Ancient Korean Homes, House of Jeong On's Descendents

This is Geochang county, home to the gracious Deokyusan, or Deokyu Mountain and the House of Minister Jeong On's Descendants.

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Bordering the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces,

Deokyu mountain is a popular destination among hikers who want to enjoy an impeccable snowy landscape.

Pictures don't do justice to this snow-covered beauty.

People hurry to the summit, where a marvelous scenery awaits.

[Interview : Cheon Eun-hui, Hiker] "I just want to lie down in the snow at the top of the mountain".

[ENG]
[Interview : Joseph Cattier, Tourist USA] "So beautiful. The air, especially, is very clear. The snow, of course, is just wonderful. It reminds me of home".

This is Gangdong Village.

Geochang county is especially famous for its strawberries.

Normally, strawberries are harvested in spring, but now, they are enjoyed all year round by growing them in greenhouses.

[Interview : Jeong Yang-sun, Head of Gangdong Village] "Most people think strawberries are harvested in summer, but they actually taste best in winter. We harvest them around the end of December. That's when they're in season".

They, in fact, taste best in the middle of winter.

[Interview : ] "I think the clean air and water in Geochang-gun help our strawberries taste great".

Another attraction in this village is a 200-year-old ancient home.

It's none other than the House of Jeong On, a minister during the Joseon Dynasty who was famous for his loyalty to the king. The Chinese characters written on the gates wish for the country's peace and the happiness of its peasants.

It's been around for generations.

[Interview : Jeong Wan-su, 15th descendent of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "The descendents rebuilt the house in the 20th year of King Sunjo, or in 1820, and have been living here since".

The double-layer roof that prevents flooding is especially unique to this house.

[Interview : Jeong Wan-su, 15th descendent of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "This is called "eyebrow roof", or double-layer roof. It is intended to protect the house from flooding during rainstorms. It's also visually appealing".

The most important building, however,

is the shrine where they perform ancestral rites.

[Interview : Jeong Wan-su, 15th descendent of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "We perform commemorative rites for four generations of our ancestors. Including Minister Jeong On, we're serving five generations of ancestors".

They have set up an ancestral tablet for their greatest ancestor, Minister Jeong On.

Ryu Seong-gyu [류성규], the 15th-descendent wife of Chogye Jeong [초계 정] Clan is busy preparing food.

[Interview : Ryu Seong-gyu, 15th-descendent wife of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "We have family recipes that have been passed down from mothers to daughters-in-law. I'm also learning from my mother-in-law right now".

The inhabitants of this house are proud of their pastes in particular, which they make at the beginning of the year, for which maeju is needed.

[Interview : Ryu Seong-gyu, 15th-descendent wife of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "We keep to our conventional way of making maeju, or blocks of fermented soybeans. We first boil them in a cauldron, mold them into blocks, and hang them outside or inside our rooms".

Maeju is, in fact, the most important ingredient in Korean pastes.

[Interview : Choe Hui, 14th-descendent wife of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "We use maeju to make pastes".

They let it dry to perfection.

There is another food that is unique to this household.

It's the beef jerky

[Interview : ] "My mother-in-law's beef jerky became famous because it tastes significantly better than others".

[Interview : ] "First, I slice the round meat with no fat or muscles, about one centimeter thick. Then, I marinate it and let it sit overnight. After that, I dry it in a well-ventilated place. I also learned all this from my ancestors".

Beef was, in fact, a luxury back then.

It was nowhere near as accessible as it is today.

Quince tea that cures sore throat,

beef jerky and dried persimmon and nuts roll.

make an enticing snack table.

The beef jerky and nuts especially go well together because of their nutritional contents.

[Interview : Ryu Seong-gyu, 15th-descendent wife of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "The walnuts and beef jerky make a great combination in terms of nutrition since walnuts are rich in fat and beef jerky contains proteins".

[Interview : Jeong Yang-sun, Head of Gangdong Village] "This ancient home was built so that people could sit on the floor and watch their neighbors pass by and get to know them. Unlike today, it was a very communal society. Today, people don't know their neighbors very well, but it was the opposite in the past".

Jeong Wan-su[정완수] wishes that his children will take over the house some day.

[Interview : Jeong Wan-su, 15th descendent of the Chogye Jeong Clan] "If my children leave the house, my grandchildren should come and protect it. I sincerely hope that my family continues to preserve this house for generations".

Above all, the greatest value of the House of Jeong On's Descendents seems to lie in the minds of its inhabitants who wish to preserve it for generations to come.

[STUDIO]

I've seen my dad make beef jerky at home and it was very similar to how they did it.
It must be great to go outside and be able to enjoy the country life like that.