2026/07/02
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Busan's coastline, Jeonju's tiled rooftops, Pohang's harbor breakwaters — the scenes that hit hardest in Korean drama are rarely filmed in Seoul. Here's where to find them.
Why Korean Drama Directors Leave Seoul
Seoul handles momentum. It's the city of deadlines, confrontations, and midnight rooftop arguments.
But when a character needs to fall apart — or be put back together — the camera usually points south.
Production crews don't choose regional locations for the scenery alone. They choose them because different geographies carry different emotional registers. A conversation that would feel rushed in Gangnam slows down beside the sea. A confession that would feel small in a glass tower feels enormous against a stone wall built five hundred years ago.
Busan, Jeonju, and Pohang each solve a different dramatic problem. Understanding what each city offers helps explain not just where those scenes were filmed, but why they work.
Busan — Where Emotion Arrives Like a Wave
Stand on 해운대 (Haeundae Beach) before eight in the morning and you understand immediately. The horizon doesn't just stretch — it overwhelms. The camera has nowhere to hide, and neither does the character standing in front of it.
That quality has made Busan one of the most reliably filmed cities in Korean drama. Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Now We Are Breaking Up, Pachinko — the list grows every year. Directors return because Busan offers something rare: a major city where beach, hillside, working port, and downtown are all within ten minutes of each other.
Gamcheon Culture Village — The Scene You've Already Seen
감천문화마을 (Gamcheon Culture Village) is a hillside neighborhood in southwestern Busan where houses in faded pastels stack up a steep slope like stacked playing cards. Think of Lisbon's Alfama district — that same quality of color and texture accumulated across generations — except the alleyways here are narrower and the staircases more sudden.
It became a standard backdrop for coming-of-age drama precisely because it doesn't look manufactured. The walls are genuinely worn. The cats are actually residents.
Get there before ten in the morning. After that, the tour buses arrive and the narrow lanes fill quickly. The village charges no admission, though a small illustrated map is available for purchase at the entrance and worth it for navigating the upper paths.
Gwangalli Beach — The Confession Scene Backdrop
광안리 (Gwangalli) Beach is Busan's other coastal face, and the one Korean directors return to most often after dark.
When the 광안대교 (Gwangan Bridge) lights up at night, its reflection doubles across the water in a way that feels almost artificially cinematic. It isn't. Dozens of dramas have used this precise viewpoint for declarations, goodbyes, and the kind of scene where two people finally say what they've been avoiding.
Italian directors use the Naples waterfront the same way — returning to it because the effect keeps working. Korean PDs have reached the same conclusion about Gwangalli.
The beach itself is free and accessible around the clock. Restaurants and pojangmacha (포장마차, outdoor tented food stalls serving snacks and drinks, often with low plastic stools) line the boardwalk, and the later you go on a weekend, the more crowded it becomes. For the iconic bridge shot with a clear frame, weekday evenings before nine are ideal.
Practical Notes for Busan
The city's subway system covers both Haeundae and Gwangalli efficiently. Gamcheon requires either a taxi or a bus from Toseong-dong Station — the ride takes about fifteen minutes, and the driver will know the village by name. Most neighborhoods worth visiting are concentrated enough to be walkable once you're in them.
Jeonju — Where Historical Drama Finds Its Real Set
Step into 전주 한옥마을 (Jeonju Hanok Village) and something shifts. The 700-odd traditional houses here aren't a recreation. They're a functioning neighborhood — residents, small restaurants, family-run craft shops — that happens to have survived intact.
British historical dramas spend enormous budgets reconstructing what Jeonju simply has. The irony isn't lost on Korean production designers.
Gyeonggijeon Shrine — The Shot Every Sageuk Needs
경기전 (Gyeonggijeon Shrine) was built in 1410 to house the royal portrait of 태조 (King Taejo), the founder of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897, roughly contemporary with Tudor and Stuart England). The original portrait survived the Japanese invasions of the 1590s because it was evacuated to the mountains. The one displayed here now is a Joseon-era copy.
A stone path leads through a bamboo grove to the main hall. The courtyard is quiet even when the village outside is busy. Point a camera in any direction and you have a frame.
Six Flying Dragons (육룡이 나르샤) filmed here extensively, as have numerous other sageuk (사극, Korean historical drama). The reason is obvious the moment you arrive: no modern infrastructure intrudes. The trees are old enough. The stone is worn enough. It looks like the past because, in significant ways, it is.
Admission is modest — around 3,000 won for adults — and the shrine is open daily.
Hanbyeokdang and the River Path — Where Modern Drama Comes Too
Not every production that chooses Jeonju is reaching for the Joseon period.
