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Illustration: Film and TV drama locations in Gunsan — a vintage film camera on a tripod, a director's chair and a clapperboard on an old street with a red-brick building and a small wooden shop

GuidesFilm and drama locations

Film and TV drama locations in Gunsan: which works were shot where?

In Gunsan, Christmas in August was shot at places including Chowon Photo Studio and Dongguksa Temple.

The General's Son and Tazza: The High Rollers were shot at the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong (Hirotsu House). Man in Love was shot in Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village, and The Attorney in an abandoned building at Gunsan Inner Harbor. Several of these are linked by Gunsan Culture and Tourism's 'Gunsan in Film Course', which passes 9 places from Movie Street to Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village. The Honam Customs Museum, where 'The Man of White Porcelain: Becoming the Soil of Joseon' was filmed, is not a stop on the course. Neither is Lee Yeong-chun House, where 'Freezing Point,' 'Moraesigye,' 'Rustic Period' and others were filmed. Visit them separately.

The 10 places in this guideFull list

  1. Chowon Photo Studio

    Alleys and Culture · Sinchang-dong

    Hours
    09:00–21:00 (winter, November–February)
    Closed days
    Open all year

  2. Dongguksa Temple

    Alleys and Culture · Geumgwang-dong

    Hours
    Summer 08:00–19:00Winter 08:00–18:00
    Closed days
    Open all year

  3. Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village

    Alleys and Culture · Gyeongam-dong

    Hours
    Always open
    Closed days
    Open all year

  4. Honam Customs Museum

    Museums and exhibitions · Jangmi-dong

    Hours
    10:00–17:00
    Closed days
    Every Monday

  5. Lee Yeong-chun House

    Cultural heritage · Gaejeong-dong

    Hours
    10:00–17:00
    Closed days
    Closed every Monday

  6. Gunsan Movie Street

    Attraction · Sinchang-dong

    Hours
    10:00–17:00Chowon Photo Studio (09:00–21:30) more
    Closed days
    Chowon Photo Studio (every first and third Monday)

  7. Haemanggul Tunnel

    Cultural heritage · Haemang-dong

    Hours
    09:00–18:00
    Closed days
    Open all year

  8. Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office

    Cultural heritage

    Hours
    10:00–17:00 (lunch break 12:00–13:00)
    Closed days
    Every Monday

  9. Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, Gunsan (Hirotsu House)

    Alleys and Culture · Sinheung-dong

    Hours
    10:00–17:00Last entry 20 minutes before closing more
    Closed days
    Every Monday
  10. 1 moreSee the full list

Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3 (no changes allowed), KOGL Type 1

Locations by work: what was shot where

  • 'Christmas in August' (1998): Chowon Photo Studio, Dongguksa Temple, Gunsan Movie Street.
  • 'The General's Son': the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong (Hirotsu House), Gunsan Movie Street (the series).
  • 'Tazza: The High Rollers' (2006): the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, Gunsan Movie Street.
  • 'Fighter in the Wind,' 'Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time' and 'Gabi': the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong.
  • 'War of the Arrows' (2011): Gunsan Movie Street.
  • 'Once Upon a Time in High School' (2004): Dongguksa Temple.
  • 'Man in Love' (2014): Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village.
  • 'The Attorney': an abandoned building at Gunsan Inner Harbor.
  • 'The Man of White Porcelain: Becoming the Soil of Joseon' (2011): the Honam Customs Museum.
  • Movies and dramas such as 'Freezing Point,' 'Moraesigye' and 'Rustic Period': Lee Yeong-chun House.

Gunsan in Film Course: 9 places from Movie Street to Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village

  • Gunsan City Culture and Tourism's photo tour course is the 'Gunsan in the Movies course' (Gunsan film location zone). It runs in this order: Movie Street → Chowon Photo Studio → Haemanggul Tunnel → the Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office → the Floating Pier. It continues → the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong → Dongguksa Temple → Gunsan Gymnasium → Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village.
  • Six of these, Movie Street, Chowon Photo Studio, Haemanggul Tunnel, the Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office, the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong and Dongguksa Temple, are within 1 km of each other in a straight line. It is 170 m from Movie Street to Chowon Photo Studio, 250 m from Chowon Photo Studio to the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, and 400 m from the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong to Dongguksa Temple.
  • The last stop, Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village, is 2.6 km from Dongguksa Temple.
  • All are straight-line distances, so actual travel distances differ.

