Things To Do in Cheongju
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Cheongju Attractions
- Historic Site
Cheongnamdae
This former presidential villa is located in a hidden area surrounded by mountains near Daecheong Dam. Closed to the public for over 20 years, it was opened to visitors by former president Roh in 2003. It's a peaceful place to take a walk along the expansive trails, look for wild… - Landmark
Sangdang Sanseong (Mountain Fortress)
A large-scale stone fortress on the slopes of Uamsan, there is no record of when it was actually built (although there are some mentions of it in writings from the Three Kingdoms period). The present structure is the one rebuilt by King Sukjong in 1716, after its restoration in 1596… - Religious Site
Yonghwasa (Yonghwa Temple)
In 1901, seven stone Buddhas, each representing the Buddha of the Future, were found in a swamp northwest of Cheongju. Legend has it that seven Buddhas appeared to King Gojong's consort in a dream, asking her to build them a house; she sent workers to find and remove them from the…
Cheongju Shopping
Cheongju has a pedestrian shopping street (Seong-an-gil) in the shinae (downtown) area, as well as the covered shijang (market) which draws crowds all week long. There are clothing shops, restaurants, and cafes. It's a great place to shop, browse, or just people-watch.
The large department store/supermarket in town is the Carrefour in Seomun-dong, Sangdang-gu. The Cheongju Department Store, 1-2 Nammun-no, 2-ga, Sangdang-gu, is also a popular large store with several floors of clothes and household items.
If you're looking for a shopping megaplex, head over to Dream Plus, 1416-3 Gagyung-dong, Heungeok-gu, located next door to the Lotte mart, near the bus terminal. It has many levels of boutiques and tiny shops, and a 24-hour spa and sauna, the Spa-ville, on the third floor. The food court on the sixth floor is a good place to get tasty, cheap meals, and you can head up to the eighth floor if you want to catch the latest Hollywood flick.
Cheongju Nightlife
There are plenty of places to have a drink in the city and several foreigner-friendly bars. As in other South Korea's cities, most of the action happens in the area near the universities. One of the most popular bars in the Chungdae jungmun (Chungbuk University's main gate) area is Pearl Jam, located on the second floor on Gungmuli-gil. The owner's English isn't great, but most of the staff speak it pretty well. The bar has all-you-can-drink specials on Friday and Saturday nights (which is cheaper for women than for men). Open from around 6pm to the wee hours, they often have live music on weekends. The Attic, located on the third floor, has a small dance floor and a pool table and has more of an intimate club feeling.
