Ju An Jang, 

Yonsei GSIS Newsletter, Junior Editor

Seoul, Busan, and Jeju enjoy their reputations for good reason. Yet beyond these familiar destinations lies Andong, a city that offers international students a deeper understanding of Korea’s cultural foundations. Often described as the “spiritual capital of Korea” and “the most Korean city in Korea,” Andong has preserved many of the traditions, institutions, and landscapes that helped shape Korean society.

Located in Gyeongsangbuk-do, a province in the southeastern interior of the peninsula, Andong has remained relatively untouched by the rapid urban development that transformed many other parts of the country. That distance from Korea’s largest metropolitan centers has allowed the region to maintain much of its historical character.

The city’s most famous attraction is Hahoe Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded by the Ryu clan more than 600 years ago. Situated on a bend of the Nakdong River, Hahoe remains a living village rather than a reconstructed tourist attraction. Residents still live in traditional tile- and thatch-roofed houses, giving visitors a rare glimpse of a community where history remains part of daily life.

Hahoe gained international recognition in 1999 when Queen Elizabeth II visited during her state trip to Korea. According to local accounts, she had asked to see “the most Korean place” in the country. During her visit, she watched the Hahoe Byeolsingut mask dance and toured Chunghyodang, the ancestral home of the Ryu family. President George H. W. Bush later visited in 2005. The famous Hahoe mask, designated Korea’s National Treasure No. 121, remains one of the country’s most recognizable cultural symbols.

A short distance away stands Byeongsan Seowon, a Confucian academy established in 1572 by the scholar-statesman Ryu Seong-yong. Widely regarded as one of Korea’s finest examples of Confucian architecture, it overlooks the Nakdong River and surrounding mountains. Nearby Dosan Seowon honors Toegye Yi Hwang, one of the most influential Confucian philosophers of the Joseon Dynasty and the figure depicted on Korea’s 1,000-won note. In 2019, both academies were included in a UNESCO World Heritage designation recognizing Korea’s historic Neo-Confucian academies.

These sites are significant not simply because they are old, but because they represent ideas that shaped Korean society for centuries. Confucianism served as the state ideology of the Joseon Dynasty and influenced social customs that remain visible today, from respect for elders and family hierarchy to forms of address and social etiquette. Andong is widely regarded as one of the places where this tradition developed most clearly, helping explain its reputation as Korea’s cultural and spiritual heart.