Today's Chowon Photo Studio is a building Gunsan City rebuilt after filming

  • Chowon Photo Studio in the movie was originally a garage.
  • The crew, looking for a real place instead of a set, got the owner's permission and made it into a photo studio.
  • When filming ended, they tore it down as promised to the owner.
  • The building standing today is a restoration by Gunsan City so that visitors can look around and take photos.
  • The name 'Chowon' was given by Han Seok-gyu, who played Jeong-won, and the scenes of Jeong-won's house and the elementary school were also filmed near the studio.
  • The Christmas scene was filmed in late November, so cotton and salt were spread around the studio in place of snow. It is free, and parking is not available.
  • Hours are 09:00–21:00 (winter, November–February) (Gunsan City Culture and Tourism).
  • If you plan to go late in the evening, call 063-445-6879 first.

Two houses used for several works: Hirotsu House and Lee Yeong-chun House

  • The Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong (Hirotsu House) is a 2-story wooden building built as the home of Hirotsu Keisaburo, the owner of a fabric shop.
  • A Japanese garden lies between the 2-story main house and the single-story guest wing, and it became Registered Cultural Heritage No. 183 in 2005.
  • The interior is not open, so you can see only the outside of the building and the garden, 10:00–17:00. It is closed on Mondays.
  • Lee Yeong-chun House is a single-story wooden building that Kumamoto, a large Japanese landowner, built as a villa around 1920.
  • The house is named after Dr. Lee Yeong-chun, director of Gaejeong Hospital, who lived here, and it is now used as the Dr. Lee Yeong-chun Exhibition Hall.
  • Western style (entrance and reception room), Japanese style (main bedroom) and Korean heated-floor rooms (caretaker's quarters) are mixed in one house. It opens 10:00–17:00 and is closed on Mondays. It is in Gaejeong-dong, 5.0 km from Chowon Photo Studio and 2.4 km from Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village in a straight line (actual travel distance differs).

Four places close on Mondays, and five stops in the middle of the course have no parking

  • The Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, Lee Yeong-chun House, the Honam Customs Museum and the Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office close every Monday.
  • Dongguksa Temple (08:00–19:00 in summer, 08:00–18:00 in winter) and Haemanggul Tunnel are open all year, and Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village is always open.
  • Chowon Photo Studio is open all year (Gunsan Culture and Tourism).
  • Among course stops with parking information, only the starting point, Gunsan Movie Street, and the end point, Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village (free), have parking.
  • You cannot park at Chowon Photo Studio, Haemanggul Tunnel, the Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office, the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong or Dongguksa Temple.
  • Off the course, Lee Yeong-chun House has free parking, and the Honam Customs Museum also has parking.
  • All eight places with known fees are free: Chowon Photo Studio, the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, Dongguksa Temple, Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village, Gunsan Movie Street, the Honam Customs Museum, Haemanggul Tunnel and the Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office.

The 10 places in this guide

  1. 1

    Gunsan Movie StreetAttraction · Sinchang-dong

    It is the street in Sinchang-dong where 'Tazza: The High Rollers' (2006), 'The General's Son' series, 'Christmas in August' (1998), 'War of the Arrows' (2011) and others were filmed, and the starting point of the Gunsan in the Movies course. It is free and you can park. For a tour with a guide, contact the Tourism Promotion Division of Gunsan City Hall.

    Hours
    10:00–17:00Chowon Photo Studio (09:00–21:30) more
    Closed days
    Chowon Photo Studio (every first and third Monday)
    Fee
    Free
    Gunsan Movie Street photo 1
  2. 2

    Chowon Photo StudioAlleys and Culture · Sinchang-dong

    It is the photo studio of 'Christmas in August,' released in January 1998, and the second stop of the Gunsan in the Movies course. Gunsan City restored the building, which was torn down after filming. It is free, and parking is not available.

    Hours
    09:00–21:00 (winter, November–February)
    Closed days
    Open all year
    Fee
    Free
    Chowon Photo Studio photo 1
  3. 3

    Haemanggul TunnelCultural heritage · Haemang-dong

    This pedestrian-only tunnel is the stop after Chowon Photo Studio on the Gunsan in Film Course. It was completed in 1926 during the 3rd harbor construction project at Gunsan Port. It is 131 m long and 4.5 m high, open all year and free.

    Hours
    09:00–18:00
    Closed days
    Open all year
    Fee
    Free
    Haemanggul Tunnel photo 1
  4. 4

    Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch OfficeCultural heritage

    It is an L-shaped, 2-story reinforced-concrete building and the fourth stop of the Gunsan in the Movies course. It became a National Registered Heritage in 2014. It is now a cultural space with VR, media art and exhibitions. It opens free 10:00–17:00 (lunch break 12:00–13:00) and is closed on Mondays.

    Hours
    10:00–17:00 (lunch break 12:00–13:00)
    Closed days
    Every Monday
    Fee
    Free
    Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office photo 1
  5. 5

    Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, Gunsan (Hirotsu House)Alleys and Culture · Sinheung-dong

    It is a Japanese-style wooden house where 'The General's Son,' 'Tazza: The High Rollers,' 'Fighter in the Wind,' 'Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time' and 'Gabi' were filmed, and a stop on the Gunsan in the Movies course. The interior is not open, so you can see only the outside and the garden, 10:00–17:00. It is closed on Mondays.

