Not far from the western exit of Suwon Station, where the land has been farmed from time immemorial, sits a humble traditional hanok house and the nearby remnants of one of Korea’s early industrial developments. The house in Pyeong-dong, Suwon, now more than 100 years old, has been beautifully rebuilt using many of the original materials. Inside the house, some of the family’s original furnishings are on display in the very rooms where they were originally used. The typical “L” shaped configuration includes two main rooms, a wood-floored room called a “maru,” a kitchen and a side room for storage and food preparation. Also on the property were an outbuilding for storage and additional living space, and a 1950s western-style two-story house built for the growing family. The western-style house has since been razed and the outbuilding has been converted into a museum, which displays family heirlooms and photos. This was the home of Choi Hak-bae, patriarch of the family that controls the SK conglomerate. Built in 1921, the house was the birthplace of the first two chairmen of Sun
Suwon’s hidden gems
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