VOL.78/2025.01

 

[A Trip to Literary Museums ⑨]

Leading the Renaissance of Modern Korean Literature
Through Various Activities

Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do: Nojak Literature House

 

2025.01.06

 

The transformation of a city is sometimes more surprising and wondrous than sangjeonbyeokhae (桑田碧海), which is translated as “a field of mulberry trees transforms into a blue sea.” Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, is a large area straddling both the inland and the sea, and was once a small village connected to Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. It was then transformed by the development of a large industrial complex and a new town. Stepping away from the dense factories and apartment complexes, Hwaseong is a city where you can feel the atmosphere of the sea with beautiful sunsets, as well as a city with a long history of cultural heritage. Among its many treasures is the Nojak Hong Sa-Yong Literature House, which breathes the spirit of culture and art into the city, elevating its character. We visited the Nojak Hong Sa-Yong Literature House, a space that offers the fragrance of profound literature and a sense of respite amidst the fast-paced lives of city dwellers.

 

 

Nojak Literature House: a place that embodies the artistic soul of a writer who pioneered romanticism and new drama

 

Dongtan New Town, located in Hwaseong-si, is a typical planned city with densely packed apartment complexes. In such a hectic environment, where the bustling pace of modern life can sometimes feel overwhelming, it is a refreshing break to find a place where you can take a breath, reflect, and recharge your cultural energy. Standing at the entrance of the Banseoksan Trail, which serves as the lungs of Dongtan, is Nojak Literature House, where you can feel the fresh air from the forest and the traces of various literary works. Opened in 2010, it is a place that explores and inherits the literary achievements of writer Hong Sa-Yong, who led the romanticism in the history of modern Korean literature and was an active performer of new drama, and a place where you can take a break while enjoying his literary spirit.
Nojak Hong Sa-Yong is a poet and stage performer who founded the Baekjo (백조; 白潮; white tide), a pure literary magazine, and wrote the poem Flowing White Tide, Stars, and Me (백조는 흐르는데 별 하나 나 하나) in its inaugural issue, as well as the poem Spring Has Gone and the prose poem I Am King, among others. Above all, Hong Sa-Yong’s contribution to the history of modern literature can be gauged by the fact that Baekjo, where he published many works, was a representative literary magazine that featured a wide range of works by prominent writers in the history of modern Korean literature, including Park Jong-Hwa, Hyun Jin-Geon, and Na Do-Hyang.
Hong was also passionate about theatrical arts. He joined a representative play group, Towolhoe, where he served as the head of the literary division and wrote dramas and plays. His works include Beongeorigut and Kimokgyunjeon, among many others - all of which were aimed at uplifting ethnic ideals. Hong Sa-Yong, who showcased his literary talents in a variety of genres, including poetry, plays, essays, and novels, dreamed of romanticism. However, he died at the age of 47, suffering from the distress as an intellectual, feeling lost amidst the pain of the times.
Although he published many works during his lifetime, he never got to publish a collection of his own works before his death; in 1976, his family published I Am King, a collection of poems and prose. This laid the foundation for Hong Sa-Yong’s literary studies and the opening of the literature house, which led to the opening of Nojak Literature House in 2010.

 

 

The literature house situated at the foot of Banseoksan Mountain, where the writer’s mausoleum is located, is not large in scale, but it fulfills the role of a “cultural center.” Consisting of the first and second floors, the house features the Sanyoohwa Theater, where various performances and lectures are held, an exhibition room that provides an in-depth look into the writer’s works, and a library that serves as an archive and book cafe - all reflecting his career as a stage performer. So, it is not just a simple literature house, but a place for many people to enjoy various cultural and artistic activities, including literature, with Hong Sa-Yong at the center of it.
The permanent exhibition hall, which provides an in-depth look at the writer’s life and works, features a chronological display of his works, related cultural heritage, as well as various books published during his time, enabling visitors to learn more about Hong Sa-Yong. The featured exhibition room is used as an exhibition space for local culture, allowing Nojak Literature House to become a cultural hub for Hwaseong-si. Also, the Nojak Park built around the literature house invites visitors to take a leisurely stroll and read his works outdoors, as well as take a light trek to the mausoleum to reflect on the writer. Since 2012, the Nojak Literature Festival has been held to commemorate the life and literary spirit of Hong Sa-Yong, and since 2018, a week in October has been designated as “Nojak Literature Week” where various programs are held.

