Asamgong

Located in Sawol-ri, Namsan-myeon, a place known for its beautiful sandy beach, the guesthouse ‘Beautiful Life’ was built by architect Kim Gyeong-ho, and is composed of 100-year-old-hanok buildings and a courtyard with a large sophora. Designed to provide guests with a “beautiful life”, it provides both accommodation services and diverse cultural programs including exhibitions, performances, and movie screenings. Beautiful Life was conceived as a cultural tourism space set amid quiet countryside where guests can relax by enjoying exhibitions and performances, reading a book, listening to music, or getting lost in thought amid the serene atmosphere of the house. The owner transformed the abandoned house into a beautiful hanok stay after falling under the charm of the quiet location and the old house with its beautiful old tree and well. The guestrooms include Jewoldang, Yeorakdang, Uiyeoldang, and Heosimjeong. The first of these is a 100-year-old hanok structure with a tiled roof, which can be rented in its entirety. Its name, Jewoldang, roughly means “a place to pick up the moon” because the moon is visible above the sephora in the courtyard from the daecheong (wooden floor) on bright moonlit nights. Its ‘ㅡ’-shaped structure and ceiling rafters are original features of the old hanok, while the kitchen and bathroom were entirely renovated, as was the attic on the second floor, lending a special atmosphere to the house. As for the Yeorakdang, which means ‘a house to enjoy together,’ it was converted from a storeroom for apples into a building that can accommodate groups of guests and also screen movies. The Uiyeoldang, meaning ‘a house to discuss and study together,’ was built by transforming the haengrangchae (servants’ quarters) and the stable into a reading space and a seminar room, respectively. Finally, the Heosimjeong, meaning ‘a pavilion where one can empty one’s mind’, is the ideal place for relaxing in small groups. Each of these four buildings is built in a modern style with wooden materials, glass windows, and staircases. There is also an outdoor stage equipped with a sound system for special performances.