Not far from Jeongdok Public Library, in the lovely neighborhood of Bukchon east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, there’s a spot from which you can see all of 31 Gahoe-dong, Seoul’s most famous district of Korean-style hanok homes. A sea of black tile roofs spreads out before you, the curves of the roofs bringing to mind undulating waves. As you make your way through the neighborhood, you are greeted by stretches of handsome clay and stone walls that line the winding alleyways. Through an open gate, you spy a courtyard: in the garden stands a lone pine tree, placed strategically to form the perfect image through the window.
The hanok, or “Korean house,” is just what the word implies --- a Korean traditional dwelling. Perfectly designed for their environment, hanok are both practical and beautiful, possessing a rustic charm so representative of the aesthetic of old Korea. With the industrial development of Korea in the modern era, hanok have largely been replaced by apartments as the dwelling of choice for many Koreans, especially in Seoul, but they have not disappeared completely, with remaining hanok districts the focus of preservation and renovation efforts.