Nevertheless, the cultural heritage is the most celebrated side of Jeonju β together with the best food Korea has to offer. Hence they called it Jeonju which literally translates to Perfect Region. Located about kilometers south of Seoul , Jeonju looks back at a long history. Already during the Kingdom of Baekje, it was a center of the region albeit at that time under its former name Wansan. Already during the time of the Three Kingdoms Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla who competed for hegemony over the peninsula until , Jeonju was famous for its paper production.
Not only is there a well-known paper museum where you can make your own paper. They even organize a paper fashion show during the annual Hanji Culture Festival! However, many of these structures house museums, restaurants and tea houses, as well as souvenir shops and boutiques.
For this reason, the district has come under strong criticism for replacing traditional culture with a commercial sell-out and a focus on fast tourism. Over the past few years, the number of visitors has grown to more than 6 million per year. Hence, the number of commercial facilities in Jeonju Hanok Village has increased significantly in the past years. Over half of the businesses in the village opened after , with the number of shops increasing rapidly. Many of those are small eateries. However, at the same time, the number of traditional teahouses has fallen by almost half.
Many stores selling mass-produced souvenirs have replaced traditional high-quality craft businesses. And finally, the high number of tourists has led to an increase in costs not only for lodging and other travel-related businesses. It also affects the overall costs of living of the residents.
As soon as I entered the old town area, swarms of tourists dressed in Hanboks crossed my way. A Hanbok is typically a beautiful traditional garment. It consists of a wide underskirt and layers of the finest silk. A traditional, high-quality Hanbok can cost thousands! For many tourists, the most fun is walking through the streets in a hanbok and taking photos in front of palaces, temples, and traditional houses. The world as a theme park.