Viewers of Twenty-Five Twenty-One (스물다섯 스물하나) will recognize the riverbank near 한벽당 (Hanbyeokdang Pavilion), a 15th-century pavilion perched above the 전주천 (Jeonju Stream). The old railway structure and the gravel walking path beside the water are where the two leads had some of their most direct conversations.
Jeonju earned that scene because the city occupies an unusual temporal space. Old walls and narrow alleys coexist with coffee shops and bookstores in converted hanbang (한방, traditional Korean medicinal pharmacy) buildings. The friction between eras produces a visual texture that neither a fully modern city nor a purely historical site can offer.
That's the quality modern drama writers are borrowing when they set a contemporary story here.
Hanbok in Jeonju — More Than a Photo Opportunity
한복 (hanbok, Korea's traditional clothing — for women, a billowing skirt called a chima paired with a short jacket called a jeogori; for men, wide trousers called baji with the same jacket) rental shops line the edges of Hanok Village, and the practice of walking the stone lanes in hanbok has become a standard part of visiting Jeonju.
Prices run between 10,000 and 20,000 won for two hours. Walk-in rental is straightforward; most shops provide the full outfit and a place to change.
The experience is hard to explain in advance. Wearing hanbok in Jeonju while walking a flagstone path that has existed for centuries closes a gap that is genuinely difficult to describe otherwise. The drama scene and the present moment stop being clearly separate things.
Pohang — The Small Harbor That a Drama Put on the Map
포항 (Pohang) has been Korea's steel city for decades. POSCO, one of the world's largest steel manufacturers, was founded here in 1968, and the city's industrial identity ran deep.
Then, in 2021, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (갯마을 차차차) aired.
Guryongpo — The Real Gongjin
The fictional seaside village of Gongjin (공진) was filmed almost entirely in and around 구룡포 (Guryongpo), a working fishing port in Pohang's north district.
The show follows a Seoul dentist who leaves her practice for a small harbor town and gradually stops being a visitor. The premise required a location that felt genuinely unhurried — not a picturesque village stage-managed for tourists, but a real community with peeling signage and boats that actually go out in the morning.
Guryongpo fit. The breakwater, the small lighthouse, the row of old storefronts — it all photographed as the drama presented it. And it still looks that way. The production ended; the atmosphere remained.
Visitors arrive now and find the harbor quieter than expected, which is precisely the point.
Guryongpo Modern Culture and History Street
A short walk from the harbor leads to 구룡포 근대문화역사거리 (Guryongpo Modern Culture and History Street), a block of buildings that survived from the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945).
The colonial-era architecture here — wooden merchant houses with tile roofs, narrow commercial frontages — has made this street a filming location in its own right, used for dramas requiring a mid-20th-century visual register. Walking the block creates an odd layered sensation: the Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha harbor on one end, a preserved colonial streetscape on the other, a single block connecting two completely different visual worlds.
The street is free to walk and signposted in Korean and English.
Getting to Guryongpo from Pohang Station
City buses from Pohang Station run to Guryongpo in roughly forty minutes. The route is straightforward and the bus stops are marked at the station. Taxi is an alternative for those arriving with luggage or traveling in a group.
Getting There — Practical Information
| Route | Travel Time | Approximate Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul → Busan (KTX) | 2 hr 18 min – 2 hr 56 min | from ₩59,800 (standard) | Multiple daily departures from Seoul Station |
| Seoul → Jeonju (KTX) | approx. 1 hr 10 min | from ₩23,400 | Departs Yongsan Station; arrives Jeonju Station |
| Busan → Pohang (KTX Donghae Line) | approx. 1 hr | from ₩14,100 | Pohang Station; check LETSKORAIL for current schedule |
| KORAIL PASS | — | varies by duration | Foreigners only; 2–5 day unlimited travel; buy before arriving in Korea |
| Hanbok rental (Jeonju) | — | ₩10,000–₩20,000 / 2 hrs | Walk-in available; most shops open by 9 a.m. |
| Gamcheon Culture Village | — | Free (optional map: ₩2,000) | Arrive before 10 a.m. for uncrowded lanes |
| Guryongpo (from Pohang Station) | approx. 40 min by bus | under ₩2,000 | Pohang city bus; taxi also available |
KTX fares fluctuate seasonally and by seat class. Always confirm current pricing at the official LETSKORAIL website or the Korail app before booking.
What These Three Cities Are Actually Saying
Seoul gave Korean drama its grammar. Busan, Jeonju, and Pohang gave it somewhere to breathe.
Production crews travel to these cities because they're looking for something Seoul can't supply: the feeling of time moving differently, of emotional stakes that aren't compressed into a commute.
The experience of visiting these locations changes depending on whether you approach them as a tourist or as someone who has actually watched the scenes filmed there.
