Jeollabuk-do(Imsil-gun)

The history of Imsil cheese began in 1958. At that time, Imsil had no local specialty or unique color of its own, which changed when Ji Jeong-hwan, a Belgian priest came to the region as a missionary. The governor of Imsil-gun asked the priest to work for the community, not just for Catholics in Imsil. After much thoughts, he decided to make cheese. In the beginning, he made cheese with goat milk. Imsil's reputation as a cheese village, which began with just two goats, is now blooming with the establishment of Imsil Cheese Theme Park. Imsil Cheese Theme Park consists of cheese experience centers, a promotion center, a milk processing factory, a local specialty shop, etc., where one can meet the past, present and future of Imsil cheese. The Cheese Science Lab is continuing research to make premium cheese.


Jeollabuk-do(Iksan-si)

Iksan Godori Standing Stone Buddha is Treasure No. 46. The two Buddha statues (each measuring 424cm) stand face-to-face at a distance of 200 meters apart and tell the story of an eternal, but unrequited love. According to legend, the two Buddhas (one male, one female) are lovers that can only meet for one night in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar. After the sunset on that special day the lovers are allowed to meet, but must return to their respective positions before the rooster crows at dawn. The two statues are very representative of the Goryeo Era, which produced many stone statues with minimal expression of the physical body. True to the era, each Buddha has almost no curves and is depicted with plain clothing and barely distinguishable arms. On their heads, the Buddhas wear a crown topped with another square hat. With their square faces, small eyes, pug noses, and small lips, the Buddas are reminiscent of guardian deities typically placed at the entrance of villages.


Jeollabuk-do(Iksan-si)

The Ssamgneung (Twin Tombs) in Iksan are stone chamber tombs that were unearthed during an academic excavation survey in 1917. At the time of the survey it was discovered the tombs had already been illegally excavated, most likely during the reign of King Chungsukwang of the Goryeo Dynasty. Though looters had stripped the tombs of any burial accessories, the wooden coffins were found to be relatively intact. The coffins were severely damaged in the aftermath of the Korean War, but were later restored by the Jeonju National Museum. When they were first found, the twin tombs measured 3.1 meters high and 0.5 kilometers wide, but some of the original wood was lost during the tombs’ tumultuous history and the restoration that followed. The larger of the restored tombs now measures 30 meters in diameter and 5 meters in x_height while the smaller tomb measures 24 meters in diameter and 3.5 meters in x_height. On January 21, 1963 the tombs were designated Historic Site No. 87. The Twin Tombs are roughly 200 meters apart, with the tomb in the east called Daewangmyo (big royal tomb) and the one in the west Sowangmyo (small royal tomb). The interiors of the tombs are done in the same style as the stone chamber tombs found in the tomb cluster of Neungsan-ri, Buyeo. Considering that the nearby Mireuksaji Temple Site was built during the reign of King Mu of Baekje Dynasty, it is highly likely that the Twin Tombs are those of King Mu and his wife, Queen Seonhwa.


Jeollabuk-do(Iksan-si)

Nabawi Catholic Church is located in Hwasan-ri, Mangseong-myeon in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do Province and is known as the oldest surviving catholic church in the Jeolla-do region. The church was built in 1906 to commemorate the return of priest Kim Dae-geon in 1845 (Joseon Dynasty) after he was ordained in Shanghai, China. Inside the church stand two monuments: one built in 1954 to honor Joseph Vermorel (French missionary, 1860-1937) and one built in 1955 to honor priest and martyr Kim Dae-geon. Considered the most significant catholic relic of the Jeolla-do region, the church is sought out by large numbers of Catholic visitors each year.


