Korea’s largest hanok hotel opens to public in Gangwon Province
The Hanok Heritage Chairperson Cho Chung-il speaks during an opening ceremony for The Hanok Heritage Hotel in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of The Hanok Heritage
The Hanok Heritage Hotel, the largest of its kind in Korea, opened to the public in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, offering a modern reinterpretation of hanok, Korea’s 1,000-year-old architectural tradition.
Drawing inspiration from the grandeur of Jongmyo Jeongjeon, the main hall of the UNESCO-listed Jongmyo Shrine, the hotel is entirely designed in traditional hanok style using wood, evoking the tranquil ambience of classic Korean architecture.
Spanning over 340,000 square meters, The Hanok Heritage was initially launched in 2023 as a private, members-only retreat featuring three villas and 10 guest rooms. As of this month, it expanded to include 14 new rooms across five accommodation types, now welcoming general guests for the first time.
“At first, I devoted seven years to researching the art of properly drying wood and solving construction challenges unique to hanok. The next six years were spent painstakingly building this place. Some saw it as a hardship, but for me, it was a joy — a chance to pour all my passion into hanok,” said Cho Chung-il, CEO of fintech company KONA I and founder of The Hanok Heritage, during an opening ceremony for the hotel Tuesday.
The Hanok Heritage Hotel / Courtesy of The Hanok Heritage
The hotel innovates by preserving hanok’s beauty and tradition while addressing practical challenges such as wood warping and insulation through the use of durable contemporary materials. The result is a graceful fusion of tradition and modernity, nature and space.
Every detail — from wood-drying methods to lighting and furniture — was personally overseen by Cho, whose devotion has already earned the hanok resort international recognition. Last year, it won first place in the hotel category of the Prix Versailles architecture awards, organized by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects, along with honors from the IIDA (International Interior Design Association) Global Excellence Awards.
“What was once an exclusive experience for a select few is now accessible to over 4,000 guests annually,” chairperson Cho said, emphasizing that this opening is “not just a business expansion but a new starting point for the globalization of Korean culture.”
“I’ve never thought of this as my property or possession. I hope this hanok space becomes a proud cultural landmark where many can come to enjoy the essence of Korean culture,” he added.
An 84-meter wooden corridor at The Hanok Heritage Hotel / Courtesy of The Hanok Heritage
One notable feature is the 84-meter wooden corridor.
“Walking through a hanok corridor of this scale is a rare experience. It’s not just a passage but a space that connects areas,” the chairperson said.
Built with the craftsmanship of 25 artisans, the hotel includes a Korean fine dining restaurant, all-day dining featuring seasonal ingredients, a pavilion for stargazing, a banquet hall and other facilities.
Guests can participate in various cultural programs and experiences, such as traditional Korean drinking, wearing hanbok (traditional clothing) and astronomical observation.
“I wanted to prove that hanok can be this magnificent. Seeing young people living in apartments, it feels like they’re missing out on the beauty of space. Hanok is a special space for us, a place harmonized with nature. I want to share this special space with the younger generation and visitors from abroad,” Cho said, reflecting on the fulfillment of his long-held dream.
“Even for those not staying overnight, we will present diverse performances, events and cultural programs so that more people can truly experience and feel the value of hanok.”
The Hanok Heritage has ambitious plans. Two additional villas are slated to open in January 2026, followed by the introduction of a hanok-style swimming pool and a new cultural space by June. The full transformation into a comprehensive hanok cultural complex is scheduled for completion by 2028.
Cho’s vision goes beyond Gangwon Province. He plans to create a 1.5-kilometer hanok street in Seoul and is exploring global expansion, with cities like New York and Paris in mind.
“The future of K-architecture that The Hanok Heritage envisions is to create the most universal value from what is most uniquely Korean. By reviving and evolving hanok, which had remained still for over thousand years, I hope it will shine as a world-class heritage across the globe for the next thousand years to come,” he said.