Book Trip
[Into the Book ⑦] The Jolly Shelter and Home of the Mangwon-dong Brothers! Mangwon-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul: The Harmony of the Old and the New
2024.02.19
Mangwon-dong Brothers
Being invited to someone’s house is like being invited to see the real inside of them.
Mangwon-dong Brothers (Namu Bench) is the first novel by writer Kim Ho-Yeon, who made readers in Korea and abroad both cry and laugh with her book The Uncanny Convenience Store (Namu Bench). It won the Excellence Award at the 9th World Literature Award and was later made into a play, proving both its literary value and popularity. The book Mangwon-dong Brothers is a full-length novel about four impoverished men who start an unusual live-in relationship in a rooftop room in Mangwon-dong - a room too small for a single person. The book has been widely recognized by readers for its hilarious but also profound reflections on life.
* K-Book Trends Vol. 44 – Go to the interview with writer Kim Ho-Yeon
Hangang River seen from Mangwon Hangang Park
Mangwon Market and Mangnidan Street, where the familiar and the unfamiliar coexist
The Mangwong Market, which is the face of Mangwon-dong, the six-pack of Mangwon-dong,
Mangwong Market, which is so highly praised by “I,” the main character of Mangwon-dong Brothers, is a representative traditional market in Seoul located about 300 meters from exit 2 of Mangwon Station. However, if you think this is a traditional market only for adults, you would be wrong. As the market has become famous for its cheap and delicious food such as bunsik, tteokgalbi, and traditional alcohol, it has become a popular spot in Mangwong-dong where people of all ages, from teens to 60s, visit. The road to the market is known as “Mangnidan Street”* among the MZ generation in Korea, and is bustling with people on both weekdays and weekends as it is home to all the hip things. It is a place where you can find cute little collectible shops, restaurants with a wide variety of food, and pleasant cafes, not to mention all the trendy spots in Korea and little bookstores. As such, it is a great place for travelers to enjoy something different. * The Mangwon-dong street has been given a new name, Mangnidan Street, in reference to the famous Gyeongnidan Street in Itaewon.
Mangwon Market crowded with people
Mangnidan Street, where you can find cute little collectible shops
Among them is “gaga77page,” an independent bookstore located about a 5-minute walk from Mangnidan Street. It sells a wide variety of books and independent publications. The first thing you will notice as you enter the bookstore is the books covering the walls and cozy sofas. Here, readers can spend leisurely time reading, choosing, and purchasing books that suit their tastes. Celebrating its 7th anniversary this year, gaga77page sold 7th anniversary t-shirts and held a series of book talks with writers. How about having a more intimate experience with Mangwon-dong at gaga77page, where you can feel the charm of a neighborhood bookstore that shares small joys with readers visiting the bookstore?
Views inside gaga77page, where you can feel the charms of a neighborhood bookstore
Views inside cozy bookstore “Now After Books”
A different kind of entertainment in Mangwon-dong by the Hangang River
I stare at the sunset as it turns the Hangang River red.
Within a 20-minute walk from the bookstore, you will find Mangwon Hangang Park, the place where the main characters of Mangwon-dong Brothers pondered about life. Mangwon Hangang Park is organized along the Hangang River, the main river in Korea, and is a hot spot for people wanting a break from the city. There are trails for biking and jogging, and you can sit on a mat and enjoy the view of the shimmering river. In particular, having a cold beer and delicious fried chicken while looking at the river is a must, which has been featured in several Korean TV shows. So, on a nice sunny day, grab your favorite book and head out to Mangwon River Park. Just like the main characters in Mangwon-dong Brothers, you might find yourself clearing your frustrated thoughts.
Mangwon Hangang River, a relaxing place in the heart of the city
There is a unique spot along the Mangwon Hangang River that sparks curiosity in visitors: the Seoul Battleship Park. Seoul Battleship Park features a museum of the Seoul Battleship, high-speed boats, and submarines that have protected Korea’s three oceans. The exhibition rooms preserve the original battleships so that you can experience the original work spaces, such as the captain’s office, radar room, and wheelhouse, and capture the beautiful sunset over the Hangang River from the deck. So, if you are a military enthusiast and want to have a unique experience with your children, this is a great place to visit during your trip to Mangwon-dong.
Seoul Battleship Park displaying real battleships
You can stand on the deck and look out over the Hangang River
The main characters of Mangwon-dong Brothers leave Mangwon-dong one by one to fulfill their own desires. They will continue to work hard for success, for their families, and for themselves, somewhere in this world. Looking at the beautiful Hangang River as the sun sets in the evening, I could feel their sad and nostalgic feelings as they left Mangwon-dong. I would like to end my trip to Mangwon-dong with a sentence from the book that well expresses this sad and nostalgic feeling, hoping that everyone who lives with their own unanswerable worries in their hearts will get a momentary rest at Mangwon-dong.
I already miss everything about Mangwon-dong,
Written by Choi Ha-Yeong
Choi Ha-Yeong #Mangwon-dong Brothers#Kim Ho-Yeon#Mangwon-dong#Seoul#Hangang River |
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