VOL.81/2025.04

 

[A Trip to Literary Museums ⑩]

Two Masters of Modern Literature Who Spent Their Entire Lives Completely Immersed in Their Works

Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do: Kim Hongshin House and
Ganggyeong Mountain Salt Literary House

 

2025.02.17

 

Any city has a history that builds up over time, like the rings of an old tree. Cities grow and transform like organisms, and along the way, they develop many stories. Those stories, in turn, are the source of an area’s image, energy, and sentiment. Nonsan-si, located in the hinterland of Chungcheongnam-do, is home to many cultural heritage sites, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Donam Seowon, Jonghagdang, and Myeongjae Historic House. There are also many other attractions, such as the beautiful Ganggyeong Port, which still retains traces of its prosperity through the years of modernization, and Tapjeong Reservoir and Suspension Bridge, where you can experience the feeling of walking on a lake. These places would have been a strong source of memories and sentiment for those who spent much of their lives here. As a result, Nonsan has produced two masters of modern Korean literature, Kim Hong-Shin and Park Bum-Shin. It has established its status as a literary city by building a literary house where visitors can delve into and appreciate their literary world.

 

 

A house built with the wishes of Korea’s first million-selling author Kim Hong-Shin: Kim Hongshin House

 

Nonsan is full of quiet and secluded vibes. This makes travelers feel more relaxed and peaceful as they embark on their journey. Although Kim Hongshin House is also located in the city center of Nonsan, it is set in a quiet residential complex, making it a great place to satisfy your literary senses. The charm of the house is that there is no fence, meaning that anyone can enter the literary museum with ease and intimacy. Kim Hongshin House, which opened in 2019, is the epicenter of Kim Hong-Shin’s works, who became the first Korean author to become a million-seller with his novel Human Market (Hainaim Publishing). Though the museum is not large in size, it features an archive of Kim Hong-Shin’s works to help visitors better understand his literature, as well as various exhibits, videos, and the author’s notebooks that provide a detailed look into and understanding of his representative works, Human Market and Kim Hong-Shin’s Great Balhae (Arisaem).
In particular, the author’s works displayed in the book gallery on the first floor are enormous in quantity and magnificent in design, fully demonstrating the stature of Kim Hong-Shin’s literature. The author’s books, which fill an entire wall of the high-rise building, are a testament to the life that Kim Hong-Shin has lived, and they provide visitors with the same emotional impact as reading his novels. If you want to deepen your understanding of the novel, Human Market, you can also sit back and watch related videos and immerse yourself in the author’s interviews. There is also an area in the exhibit that recreates the author’s writing room, equipped with manuscript papers, fountain pens, and copies of his handwritten manuscripts. You can even feel like you are in the presence of the author, with a few props placed on his small desk.

 

 

When you finish browsing the exhibition area and head upstairs to the second floor, you will find a collection of manuscript papers where visitors can leave their impressions or write messages to the author, thereby creating a connection between the author and readers. Another not-to-be-missed space in the House is the anvil exhibition, set in the center of the building’s courtyard. An anvil is used in a blacksmith’s shop as a support for hammering hot metal with a hammer, and Kim Hong-Shin is said to have written his works with this “anvil spirit” in mind. Looking at the pair of anvils on display, you can imagine what Kim Hong-Shin’s life as a writer has been like in the nearly 50 years since he began in 1976; the emotional impact of this small space cannot be overstated.

 

 

Since Kim Hongshin House is a living writer’s literary museum, there is an impressive space that you won’t find anywhere else: the author’s actual writing room next to the House. The writing career of Kim Hong-Shin, who has published more than 130 titles, including Human Market, a landmark in Korean contemporary literature, How to Live Your Life (Hainaim Publishing), One Everlasting Love (Hainaim Publishing), and his latest work, Mourning for the Time Gone (Hainaim Publishing), is still ongoing here. Kim Hong-Shin is a prolific writer of a wide range of genres, from novels to essays to children’s books. Kim once said, “I will write with my fountain pen until my last breath.” This is why you can still feel his creative spirit burning brightly in his writing room, standing alongside the House.

