Suamgol:
Multicolored Mural Village

Suamgol used to be a poor hillside village until about 10 years ago. Dull gray walls made of cement and houses with slate roofs were closely clustered together around narrow alleys. Thanks to a public arts project in 2007, this neighborhood received a facelift. The walls were turned into canvases and artists native to the region painted murals of ordinary people under the theme ¡°Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane.¡± As flamboyant colors and paintings filled up the building walls, streets that were once dreary with dull colors began to come alive. The area has since emerged as a cultural attraction that many visit and talk about.

Suamgol Mural Village is not that big, so 20-30 minutes is all it takes to see all of it. Its narrow alleys have many beautiful sights such as a painting of a mother hen leading her chicks, another of children playing in sand and a colorful mosaic mural created on wood paneling. In addition to murals, the village also features fun pieces made from used coal briquettes by artist Lim Min. The eyes and mouths drawn on the briquettes form goofy expressions that make onlookers smile.

Suamgol Multicolored Mural Village is a must-see tourist site in Cheongju. © Cheongju-si

Cheongju Bukbu Market:
Ongoing Youth Movement

Cheongju Bukbu Market, established in 1971, retains the feel and charm of an old marketplace while being the city¡¯s second-largest market; only Yukgeori Market is bigger.

Also one of the nation¡¯s five major traditional markets, Bukbu has stores for meat, fruits and vegetables, fish, tofu, side dishes and rice cake that have operated for decades. More recently, a youth startup project seeks to restore the market back to its former glory. Stores run by young entrepreneurs sell a variety of items like sweet rice donuts, macarons and hand-made items. Originally, the stores were all lined up next to each other but have since been more evenly distributed throughout the market next to other stores, forming a mutually beneficial partnership. The market now attracts a range of customers from children to seniors. More importantly, these ¡°youth stores¡± have attracted more young people to the traditional market, giving Bukbu fresh energy and vigor.

MMCA Cheongju:
From Cigarette Factory to Art Museum

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cheongju, opened in December last year, is the fourth branch of the museum to open following those in Gwacheon, Seoul and Deoksugung Palace. As part of an urban regeneration project, the Cheongju branch was built by turning an old cigarette factory into a modern museum, and this attracted attention long before the facility¡¯s official opening. A highlight of this museum is the practice of open storage, a worldwide trend among museums allowing visitors to see more works of protected art.

More than 1,300 artworks that had been stored at the museum¡¯s main building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do Province, were transferred to the Cheongju branch. Storage at the latter is largely divided into three sections: open storage in which the audience can enter to see artworks, visible storage that exhibits paintings sensitive to temperature and humidity, and special storage accessible with reservation. The difference between a storage exhibit and an ordinary one is that visitors do not just see works selected by curators but rather discover the information and knowledge contained in various works to reach their own interpretations.

Contemporary artworks in storage at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cheongju are popular among audience. © MMCA Cheongju

A visit to Cheongju is never complete without a stop at the museum. By opening up its storage and preservation laboratories, which had previously been restricted to the public, the facility offers a refreshing esthetic experience. Visitors can consider it a space not just for seeing works of art but also for restoring and preserving art.