Jeollabuk-do(Wanju-gun)

Daea Arboretum is located on the foothills of Mount Unjangsan in the Sobaek Mountain Range and boasts a relatively moderate temperate due to its inland location on the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula. Since the Daea Arboretum is part of one of the eight back regions of Korea with limited access by general tourists the plants in the area have been allowed to flourish with little human interference. The area is also home to about 96 species of animals including birds (the cuckoo, yellow-headed bunting, etc.), wild boar, elk, and raccoons. The arboretum is divided into several areas: a tropical arboretum, a ‘natural monument tree hill,’ an observation center for visitors to compare tree species, a rose garden, and a landscaped garden.


Jeollabuk-do(Gunsan-si)

The Jinpo Maritime Theme Park was opened in 2008 to commemorate Jinpodaecheop, the sweeping victory of Jinpo in the naval combat against the Japanese forces led by General Choi Mu-seon in 1380. Constructed against a scenic backdrop of the local port and the vast sea, the park houses 16 retired military crafts of 13 models. On display at the park are vintage tanks, historical artillery, combat planes, and warships including the Wibongham Ship, which was a vessel of combat during the Vietnam War. Visitors can even explore the insides of decommissioned warships. The exhibition hall inside the Wibongham Ship showcases the weapons used during the Jinpodaecheop War, artillery made by General Choi Mu-seon, and the typical life inside the warship.


Jeollabuk-do(Gochang-gun)

Along with Geumsansa in Gimje-si, Seonunsa is one of the two major temples of Jeollabuk-do region. Every year, many tourists come to visit the temple to enjoy the valued cultural heritage and the beautiful natural surroundings of the temple. Seonunsa has a temple stay program where you may appreciate the Buddhist culture as well as the quality time of your own. The temple stay consists of such sub-sessions as having a conversation with a monk over a cup of tea, Barugongyang (formal monastic meal), striking a bell, 108 prostrations, Chamseon (Zen meditation), hiking to Dosolam and other programs to experience Buddhist culture while enjoying the camellia flower habitat and other genuine natural beauty of the surroundings.


Jeollabuk-do(Sunchang-gun)

Sunchang Traditional Paste Museum is located across from the Sunchang Gochujang Village. The 2-story building (1,513㎡ in size) consists of a permanent exhibition hall exhibiting Jangnyu (Fermented Sauces) such as red pepper pastes and soybean pastes, a planned exhibition hall displaying cultural treasures of Sunchang, and an outdoor square.At the permanent exhibition hall, recipes for fermented sauces and their histories are introduced, and containers for fermented sauces are displayed. An observation room for the fermentation process and spaces for hands-on experience activities are at the corners. The outdoor square attracts people with a terrace displaying earthen wares that are used to contain the fermented sauces, as well as a millstone worked by horse or ox, and an old tomb from the Baekje dynasty.


Jeollabuk-do(Jangsu-gun)

Waryong Recreational Forest is a clean natural resort created by clearing a portion of a lush forest near the source of Geumgang River at an elevation of 650-1,200m. The trees and valleys with clear water make the place an excellent home for animals and wild flowers. The place also has a swimming pool, a water sled park for children, hiking trails and forest paths.


Jeollabuk-do(Gunsan-si)

The House of Lee Young-choon was constructed by a Japanese landlord named Kumamoto during the Japanese colonial era. The house combines Western, Korean, and Japanese combined into one structure. After Korean liberation, Dr. Lee Young-choon, the first medical doctor, lived in the house. From that time, the house was referred as the House of Lee Young-choon. Thanks to its beautiful exterior, the house was used as a backdrop for films such as Bingjeom, Sandglass, and Yain Shidae, etc. The doctor was considered the Korean "Albert Schweitzer", and his pen name of "Ho", referring to ssangcheon, means "two branches of spring water, represents one for healing physical disease and the other for healing the spirit. He was born in Yonggang-gun, Pyeongannam-do in October 1903. In 1935, through a connection by his professor at Pyeongyanggobo Schoo, he took a position as the head of Jahye Hospital to take care of 20,000 people. In addition, he was the first person in Korea to implement the policy of school nurses as well as the medical insurance union.