Weekender Stay in hanok for truly Korean experience

By Kwon Mee-yoo‥

Nestled within the maze of alleys that make up Seoul’s quaint Bukchon district is RakKoJae, a “hanok” guesthouse.

RakKoJae means “a place where one can enjoy the traditions of times past and rest one’s soul.” Likewise, it is more than just a guesthouse, but a cultural space where even daytime visitors can indulge in the essence of Korean culture.

Composed of two bedrooms, a sauna, a patio and a separate house, RakKoJae is a small but meaningful place. The quiet and graceful setting was featured in the MBC drama “My Lovely Samsoon” (2005) and in the reality show “Just Married,” for the well-preserved quality of olden Korean living arrangements.

Ahn Young-hwan, president of RakKoJae, met with The Korea Times for an interview at the patio of RakKoJae in Gahoe-dong, central Seoul.

Before returning to Korea on his father’s wishes in 1991, Ahn studied computer science in the United States and worked as an engineer.

As his work had him interact with many foreigners after coming back, he was continuously asked about the identity of Korea and Korean culture. “I was shocked that there was such a little understanding of Korea,” he said. “Although it is true that Korea is smaller than China in scale and pays a little less attention to detail compared to Japan, it hurt my pride in Korea,” he said.

He wanted to emphasize the uniqueness of Korean culture and the idea of hanok hit him. “I rented an old hanok in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province on weekends and made it to be more suitable for accommodating foreigners.” Ahn also refurbished it with authentic antiques and relics.

“When the sun is about to set, we bring the guests to Mandaeru, a pavilion in Byeongsan Seowon and have them view the beauty of a Korean traditional house with the backdrop of nature,” he said. “The charm of hanok lies in its soft lines and nature is ‘borrowed’ to highlight the unique structure.”

To greet guests, Ahn prepares “dongdongju,” traditional rice wine, with snacks and musicians played Korean traditional instruments dressed in hanbok, traditional costume. A fake moon to mesmerize guests was the clever finishing touch.

This eco-friendly storytelling worked on his guests. “A Japanese businessman who visited Korea numerous times for 20 years said the night view was totally different from what he had seen in Korea previously,” he said.

“I think Korean culture is something you feel, not something you see. That’s ‘pungryu,’ or the aesthetic enjoyment of nature, of Koreans,” he said. “This is a metaphysical concept and I thought this would best represent Korean culture to foreigners if we differentiate it.”

Despite positive reactions from the guests, the business in Andong was not earning enough money so Ahn decide to relocate.

Instead he bought four hanok in Gahoe-dong, which were used by Jindan Hakhoe, Korea’s first historical society, when it was put on sale in 1999.

“It was more difficult to remodel the hanok than build a new one. I tried to keep the original state as much as possible due to the significance of the structure,” he said. It took two and a half years to complete the transformation.

“For instance, the bathroom was located outside of the hanok, but each guest room needs a bathroom. After thinking and thinking, we came up with using the space under protruding corners of the eaves. It is a long and narrow space, but we were able to put a toilet and small bathtub in it,” he said.

One of the most popular aspects about RakKoJae is the “jjimjilbang,” or Korean-style sauna. The small room is heated by “ondol,” or Korean under-floor heating system, and three to four people fit in a room.

“There are hot springs in Japanese ryokan and I thought we need a place for the guests to properly rest,” he said.

Pioneer of hanok

Ahn is ambitious in promoting hanok and other projects are also ongoing.

In Myeong-dong, he runs a Korean restaurant called Jinsa, where he built a hanok on an existing two-story building. “The hanok on the third floor is the most popular among guests. The sales generated from the third floor are some three times higher than on other floors,” he said.

He said he saw the possibility of a hanok’s commercial success at the restaurant.

There is another RakKoJae in Andong — a thatched-roof house. “It is more difficult to build and maintain a thatched-roofed house, since you have to grow old-style rice plants and harvest it by hand to maintain and renew the roof. Luckily, the government helps to preserve the tradition,” he said. “However, the guests are surprised when they see the bathroom, because it is cutting edge.”

To maximize the mood of hanok, he built Mongingak, a modern-style two-story hanok in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. “It is in a pavilion style, but large glass panels protect guests from bad weather, while still providing a spectacular view,” he said. “It was an attempt to boost the efficiency of the space.”

Other than just building more hanok, he is also nurturing carpenters who can learn to preserve the traditional architecture.

“As people have not built hanok since the 1970s, the tradition was lost and there were few people who knew how to build them. I thought it would be crucial to support carpenters who could continue to construct hanok,” he said.

At the “Hanok School” in Andong, 12 students entered the six month course in March.

“The characteristics of students vary — ranging from their 20s to 60s, some of them had studied architecture before, while the older students want to start a new life involved in building hanok,” Ahn said.

The student carpenters of Hanok School will join the construction site of the hanok hotel in Andong, which is currently under architectural review.

“It becomes interesting when hanok merges with state-of-the-art technology. For the new hotel, I will equip the place with brand-new appliances and make the place ubiquitous,” he said.

Ahn will also combine the merits of the Korean habit of sitting on the floor and the Western custom to sit in chairs at the hotel. “The main target of RakKoJae is Japanese, since Western people are usually uncomfortable with the Korean habit of sitting on mats on the floor. The hotel will be composed of hanok-style bedrooms, which is for the floor custom, and a Western-style living room with seats and a table,” he said.

The hotel is scheduled to be finished by 2014.

Hanok as high-end culture

RakKoJae is not low-priced accommodation. A night’s stay at the hanok including dinner and breakfast costs starts from 180,000 won to more than 400,000 won.

“Yes, it is expensive. But I think it should be even more expensive because it is traditional,” Ahn said. “In any country, staying at a traditional house would be the most expensive, as it is a unique local experience for foreign guests.”

The quality of the interior is additionally a factor as he mentions, “All the furnishings here are real antiques.” While enjoying staying in such a special place, guests are treated with exceptional service, he said.

“We consider our culture as the best and the finest in order to reproduce and expand it,” he said. “What is the luxury of Korean culture? I think hanok is the answer.”

Visit www.rkj.co.kr or call (02) 742-3410 for detailed information.