Walking the Ibagu-gil

Ibagu-gil is a place where you can hear the stories of people's many different ways of living woven together, a treasure trove of countless tales. Many of its sites carry the label 'first' — Baekje Hospital, the first modern private general hospital, Namseon Warehouse, the first storage warehouse, and more — because a harbor was nearby that embraced diverse cultures as generously as the wide sea. Afterward, we endured the era of Japanese colonial exploitation and the Korean War, building shanty houses along the hillside road (Sanbokdoro) and enduring hard refugee life by leaning on one another. The harbor became their foundation for living. Climbing up and down the dizzying 168 Steps countless times, they built the present day, step by step. Let's search for our future on Ibagu-gil, the best place to see the lives of ordinary people, steeped in the salty, deep fragrance of life. Source: Busan Tourism Organization

Along the way

1. 1

   Old Baekje Hospital

   옛백제병원

   Among Busan's surviving modern-era buildings, this is one that has been preserved through continuous change of use down to the present day. Built in 1922 by Choi Yong-hae, a native of Myeongji, it was the first modern private general hospital; at a time when most buildings were only one or two stories, it thrived as a five-story brick building staffed with Western medical personnel. But after suffering from malicious rumors and financial trouble, Choi fled to Japan under cover of night, and management of the building passed to Chinese owners. It later went through incarnations as the Chinese restaurant Bongnaegak and a wedding hall, and to this day the space continues to be leased out. \nMoreLess

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2. 2

   Site of Namseon Warehouse

   남선창고터

   Built in 1900, this was the first logistics warehouse, storing goods brought in by ship from Hamgyeong Province before they were shipped on to Seoul via the Gyeongbu rail line. It was originally called Bukseon Warehouse. Later, when the Gyeongwon rail line was built and a Bukseon Warehouse was set up further north, this one was renamed Namseon Warehouse. Because it mainly stored pollack, it was also nicknamed the 'Pollack Storehouse.' In the days before refrigeration, channels were dug into the floor to drain moisture and keep the space cool. Unlike the Old Baekje Hospital right next door, it was demolished in 2009, and today only its red brick wall remains.\nMoreLess

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3. 3

   Choryang Church

   초량교회

   Founded in 1893 by the missionary Adamson, this was the first church established in Busan. It holds great historical significance for its close ties to the anti-Japanese independence movement and for having served as the epicenter of the movement opposing Shinto shrine worship.\nMoreLess

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4. 4
   168 Steps

   168계단

   This is the fastest shortcut from Sanbokdoro (the hillside road) down to Busan Port. It is one of the signature features of Sanbokdoro — a dizzying flight of stairs running straight down the equivalent of six stories. There are 168 steps in all, and three wells are said to have originally stood at the bottom. Today only one well used for drinking water remains, and you can easily imagine people once lining up here for a long stretch to draw water in times of scarcity. With water carriers and water jars everywhere, it was a meeting place for people of every age and background, and a wellspring from which rumors spread. \nMoreLess

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5. 5

   Kim Min-bu Observatory

   김민부 전망대

   This observatory was built beside the 168 Steps, with a fine view of Busan Port, to honor the poet Kim Min-bu, well known for his poem 'A Heart That Waits.' A literary prodigy who made his debut as a first-year high school student, Kim is even better known as the producer of the radio program 'Jagalchi Ajumae.' Standing at the observatory and gazing out at the sea, you can naturally feel the heart of someone waiting for another. \nMoreLess

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6. 6

   Dangsan

   당산

   This is a site of traditional Korean folk belief, where the village's guardian spirits — Dangsan Grandfather and Dangsan Grandmother — are enshrined. The Dangje ritual is a community rite praying for the village's abundance and peace, held twice a year on the full moon of the third and ninth lunar months. The person chosen to preside over the ritual practices self-discipline in all things, and as the ritual day approaches, cleans the area around the sacred Dangsan tree, wraps it with a sacred straw rope (geumjul), and scatters a few handfuls of red clay to ward off impurity.\nMoreLess

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7. 7
   Ibagu Workshop

   이바구공작소

   This site was created as a local hub for the Sanbokdoro Renaissance, an urban regeneration project centered on the hillside road. It is an archive center that collects the stories of the people who live along Sanbokdoro, with a new special exhibition opening every two months. Its opening exhibition featured chamber pots (yogang) donated by elderly Sanbokdoro residents, each displayed together with its own story. The center gathers and preserves the personal histories of the individuals who have lived on Sanbokdoro, each with a story of their own, and serves as a storehouse of resources that can later be reworked into a variety of cultural content. \nMoreLess

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