Lee Byung-chul’s Uiryeong Origins, Read in a Hanok Built in 1851

The Origin of the Traditional Hanok in Junggyori, Jeonggok-myeon, Built by the Grandfather in 1851

The birthplace of Mr. Hoam Lee Byung-chul is located at 22-4 Hoam-gil, Jeonggok-myeon, Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do; its former lot number was 723, Junggyori. This is the house where Samsung founder Hoam Lee Byung-chul (1910–1987) was born. Records state that his grandfather built it in 1851 in the traditional hanok style on a 1,907㎡ site.

Lee Byung-chul spent his childhood here and lived here until he married and established his own household. The birthplace has a linear floor plan set on flat land facing southwest, and its current appearance is the result of several extensions and renovations. Since Samsung's Daegu Samsung Trading Company was founded in 1938, this place can be understood as a family living space that predates it by about 87 years, making the historical context clearer.

The Layout of a 19th-Century Aristocratic Home: Inner Quarters, Men’s Quarters, Main Gate Quarters, and Storage

The building complex consists of inner quarters, men’s quarters, main gate quarters, and a storage building. The functional division characteristic of late Joseon-period residences remains: the inner quarters served as the family’s living space, the men’s quarters as the head of the household’s external space, and the storage building as a place for keeping grain and household goods.

The house is enclosed by earthen and stone walls, with a bamboo grove around it. Rather than expecting a venue with a continuous sequence of indoor exhibits like a large exhibition hall, allow 30–40 minutes to slowly examine the hanok’s layout and the boundaries formed by its walls and courtyard. It is also worth considering that the route is largely outdoors on rainy or very windy days.

Why It Became Uiryeong’s Ninth Scenic Attraction After Opening in November 2007

According to Uiryeong-gun materials, the birthplace opened to the public in November 2007 and is introduced as the ninth of Uiryeong’s Nine Scenic Attractions. Viewing was temporarily suspended during renovation work in 2014, so visitors coming from a distance should safely reconfirm by phone whether it will be open on the day of their visit.

Lee Byung-chul graduated from Waseda University in 1931 and founded Samsung Trading Company in Daegu in 1938. His later career included proposing and serving as the first chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries in 1961 and entering the semiconductor industry in the 1980s. Because of this history, the birthplace has become a place that explains a chapter of Korean corporate history and industrialization beyond being merely a personal birthplace.

Visiting Hours 10:00–17:00, Closed Mondays, Call 055-573-0723 Before Departure

According to publicly available tourism information, visiting hours are 10:00–17:00, and the site is closed every Monday. Admission is listed as free. Since operating conditions and renovation schedules may change, it is advisable to call 055-573-0723 before departure to ask whether visits and guided tours are available that day.

The official affiliated website listed is https://www.hoamprize.org, operated by the Hoam Prize. However, this is not a reservation page dedicated to the birthplace, so telephone inquiries should take priority for the conditions of group visits, guided tours, and event-day visits. Public reviews mention guided-tour times of 10:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:00, and 16:30, but visitors should confirm them on the date of their visit rather than assume they are fixed.

• Visiting hours: 10:00–17:00
• Regular closing day: Every Monday
• Admission: Free
• Inquiries: 055-573-0723
• Address: 22-4 Hoam-gil, Jeonggok-myeon, Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do

Park at the Public Parking Lot at 487 Junggyori and Walk to the Birthplace

Visitors traveling by car can use the public parking lot listed at 487 Junggyori, Jeonggok-myeon, Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. The birthplace address is 22-4 Hoam-gil, and the provided coordinates are 35.381757° N, 128.323125° E. Because it is located along rural village roads, saving both the birthplace name and the road-name address as navigation destinations can reduce errors.

Since this is not a tourist destination accessible by walking directly from a railway or urban rail station, travelers relying solely on public transportation should pay attention to transfer wait times and the last departure. As reliable bus routes and walking times could not be confirmed from public sources alone, travelers departing from Uiryeong-eup should check the day’s routes with Uiryeong-gun transportation information or their accommodation. Advance inquiries are also necessary because information on wheelchair and stroller accessibility and foreign-language guidance was insufficient.

A Half-Day Route Combining Jeonggok Rich Village and Sotbawi Rock

Travel packages introduce this area as “Jeonggok Rich Village” and organize routes that include the Hoam Birthplace, Donnamu, Tapbawi Rock, and Bulyangam Hermitage. The expression “the energy of wealth” is part of the area’s tourism narrative, so it is more appropriate to view it as a local theme formed by overlapping stories about the birthplaces of Lee Byung-chul, LG founder Koo In-hwoi, and Hyosung founder Cho Hong-je rather than as historical fact.

If you have time to travel toward Uiryeong-eup, you can combine Sotbawi Rock at Jeongamjin, Jeongamnu Pavilion, and Jeongam Railroad Bridge into one course. Allowing 30–40 minutes to see the Hoam Birthplace, it is realistic to set aside at least one hour including parking and movement through the village. The site is better suited to travelers who want to briefly connect hanok architecture, corporate history, and local legends than to those seeking a long indoor exhibition.

Learn the Building Layout in Advance Through 8 Photos and Videos

The photos were selected from candidates collected from Uiryeong-gun materials, the birthplace introduction page, and travel-package pages containing Uiryeong itineraries, using only those with clear site context. Since the detailed shooting dates and exact compositions may vary by publication page, they should be used as reference materials for understanding the hanok layout and surrounding travel context rather than as sources guaranteeing the facility’s current condition.

Search results include videos from the Uiryeong-gun channel from 2016 and 2021, as well as an on-site introduction video from 2023. For changeable information such as operating hours and closing days, rely on 055-573-0723 or on-site notices rather than the videos.