Ojukheon in Gangneung: an old house and the stories of Saimdang and Yulgok
Explore Ojukheon’s historic house from outside, then follow the stories of Shin Saimdang and Yulgok through the memorial hall and later commemorative buildings within the same grounds.
Ojukheon in Gangneung: an old house and the stories of Saimdang and Yulgok
The exterior of the historic Ojukheon house.
For a visit to Gangneung that centres on an old house rather than the sea, consider Ojukheon. You can look at the exterior of a small historic residence, then follow the stories of Shin Saimdang and her son, Yi I, better known as Yulgok, into the exhibitions. Make the house your main stop, or add the Yulgok Memorial Hall within the same grounds if you want to learn more.
A view across the Ojukheon grounds from inside a gateway.
The name Ojukheon and Municipal Museum covers more than a single house. The grounds contain the historic residence, a shrine and several exhibition spaces. Finding “Ojukheon” and “Yulgok Memorial Hall” on the visitor plan helps you connect the building with the people and works introduced in the galleries. This visit stays within that one complex.
Look for the name Mongnyongsil at the house
The museum describes Ojukheon as a separate residential building, or byeoldang, from the early Joseon period. In the cover photograph, the central plaque names Ojukheon and the plaque on the right names Mongnyongsil. The official account identifies Mongnyongsil as the room where Yulgok Yi I was born. Look first at the scale of the house, its roof and door openings, then find that name: a biographical detail becomes attached to a particular place.
The name Ojukheon also has a story about black bamboo. According to the museum, Gwon Cheo-gyun inherited the house from his maternal grandmother and chose Ojukheon as his pen name after the black bamboo growing around it. The pen name later became the house’s name. You do not need a lesson in building terminology to start appreciating that connection.
Plan to examine the historic building from outside. Do not assume you can enter Mongnyongsil just because the room appears in the museum’s description. Follow the barriers and instructions on site, and ask about access before going inside even if a doorway is open.
Meet Saimdang beyond her role as Yulgok’s mother
The complex’s chronology records Saimdang’s birth in 1504 and Yi I’s in 1536. The museum’s historical account explains that Saimdang often stayed at her family home after marriage and that Yi I was born here. Thinking of a house used by a family makes the connection easier to follow than treating the two names as separate facts to memorise.
Add the Yulgok Memorial Hall if you are interested in paintings and writing. The operator introduces works by Saimdang and Yi I, as well as Yi Mae-chang, Yi U and Hwang Gi-ro, and material connected with Yi U’s descendants. Saimdang’s painting and calligraphy and Yi I’s writings provide a way into the art and scholarship of the family and its wider circle.
Read the object labels for the title, maker and nature of each item. Recognising a work from a photograph does not mean its original is on display that day. If one particular work is the reason for your visit, ask the hall whether it is currently shown and whether the display is an original or a reproduction.
Munseongsa and Eojegak tell the later story
As you explore, look at the names on buildings with painted eaves and red columns. Munseongsa is a shrine built in 1975 during the improvement of the Ojukheon grounds to enshrine Yi I’s portrait. The residence associated with his birth and a later place commemorating him stand within the same complex.
The exterior of Munseongsa, a shrine commemorating Yulgok Yi I.
The official chronology records that Eojegak was built in 1788 to house Yi I’s handwritten Gyeokmong yogyeol and an inkstone he used in childhood. The museum also explains that it was moved north of the sarangchae when Munseongsa was built. After seeing the house, these two buildings extend the story into how the place and its former occupants were remembered and preserved.
The exterior of Eojegak.
Eojegak’s original purpose is not a promise that particular objects can be seen inside it today. The photograph also shows a barrier at the entrance. Look at the building from outside, then follow your interest in the objects through the memorial hall’s current exhibition information.
Leave time for the part that interests you
On a short visit, concentrate on the Ojukheon exterior and the name Mongnyongsil. If the people’s stories draw you in, allow time to read the displays in the Yulgok Memorial Hall. There is no need to turn the visit into a requirement to see every facility in the grounds.
Indoor holiday closures matter especially if you are choosing the museum for a rainy day. The visitor page lists year-round opening, but on January 1, Seollal day and Chuseok day only Ojukheon opens; the indoor exhibition rooms close. An open complex on those dates does not mean an indoor museum visit is available.
Address, last entry and recent notices
• Address: 24 Yulgok-ro 3139beon-gil, Gangneung, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. The Korean address is 강원특별자치도 강릉시 율곡로 3139번길 24.
• Entry hours: 09:00–17:00. Entry is not permitted after 17:00.
• Viewing hours: 09:00–18:00.
• Standard individual admission to Ojukheon and Municipal Museum: adults ₩3,000; teenagers and military personnel ₩2,000; children ₩1,000.
• Visitor-information telephone: 033-660-3304.
18:00 is the end of viewing, not the last-entry time. If you will arrive late, work from the 17:00 entry deadline and leave enough time for the house or exhibitions you most want to see. The official visitor page sets out the documentation required for discounts and free admission.
The notices checked on October 10, 2026 still include work on the Yulgok Memorial Hall toilets. The announced restriction was planned for September 28–October 2, with visitors directed to toilets near the Currency Exhibition Hall, Municipal Museum and Yulgok Children’s Museum during the work. The planned end date has passed, but reopening has not been independently confirmed. If using those particular toilets matters to your visit, contact the museum before setting out.
The Yulgok Children’s Museum’s August 27–September 1 temporary closure is also a past schedule. This article does not build children’s activities, October performances or guided programmes into an ordinary admission visit. For a specific programme, read the notice for the session you want. Ask the museum in advance about available access if you need a step-free route or interpretation in another language.
Photo credits
• Cover: Ojukheon: DogilRobot · Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · original unchanged.
• Courtyard: Mobius6 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original unchanged.
• Munseongsa: Christophe95 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia-provided 960px preview; no further changes.
• Eojegak: Christophe95 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia-provided 960px preview; no further changes.
Official visitor information and background
• Visitor hours, fees and holiday closures
• Yulgok Memorial Hall exhibitions
• Yulgok Memorial Hall toilet-work notice