    Hours
    10:00–17:00Last entry 20 minutes before closing more
    Closed days
    Every Monday
    Fee
    Free
    Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, Gunsan (Hirotsu House) photo 1
  6. 6

    Dongguksa TempleAlleys and Culture · Geumgwang-dong

    Christmas in August (1998) and Once Upon a Time in High School (2004) were shot at this temple. It is Registered Cultural Heritage No. 64, and its main hall (Daeungjeon) is in the Edo period architectural style. It is open all year (08:00–19:00 in summer, 08:00–18:00 in winter) and free, but there is no parking.

    Hours
    Summer 08:00–19:00Winter 08:00–18:00
    Closed days
    Open all year
    Fee
    Free
    Dongguksa Temple photo 1
  7. 7

    Gyeongam-dong Railroad VillageAlleys and Culture · Gyeongam-dong

    It is where the scene in 'Man in Love' (released in 2014) of Ham Tae-il (Hwang Jeong-min) and Ho-jeong (Han Hye-jin) walking along the tracks eating ice cream was filmed. It is the last stop of the Gunsan in the Movies course. It is always open and free, parking is free, and there is a school uniform dress-up experience.

    Hours
    Always open
    Closed days
    Open all year
    Fee
    Free
    Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village photo 1
  8. 8

    Honam Customs MuseumMuseums and exhibitions · Jangmi-dong

    It is the Honam Customs Museum main building, where 'The Man of White Porcelain: Becoming the Soil of Joseon' (2011) was filmed. It is a single-story Western-style building built in June 1908. It is free, you can park, and it is closed on Mondays.

    Hours
    10:00–17:00
    Closed days
    Every Monday
    Fee
    Free
    Honam Customs Museum photo 1
  9. 9

    In 'The Attorney,' the scene where the son of a rice soup restaurant owner, played by Im Si-wan, is taken away and tortured was filmed in an abandoned building at the inner harbor. The port opened in 1899, and the inner harbor area is now laid out as Jinpo Marine Theme Park.

  10. 10

    Lee Yeong-chun HouseCultural heritage · Gaejeong-dong

    Movies and dramas such as 'Freezing Point,' 'Moraesigye' and 'Rustic Period' were filmed here. The villa built around 1920 now houses the Dr. Lee Yeong-chun Exhibition Hall. It is not on the Gunsan in the Movies course, but it opens 10:00–17:00, is closed on Mondays and has free parking.

    Hours
    10:00–17:00
    Closed days
    Closed every Monday
    Fee
    Not listed
    Lee Yeong-chun House photo 1

Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1, KOGL Type 3 (no changes allowed)

FAQ

Where was the film Christmas in August shot in Gunsan?

It was shot at Chowon Photo Studio, Dongguksa Temple and Gunsan Movie Street in Sinchang-dong. Chowon Photo Studio was a garage converted for filming and then torn down. Gunsan City restored it, and you can see it for free. The two farthest apart, Chowon Photo Studio and Dongguksa Temple, are only 540 m apart in a straight line (actual travel distance differs). source 1

Is there a course that links Gunsan film locations in order?

Yes. Gunsan City Culture and Tourism has the 'Gunsan in the Movies course.' It links 9 places in order: Movie Street → Chowon Photo Studio → Haemanggul Tunnel → the Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office → the Floating Pier. It continues → the Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong → Dongguksa Temple → Gunsan Gymnasium → Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village. source 2

Are there TV drama locations in Gunsan?

Yes. Movies and dramas such as 'Freezing Point,' 'Moraesigye' and 'Rustic Period' were filmed at Lee Yeong-chun House in Gaejeong-dong. It is now the Dr. Lee Yeong-chun Exhibition Hall, open 10:00–17:00 and closed on Mondays. Yes, and parking is free. source 3

Can I see any Gunsan film locations on a Monday?

Dongguksa Temple (08:00–19:00 in summer, 08:00–18:00 in winter) and Haemanggul Tunnel are open all year. Gyeongam-dong Railroad Village is always open, so you can visit it on Mondays too. The Japanese-style House in Sinheung-dong, Lee Yeong-chun House, the Honam Customs Museum and the Former Joseon Food Corporation Gunsan Branch Office close on Mondays. Chowon Photo Studio is also open all year, so you can visit it on Mondays (Gunsan Culture and Tourism). source 3

1Gunsan City Culture and Tourism2Gunsan City Culture and Tourism3Korea Tourism Organization (VisitKorea)

Sources

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