Why the Korean Folk Village Ended Up in Yongin

Hey, I'm Yongi. Lately I keep getting the same question. "That Korean Folk Village in Yongin, it's super famous, right? But why did it end up here of all places?" Fans of historical dramas especially want to know, probably because they've heard that a lot of those old-timey scenes were actually filmed there. I remember visiting a few times as a kid, holding my parents' hands, back when I just thought of it as a fun outing with rides and traditional performances — no idea there was a story like this behind it. So today I want to walk you through what I know about how the Korean Folk Village and Yongin ended up connected.

A place where a whole old village was moved here

The Korean Folk Village is known to have opened in 1974, a theme village built around traditional life. It wasn't just a brand-new set built from scratch, it's often introduced as a place where traditional houses from all over the country were relocated and restored here. Exactly how many houses were moved, and the precise opening year, seem to vary a bit depending on the source, so I'll be careful not to state it too definitively. Still, just knowing a place has stood here for this long kind of gets to me.

Still, from what I've heard, all sorts of traditional buildings — homes from different regions, old government-office-style structures, and more — are said to be gathered together on one big plot of land. Walking through it feels a bit like time-traveling from one village to the next. Tiled roofs and thatched roofs show up one after another, and little details like the clay jars or wells sitting in the yards make you feel like people really lived this way once, which is kind of fascinating. The way the trees and flowers in the yards change color with the seasons is a quiet little bonus, too. Just the idea of gathering traditional houses from across the country into a single place sounds like it must have been a pretty massive project.

Because it's a space where a whole old village was relocated, people come here for all sorts of reasons — some just for an outing, others curious about how people used to live, some just chasing the perfect photo spot. I often see people dressed up in hanbok strolling through the alleys for pictures, and parents walking kids through, explaining old objects one by one. But there's another reason this place became so well known.

A familiar backdrop in historical dramas and films

The Korean Folk Village has long been used as a filming location for historical dramas and films. With traditional houses and village alleys still intact, it must have been hard for film crews needing an old-timey backdrop to find a better spot. Borrowing an already-built, convincing village would've probably felt a lot more natural, and easier, than building a whole new set from scratch. So if you're watching a historical drama and a familiar alley or tiled roof shows up, there's a good chance it's the Korean Folk Village.

Having served as the backdrop for so many productions over the years, the Korean Folk Village has become more than just a tourist spot — it's shaped the image of 'the old days' we picture from historical dramas. I've caught myself thinking 'wait, I've seen that spot before' more than once while watching a drama. But that got me wondering: why did such a big facility end up in Yongin of all places?

Why Yongin, of all places

It's often explained through Yongin's location. For one, the accessibility from Seoul was a big plus. No matter how great a facility is, it doesn't mean much if people can't easily get there. Being close enough to Seoul while still being able to secure a large open space outside the city center likely worked in Yongin's favor for attracting a large-scale cultural facility. Close enough for a day trip, yet far enough to feel like stepping into a whole different world once you arrive — that distance seems to have hit the sweet spot.

On top of that, building a whole village by relocating traditional houses from across the country would have needed a seriously large plot of land, and Yongin is said to have had favorable conditions for securing that kind of space. The mix of hills and open fields probably made it a good fit for laying out a village convincingly, too. Close to Seoul, but not cramped — that's this town I call home. It seems like these conditions coming together is what led a facility as big as the Korean Folk Village to settle right here.

🐉 Real Photos, via Yongi