South Korea Guide
Chungcheong
Of South Korea's principal regions, Chungcheong is the least visited by foreign travellers, most choosing to rifle through it on buses and trains to Gyeongju or Busan in the southeast, or over it on planes to Jeju-do. But to do so is to bypass the heart of the country, a thrillingly rural mishmash of rice paddies, ginseng fields, national parks and unhurried islands.
Today split into two provinces, Chungcheong was named in the fourteenth century by fusing the names of Chungju and Cheongju, two of its major cities, which now form part of Chungcheongbuk-do province (meaning "North Chungcheong"). Chungcheongnam-do ("South Chungcheong") is home to Cheonan, and surrounds the municipality of Daejeon. If these tongue-twisters sound confusing, then know that north and south Chungcheong lie manifestly to the east and west, respectively. Daejeon, the region's biggest city, has become an important administrative hub and may succeed Seoul as the country's centre of government if certain politicians get their way, while the other urban centres of Cheongju and Cheonan are pleasant enough places, though admittedly with few sights to share between them.
Highlights
1 Gongju Head to this former capital of the Baekje dynasty to feast your eyes on its regal riches.
2 Buyeo There are plenty of old treasures to see in this former capital of the Baekje dynasty.
3 Daecheon Beach This is the scene of the Boryeon mud festival, the most enjoyable party on the Korean calendar.
4 West Sea islands Take a ferry to these tiny, beach-pocked isles, home to fishing communities and a relaxed way of life hard to find on the mainland.
5 Independence Hall of Korea Delve into the nationalistic side of the Korean psyche at this huge testament to the country's survival of Japanese occupation.
6 Woraksan Leave the mountain queues behind at one of the least-visited national parks in the country.
7 Guinsa Clamber around the snakelike alleyways of what may well be Korea's most distinctive temple.