Jeong Jiyong Memorial Hall
The ox and stream of Jeong Ji-yong's Hyangsu lead to his Okcheon birthplace and museum of original poetry editions
Hyangsu poetry, modern Korean literature, original editions and a quiet Okcheon literary walk
Small free museum with early poetry books, projected words, a wax figure and neighbouring reconstructed birth home
The early poetry editions, sound displays and reconstructed birthplace make this a memorable visit for readers of Hyangsu
A hometown remembered by sound
An ox lows in a broad field. A stream curls past a village. In Jeong Ji-yong's Hyangsu (Nostalgia), published in 1927, these sounds become the things a person remembers when far from home. Its refrain keeps returning to a place that cannot be forgotten
The poem has a literal destination. Jeong's birthplace stands beside his memorial hall in Okcheon, on Hyangsu-gil. The thatched-roof house is reconstructed, while the village setting helps visitors picture the landscape of the poem before entering the museum
A wax figure of Jeong sits on a bench, with room for visitors beside him. Projected words and music introduce the poems. Early editions of Jeong Jiyong Poetry Collection and Baengnokdam, prose books and handwritten materials offer something more intimate: the pages on which a new Korean poetic voice first reached readers
From a familiar field to a glass window
Jeong was born in Okcheon in 1902 and later studied in Seoul and Japan. His early verse often looks back at home, while later writing takes in the sea, mountains and an increasingly precise modernist style. In Glass Window (Yurichang), a pane of glass separates a grieving speaker from someone absent. The feeling emerges from the object and what can no longer be reached
Jeong disappeared during the Korean War in 1950; historical accounts differ about his fate. The exhibits trace the development of his poetry without reducing his life to its uncertain ending
Okcheon opened the memorial hall in May 2005. Poetry stones, an annual literary festival and the neighbouring birthplace have since made Jeong part of the town's public landscape
Before you go
The museum stands at 56 Hyangsu-gil, Okcheon-eup. Admission and parking are free. It opens 09:00–18:00, closing on Mondays, January 1 and the principal Seollal and Chuseok holidays. Museum enquiries: +82-43-730-3408
Okcheon Station is roughly 2.5 kilometres from the museum. A taxi from the train station or bus terminal is the easiest final connection; local bus departures should be confirmed in town. The museum is indoors, while the reconstructed house has traditional thresholds and outdoor paving
- Hours
- 09:00–18:00; closed Mondays, January 1 and major Seollal/Chuseok days
- Admission
- Free museum and birthplace admission, free parking
- Access
- Museum with projections and books; reconstructed birthplace has traditional thresholds. Phone +82-43-730-3408
- Transit
- Approximately 2.5km from Okcheon Station. Taxi from rail or bus terminal, local bus departures should be checked locally