Stand at the end of the Guryongpo breakwater when the fishing boats are heading out and the mist is still on the water. Walk the bamboo path at Gyeonggijeon on a Tuesday morning when the school groups haven't arrived. Sit at a plastic table on the Gwangalli boardwalk after midnight with a bottle of soju (소주, Korea's clear distilled spirit, typically 16–25% alcohol, served in small shot glasses).
In those moments, the line between watching a drama and being inside one becomes genuinely thin. That's what this trip is actually for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to book KTX tickets in advance for these routes?
For the Seoul–Busan route, advance booking is strongly recommended, especially on Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons, and during public holidays such as Chuseok and Seollal. Trains sell out quickly and last-minute fares are higher. The Seoul–Jeonju and Busan–Pohang routes are less congested and often have same-day availability, but booking two to three days ahead still prevents disappointment. Tickets are available through the Korail app (available in English), the LETSKORAIL website, or at station ticket windows. Foreign credit cards are accepted online. A KORAIL PASS, available only to foreign visitors, covers unlimited travel on KTX and most intercity trains for 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days.
How much does a K-drama filming location trip outside Seoul cost per day?
A reasonable daily budget covering accommodation, meals, and transportation within each city runs approximately $60–$90 USD (around ₩80,000–₩120,000) for a mid-range traveler. Budget guesthouses and hanok stays in Jeonju start around ₩40,000–₩70,000 per night. Busan has the widest accommodation range, from hostels near Haeundae at ₩25,000 per night to full hotels at ₩200,000 and above. Meals at local restaurants typically cost ₩8,000–₩15,000 per person. City transportation (bus and subway) rarely exceeds ₩5,000 per day. The main variable is your KTX fare, which is a one-time cost rather than a daily expense.
What's the best time of year to visit Jeonju Hanok Village?
Spring (late March through early May) and autumn (October through early November) offer the most photogenic conditions. Cherry blossoms appear along the Jeonju Stream near Hanbyeokdang in late March, and the maple trees inside Gyeonggijeon turn in mid-October. Summer is humid and crowded, though the village remains beautiful. Winter brings occasional snow that settles on the curved tile rooftops in a way that looks exactly like a historical drama poster — and crowds thin considerably after December. If photographing for drama-location accuracy, overcast days often reproduce the muted palette that Korean cinematographers favor over harsh midday sunlight.
Can foreigners rent hanbok in Jeonju without speaking Korean?
Yes, and the process is easier than expected. Most hanbok rental shops in Jeonju Hanok Village have developed a straightforward walk-in system for foreign visitors — sizing is done by eye and by pointing, and staff are accustomed to communicating without a shared language. Some shops have basic English signage. The rental includes the full outfit, a place to change, and basic accessories. Prices range from ₩10,000 for simpler designs to ₩20,000 or more for elaborate combinations with headpieces. Returning the hanbok is simply a matter of walking back to the shop before closing time. Most shops open around 9 a.m. and close by 7 or 8 p.m.
What does "Gongjin" mean in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, and where exactly was it filmed?
Gongjin (공진) is a fictional village name created for the drama — it doesn't appear on Korean maps. The actual filming locations are centered on Guryongpo (구룡포), a working fishing port in Pohang's northern district, roughly 25 kilometers from Pohang Station. The breakwater, lighthouse, and harbor-front streets seen in the drama are all real and still largely intact. Some storefronts used during filming have since been converted into small cafés and souvenir shops catering to drama fans, but the essential atmosphere of the harbor remains unchanged. The drama's production design team was careful not to over-stylize the location, which is why the real place still resembles the show.
Is Busan worth visiting beyond the K-drama filming locations?
Busan is one of Korea's most complete travel destinations independent of any drama connection. It's Korea's second-largest city and its principal port, with a food culture — centered on seafood, particularly at 자갈치 시장 (Jagalchi Market, Korea's largest seafood market) — that is distinct from Seoul's. The city also has Haedong Yonggungsa (해동 용궁사), a Buddhist temple built directly on coastal cliffs, and the UN Memorial Cemetery, the only one of its kind in the world. Busan's neighborhoods shift rapidly in character from block to block in a way that rewards slow walking. Most visitors who go for the drama locations extend their stay once they realize what else the city holds.
How long should I spend in each city on a drama-focused trip?
Jeonju rewards two full days — one for Hanok Village, Gyeonggijeon, and the evening street food lanes along 전주 남부시장 (Jeonju Nambu Market), and a second for the river path, surrounding villages, and a slower morning. Busan warrants at least two to three days given the geographic spread between Haeundae, Gwangalli, and Gamcheon. Pohang and Guryongpo can be covered well in a single full day, making it a natural add-on to a Busan-based trip rather than a standalone destination. A combined itinerary — Seoul out, Jeonju overnight, Busan two nights, Pohang day trip, Seoul in — fits within a seven-to-eight-day Korea visit and follows the actual KTX network in a logical geographic arc.
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