 

A cinematic encounter with enchanting moments in novels and landscapes: Ganggyeong Mountain Salt Literary House and Ognyeobong

 

 

There is no such thing as wasted time. Time only changes depending on how we remember and record it. Since nothing stays the same, even a place that once flourished is bound to decline through the weathering of time. However, as long as it remains in memory, it will forever exist in the present. A place that reminds us of this truth is Ganggyeong-eup, Nonsan. Now a small port known for its jeotgal (salted seafood), Ganggyeong was once a thriving place during the Japanese occupation when modernization was rapidly occurring. Its proximity to the Geum River provided fertile land that produced a wide variety of goods, and the ease of transportation by boat on the river made it a perfect location for development.
Marking a new cultural renaissance in Ganggyeong, once remembered as a small port, the Ganggyeong Mountain Salt Literary House opened its doors in 2021. Overlooking the Geum River, which embraces Ognyeobong, the inspiration for Park Bum-Shin’s novel Salt (Hankyoreh Publishing Company), the House was established with the goal of becoming a “roofless museum, a warm cultural space that nurtures people.” It exhibits Ganggyeong’s history and culture alongside a space that deeply delves into Park Bum-Shin’s literary works, and has become a representative landmark of Ganggyeong. In particular, Park Bum-Shin’s 40th full-length novel, Salt, released on the 40th anniversary of his debut, is not only set in Ganggyeong, but also bears a special connection between the author and Ganggyeong. Salt is a work written by author Park Beom-shin after returning to his hometown, Nonsan, and it is set once again in the Ganggyeong area, following his novel Dirty Desk (Munhakdongne), which won the Manhae Literary Prize.

 

 

So, if you want to immerse yourself in the literary world of Park Bum-Shin, a writer who had a deep affection for his hometown, visit Ganggyeong Mountain Salt Literary House. Since its establishment, it has become a hub for local art, hosting a wide range of activities demonstrating just how influential a writer can be. Since it is not only a literary house, but also a multi-functional cultural complex, the space is composed of a gallery, multipurpose hall, workshop, and open library. Visitors can also get a deeper understanding of Park Bum-Shin’s literature by taking a look at his works, exhibits, and various excerpts from his novels.
Once you have finished exploring the Literary House, you might want to take the walkway behind it to Ognyeobong. This path was often walked by writer Park Bum-Shin, and it’s a unique experience to walk in his footsteps. Ognyeobong is also famous for its sunset views, and the summit offers a panoramic view of the lazily flowing Geum River. You can also look down on the salt house, which was the setting for the novel Salt, and feel like you have stepped into a scene from the novel. If you sit in front of the salt house where the main character of Salt - which depicts the violence of capital - lived, and look at the Geum River, which Park Bum-Shin described as a “motherly river,” you will definitely feel the same emotions as from the novel. Slowly take in the scenery of his hometown, which the author once confessed was “my literary womb,” and indirectly experience the sensitivity and inspiration he must have felt. In the landscapes of Ganggyeong, blended with the Literary House, you will be able to spend a special time getting closer to his literary world.

 

 

A thousand-year-old temple where you can encounter the compassionate smile of Maitreya Bodhisattva: Gwanchoksa Temple

 

Not too far from Kim Hongshin House is Gwanchoksa Temple, a temple built during the Goryeo Dynasty with a thousand-year history. Close to the city center of Nonsan, this much-visited temple has long served as a spiritual center for the people of the region. It may not be large, but it is home to a must-see national treasure: the Stone Statue of Mireuk Buddha of Gwanchoksa Temple, which stands tall in the center. This statue exudes a sense of peace with its large face and benevolent smile, rather than delicate carvings. The Stone Statue of Mireuk Buddha, depicting Buddha in a friendly, approachable mood, makes viewers feel comfortable enough to lay down their burdens and offer prayers. There’s hardly a better place to take a moment to lean on the Buddha’s benevolence and relieve your worries.
If you climb up to Samsunggak, the highest point within Gwanchoksa Temple, you will have a panoramic view of the city of Nonsan. The moment you confront the national treasure, the Stone Statue of Mireuk Buddha, smiling softly at you from the temple’s vantage point, is an extra special highlight of your trip to Nonsan. Not only that, but Gwanchoksa Temple is also filled with precious heritage items that exemplify the essence of Buddhism, such as the stone lanterns, which are designated as treasures for their simplicity and balance, the baeryeseok (a stone carved with a beautiful lotus flower pattern for incense lighting), and the stone gate, which is said to bring enlightenment just by passing through. Taking a leisurely stroll through the grounds while reflecting on the values of this glorious culture can be an extraordinary way to deepen the impact of your trip, even if you are not a Buddhist.

 

 

The fact that Nonsan has produced Kim Hong-Shin and Park Bum-Shin, two of the most beloved and best-selling authors in Korean contemporary literature, is enough to indicate its high cultural level. In addition, the two writers continue to show the true spirit of literary masters by establishing a literary home with their love for their hometown. Their unstoppable will to write is leading to the revival of the small town, fostering cultural energy in quiet and serene Nonsan. Nonsan is an example of how literature not only exists as a work, but also creates various social and cultural values as its centerpiece.

 

 

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Written by Kim Young-Ihm