar calendar, spent his early years here, and attended the nearby Okcheon Public Elementary School, now JukhScent Elementary School.
After graduating from elementary school at age 14, Jeong Ji-yong left home and began living away from his hometown. His best-known works include “Nostalgia” and “Baengnokdam,” and in June 1950 he published the work “Butterfly.” The birthplace is not merely the site where a poet was born; it is also a place that showcases Okcheon’s modern and contemporary literary heritage.
The house that returned on July 30, 1996, after its demolition in 1974
Jeong Ji-yong’s original birthplace was demolished in 1974, and another house was built on the site. The building visitors see today is the birthplace restored to its former appearance, with restoration completed on July 30, 1996.
The birthplace consists of two linear thatched-roof buildings: the main house with an attached kitchen and the servants’ quarters. Earthen stone walls topped with thatch surround the house, and two wooden gates remain. Rather than focusing on a large memorial hall, the site emphasizes the outward features of rural housing from that period.
See the stream from “Nostalgia” beneath Cheongseokgyo Bridge first
A small stream featured in the opening of “Nostalgia” flows beneath Cheongseokgyo Bridge in front of the birthplace. The stream continues around the birthplace, and a statue of the poet Jeong Ji-yong and a poetry monument are also arranged nearby. To understand the context of the site, it is easier to appreciate the bridge and waterway as well as the house rather than looking only inside the house.
In the front yard of the birthplace stands a statue of a boy riding an ox and playing a flute. The walls along the surrounding alleys feature murals depicting elements from “Nostalgia,” including an ox, a stream, and a running horse. Nearby small shops are introduced as spaces that incorporate lines from Jeong Ji-yong’s poetry.
Hours listed as 09:00–18:00: how to understand free admission
The visiting hours for Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace and the Jeong Ji-yong Literature Museum are listed as 09:00–17:50. Since the public information gives the hours as 09:00–17:50, visitors should plan to enter before 17:50.
According to information verified in 2026, admission to both the birthplace and the literature museum is free. Closing days are listed in some materials as Mondays, January 1, Lunar New Year, and Chuseok, while other materials list every Monday and public holidays. Visitors planning to come on a public holiday can confirm by calling 043-730-3407~8.
A 1–1.5-hour itinerary including the Jeong Ji-yong Literature Museum
Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace is right next to the Jeong Ji-yong Literature Museum. The museum opened in 1996 and consists of a literary exhibition hall, video room, and literature classroom. After viewing the living spaces at the thatched birthplace, visitors can continue indoors to explore the poet’s works and life.
Based on visitor reviews, about 1–1.5 hours is suggested for seeing the birthplace together with the adjacent Jeong Ji-yong Literature Museum. Inside the birthplace, a brazier and an oil lamp are arranged to follow the poetic imagery of “Nostalgia,” so it is worth checking the furnishings inside the rooms rather than photographing only the exterior and yard before leaving.
Transportation information that is easy to miss when starting from Okcheon Station
For public transportation, the available information does not provide an exit number for Okcheon Station or a specific bus route number. For international visitors arriving for the first time, a practical approach is to enter the address “56 Hyangsu-gil, Okcheon-eup, Okcheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do” into a map app and confirm the final drop-off point for a taxi or local bus.
By car, directions indicate access via the areas around Okcheon IC, Munjeong Intersection, and Gueup Intersection. From Seoul or Busan, the suggested route uses the Gyeongbu Expressway and enters via Munjeong Intersection and Gueup Intersection. There is a Jeong Ji-yong Birthplace parking lot on-site, and it is listed as free, so visitors arriving by car generally do not need to search separately for parking.
Plan ahead for strollers and pets
Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace is listed as not offering stroller rentals and not allowing pets. No confirmed information is available regarding wheelchair accessibility, slopes, stairs, or surface conditions. Travelers using mobility aids should therefore inquire first about the adjacent literature museum and the outdoor viewing area rather than relying on the circulation route inside the birthplace.
No information has been confirmed regarding photography restrictions, cash-only payment, English-language information, audio guides, or times when on-site queues may form. However, since the birthplace and literature museum are introduced as facilities to visit together, visitors who may find the Korean explanations difficult to understand can decide on-site whether to include the museum’s exhibition hall and video room.
Five minutes from Chunchu Folk Museum, and about ten minutes to the Yuk Young-soo Birthplace
Chunchu Folk Museum is located across from Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace, and the walk from Chunchu Folk Museum to the birthplace and literature museum is introduced as taking five minutes. After passing the spacious houses near the birthplace, visitors can also explore the historical area of the Old Town leading to Okcheon Hyanggyo and the Yuk Young-soo Birthplace.
