◼︎ Travelogue of Korea - Winter, Remote Areas Part 5: My Hometown (Aired January 13, 2023)

A Hymn to Hometown by Three Friends

Dongsan-myeon in Wanju, Jeollabuk-do, is known as a remote area.

Among them, the place referred to as a remote village is ‘Bammok Village.’

The reason Bammok Village, currently home to five households, is called a remote area is not only because it is located deep in the mountains, but also because it still lacks electricity.

Mr. Kook Seung-gu returned to Bammok Village, the hometown where he was born and raised, after retirement.

Following him, Mr. Kim Dong-eon, a close friend of Mr. Kook, also returned to their hometown of Bammok Village.

Mr. Kook says that with the addition of a friend living in the neighboring village, the inconvenient life in the remote area is actually more enjoyable.

What is the reason for returning to a remote village where there is no electricity, making it impossible to use proper home appliances, and where even getting around is difficult?

◼︎ Travelogue of Korea - Winter Train Part 4: Taking the Slow Train to Auraji (Aired January 15, 2014)

Jeongseon Market, Gangwon Province's representative five-day market connected by Jeongseon Station!

An elderly couple from the remote mountain village of Chaewoon set out for the Jeongseon Market for a winter feast.

After shopping for various items, they return to prepare a feast cooked in a large cauldron:

Sweet pumpkin porridge, boiled chicken, and sand lance grilled over a brazier.

Because only two people—the elderly couple—live in the village,

they invite guests from neighboring villages to share their winter banquet.

We take a look at the warm dining table and the affectionate mountain life of this elderly couple.

Upon arriving at Auraji Station,

you can hear stories about the sled carriers told by Grandma Jeon Ok-mae of Oksanjang.

Grandma Jeon Ok-mae, who says she was the daughter of a sled carrier,

fluently recounts the stories of the sled carriers who transported timber from Auraji all the way to Hanyang. We also listen to a poignant melody of Jeongseon Arirang sung by a grandmother.

◼︎ Journey to Korea - Winter in the Remote Regions Part 5: That House Is Warm Even in the Biting Wind (Aired January 21, 2022)

Kim Se-pyeong and Kim Yong-suk, a couple living on a mountaintop in Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Worried about his parents due to the snow that fell the previous day, their son, Seong-gyun, visited early in the morning.

The son, who moved to the countryside following his parents, is learning rural work with his father as his mentor.

He gathers wood from the mountain and prepares to work on shiitake mushroom spawn.

The family thaws their bodies, frozen by the biting wind, with the warmth of a wood-burning stove,

and fills their hearts with warm stories for one another.

Although it is a cold winter, these are happy days because the family is together.

Kang Eun-kyung, who settled in Wonchon Village in Namwon 10 years ago after falling in love with the scenery of Mt. Jirisan.

Her home is a traditional Korean house over 70 years old with a great view overlooking the mountain ridge.

When we moved in, my mother fixed up our old house, which was in great need of repair, but unfortunately, the hearth collapsed, unable to withstand the test of time.

As soon as she heard the news, my mother came to visit and, together with her daughter, repaired the hearth and lit a fire in the fireplace.

Thanks to the fireplace filled with my mother's devotion, Eun-kyung's winter is warm.

◼︎ Journey to Korea - Winter, Helpless Part 3: Remote Mountain Villages, Living for My Own Taste (Aired February 5, 2020)

In Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, a chef lives deep in the mountains at an altitude of 600 meters!

Mr. Shin Dae-sik, who resembles a mountain hermit with his bushy beard, is the protagonist.

Following him as he took a cold shower in the icy stream and carried wood on a A-frame carrier, we arrived at the sanctuary he built with his own hands. A house built with red clay and wood gathered from the mountains,

and a greenhouse made using recycled materials—it is hard to believe this is such a remote area...

The scorched rice pizza and pork chop steak confidently prepared by the chef of the remote area!

They say the flavor is doubled because it contains various mushrooms he personally picked in the mountains.

Just looking at these fancy dishes, which are hard to find in the remote, makes them look delicious!

What will the mountain meal prepared by the chef of the remote area taste like?

Eating well and living well even in the remote!

Let's go hear the delicious story of the chef of the remote area.

◼︎ Korea Travelogue - Round and Round: The Remote Areas of Gyeongbuk Part 3: Winter at the Hermitage in Chunyanggol (Aired February 9, 2022)

Gakhwasa Temple, which houses seven hermitages, is located on Mt. Gakhwa in Bonghwa, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

We went to hear the story of the monk living at Seam, a ...