 

 

Hong Sa-Yong, a writer who lived through a painful and heartbreaking time during the Japanese occupation of Korea, but kept his national spirit alive and never lost his romanticism. His literary world has become a legacy of modern culture and a stronghold for people to come together to honor his literary spirit and be immersed in culture and art together. His great literary works are truly a legacy to our time.

 

Yunggeolleung: a king’s eternal abode, filled with affectionate yearning for his father

 

If you look through the history of Joseon Dynasty, you will find a number of unfortunate figures in it. One of the most commonly mentioned is Crown Prince Sado, who was imprisoned and left to die in a rice chest by his father, Yeongjo. Crown Prince Sado’s son Jeongjo, who had to watch his father’s death in sadness, ascended the throne and set out to restore his father’s honor. Out of filial piety, Jeongjo built his father’s mausoleum in the city of Hwaseong, and later buried himself next to his father upon his death. The two royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, shaped exactly like twin tombs, were finally completed - the Yunggeolleung.
Yunggeolleung is a tomb listed as part of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is set amidst a dense pine forest. This makes the path to Yunggeolleung almost like a stroll through an arboretum. What is particularly impressive about Yunggeolleung is that the tomb of Crown Prince Sado does not have a stone railing. The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty were usually built with both a curbstone (a type of stone structure that prevents the soil forming the tumulus from sliding down) and a stone railing (a rail-like stone structure that is used as a decoration for the tomb), but it is said that Jeongjo did not add the stone railing out of respect for his father, who would have felt stifled as he was dying in a confined space. This shows how deep his filial piety must have been when building the tomb.

 

 

Located at the entrance to Yunggeolleung is the Yungneung and Geolleung History & Culture Center, which provides cultural interpretation services for visitors to deepen their understanding of the Joseon culture and Yunggeolleung. Walking through the royal forest, the eternal resting ground of a king with a long history of royalty, and feeling the filial piety of a king who may have been the king of a nation but was only a son to his father, is a very special historical experience that you can enjoy in Hwaseong.

 

Jebudo Island: a mystical island where you can see the Korean version of Moses’ miracles

 

Hwaseong-si faces the Yellow Sea, and at its western end lies the mysterious Jebudo Island. It is a mysterious island where you can experience the so-called “Moses’ crossing of the Red Sea,” where the sea splits twice a day. The sea parts twice a day as the water recedes at low tide, giving way to a path. Thanks to the opening of the Jebu Marine Cable Car “Seohaerang” in 2021, it is now easy to reach Jebudo Island through the air across the sea. It takes just over an hour on foot to walk around the island, which is small enough to get up close and appreciate the colorful scenery of the Yellow Sea.
If you stroll along the path named “Jebiggorigil (Jebudo Coastal Trail),” you will see many sculptures that symbolize Jebudo Island, as well as the vast expanse of the Yellow Sea and the mudflats, which are known for their excellent ecological preservation. The red lighthouse on Jebudo Island is a photogenic landmark that had once been used as a guide for fishing boats. In addition, the beach with Maebawi Rock is known for its stunning sunsets, and the golden glow of the sunset setting over the rocks is particularly impressive. During the day, you can also experience mudflats and go fishing to try your hand at catching Jebudo Island’s specialty, manila clams. With such a variety of experiences, colorful natural wonders, and stunning landscapes and sculptures, Jebudo is an island of various charms. If you are traveling to Hwaseong-si, you should not miss Jebudo Island, which will take you on a mysterious and exciting journey as if you were exploring the planet Mars (“Hwaseong” in Korean).

 

 

Just like writer Nojak Hong Sa-Yong, whose literary talents span a wide range of genres, traveling to Hwaseong, a place that holds so many fascinating charms, is a unique experience akin to finding hidden treasures. The resonance of literature leads to a journey through history, and then to a mysterious island filled with traces of time. Hong Sa-Yong’s efforts to lead the literary renaissance through his literary magazine, as well as his works, continue to serve as a lever for the power of Korean literature across generations. The trip to Hwaseong that brings together the precious legacy of Hong Sa-Yong, the equally precious history of Korea and its nature, will present you with memories to ruminate on for many years to come.

 

 

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Written by Kim Young-Ihm