The walk from the Jeong Ji-yong Literature Museum to the Yuk Young-soo Birthplace is introduced as taking about ten minutes. If you want to extend your itinerary in the Old Town area, you can add Janggye Tourist Area, which is about a ten-minute drive from the Old Town.
Hyangsu 100-ri Bicycle Trail and the Old Town’s commemorative culture
Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace is included as the starting and ending point of the Hyangsu 100-ri Bicycle Trail. The listed connected route is Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace–Jeong Ji-yong Literature Museum–Teuksumun Gate–Geumgang Riverside Resort–Cheonseonsa Park–Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace. It serves not only as a starting point for a literary museum visit but also as a place connecting Okcheon’s riverside and regional scenery.
In the Old Town area, a memorial ceremony honoring Jeong Ji-yong began after the lifting of restrictions on his work in 1988. This shows why the birthplace and literature museum have become more than a reconstruction of an individual’s old home: they are spaces where the local community once again commemorates the poet’s name and works, which had long been restricted.
Before You Go
- Address
- 56 Hyangsu-gil, Okcheon-eup, Okcheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
- Hours
- 09:00–17:50
- Closed
- Some materials list Mondays / January 1 / Lunar New Year / Chuseok, while others list every Monday and public holidays
- Admission
- Free
- Phone
- 043-730-3407~8
- Official site
- http://www.jiyong.or.kr
- Transport
- Near Okcheon IC, Munjeong Intersection, and Gueup Intersection; from Seoul or Busan, directions indicate access via the Gyeongbu Expressway and Munjeong Intersection and Gueup Intersection
- Parking
- Jeong Ji-yong Birthplace parking lot available; listed as free
- Time needed
- About 1–1.5 hours based on visitor reviews, when visiting Jeong Ji-yong’s Birthplace together with the adjacent Jeong Ji-yong Literature Museum
- Accessibility
- No stroller rentals; pets not allowed
The information above is current as of the time of writing. Check the official information again before visiting.
Places
Nearby Attractions 3
-
1
Chunchu Folk Culture HallA space where you can explore traditional hanok houses and folk artifacts while experiencing traditional culture. -
2
Okcheon HyanggyoA place to explore a hyanggyo, a Confucian academy where education in Confucianism and ancestral rites were conducted during the Joseon period. -
3
Yuk Young-soo BirthplaceThis traditional hanok is the birthplace where Madam Yuk Young-soo was born and spent her childhood.
Food & Dining 3
-
4
Okcheon MukjipA restaurant where you can enjoy acorn jelly dishes, including acorn jelly rice soup and acorn jelly noodle soup. -
5
Han Al-cheonA Korean restaurant where you can enjoy buckwheat makguksu and dishes made with pine mushrooms. -
6
Okcheon OlgaengiA local restaurant where you can enjoy olgaengi hangover soup and olgaengi pancakes.
Events in This Area
Festivals in This Area
More Travel Guides in This Area
Travel Guide
The Mountain Submerged in Daecheong Lake: Busodamgak’s 700-Meter Rock Screen
Travel Guide
Presidential History Across 1.84 Million m² of Daecheong Lake: Cheongnamdae in Cheongju
Travel Guide
An Old Village of Munui Relocated to Daecheong Lake
Travel Guide
A Journey Through Chungbuk Grape Wine Inside the 420-Meter Yeongdong Wine Tunnel
Korea News
News
‘NewJeans Expulsion’ Danielle Releases Her First YouTube Video… “We Don’t Know What Will Happen Next”
![aespa’s North American Tour Has Remaining Seats Despite ‘$49’ Bargain Prices… A Stark Popularity Gap with KATSEYE [TEN Starfield]](https://kotourlive-images.s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/news/1788485037424_a59b1932_naver_rank_thumb_0000774618_1788485037424.jpg){kind=icon}
News
aespa’s North American Tour Has Remaining Seats Despite ‘$49’ Bargain Prices… A Stark Popularity Gap with KATSEYE [TEN Starfield]
![[Photo] TWICE’s Dahyun attends a film festival red carpet as an actress](https://kotourlive-images.s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/news/1788485316508_edd43ecd_news_870a60a6-6f11-4d73-aa7c-48d91318a0f7.jpg)
News
[Photo] TWICE’s Dahyun attends a film festival red carpet as an actress
![[On-Site Video] “We’re Departing Separately Together”… BIGBANG Begins ‘COSMOS’ World Tour](https://kotourlive-images.s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/news/1788485226518_c5719641_news_fdd4764a-0f4e-4968-8e4e-e98a02872f88.jpg)
News