Chongson, the Place Where the Sorrowful                       Tune of Arirang Echoes in Its Gorges

By Jin Yong-sun

(Director of Chongson Arirang Research Institute)

"Arirang, Arirang, arariyo..." By far, the most popular folk song in Korea, the beautiful melody of Arirang touches the hearts of those who hear it with a deep sorrow, and Chongson is known as the home of Arirang.

Today I am on my way to Chongson looking for Arirang on a spring breeze.

Located on southeastern part of Gangwon province, Jeongseon together with Youngwol and Pyeongchang is known as the land of 'the three towns on many mountains'. It is situated to the south of Baekdudaegan, the backbone of the Korean Peninsula, so that the town is surrounded by steep valleys and gorges.

One is struck by rough terrain of Jeongseon on the drive through the district or on the provincial roads. An endless of mountain ridges and steep mountain passes cover up the sky as you drive through.

Anyone who walks into Jeongseon will naturally be reminded of the Arirang melody that echoes in its gorges.

In Jeongseon, where the sun sets as soon as it rises, the people began to wearily unwind from their harsh day-to-day life by singing the melodious tunes of Arirang.

The thousands of lyrics in Jeongseon Arirang contain the joys and sorrow of its people laments on their misery, forever surrounded by endless mountains. Other melodies express longing for love, resentments against or the sadness of being from home, far from loved ones.

Arirang is the song that unravelled the many knots binding in the hearts of these people.

The spring in Jeongseon still seems like winter, as the shady valleys are still frozen and cold.

Oh, ferryman of Auraji, take me to the other side of the river.

Oldongbak of Sarigol are all scattered on the ground.

The fallen gourds are being covered with fallen leaves.

From time to time the thought of my love is unbearable.

Arirang  Arirang  Arariyo

Pass me over the Arirang hills.

On a spring day when the yellow camellias were in full bloom, two young lovers took a vow of their love in a valley behind Sarigol. When the river rose up, the two could not meet for days. Their longing for each other felt by us when we hear the tunes of Arirang.

The plain food of this mountain village is a special treat in Jeongseon.

Chongweon Restaurant across the street from Yeoryang Station near Auraji is famous for its 'Kotdeungchiki (nose slapping) noodles.' The name comes from the fact that the thick buckwheat noodle strips hit your nose as you gulp them down. The exquisite flavor and the reasonable price of noodle soup makes the place attractive, but the warm heart of the proprietress makes it even more charming.

You can reach Dongmyeon by driving along the left side of the Aura River and a stream, passing through Jeongseon-up, where you meet the provincial road 424.

You can feel the winter breeze amidst the spring of Jeongseon which leaves as soon as it comes through the mountain shades.

After a ten-minute drive from Jeongseon-up, the road takes you to Dukwu intersection where it splits in two forks: one to take you to Tongmyeon and the other to Nam-myeon. Stopping over at the stone such, found only in the mountains of Gyulamri of Jeongseon-up, are processes and turned into beautiful works of art such as flower vases and many others. One can purchase such items at a bargain price at the complex.

'Arari Shimteo' next to the stone processing complex is renowned for 'Hwanggibaeksuk' (chicken broiled with rice and milk vetch). It is a dish made of home-grown chicken and milk vetch, a special herb used in Oriental medicine. About a five-Minute drive from 'Arear Shipmate to Tongmyeon', you can find 'Halmeoni Hoegip (grandmother's Sashimi house) where you can try 'Hyangeobaeksook'(rice broiled with fish). The dish of rice, juju and bamboo shoots broiled in water with Hyangawe, can be enjoyed throughout the year for its nutritional value.

Wherever you go in Jeongseon, the scenic beauty befits the fame of Arirang. One of such places is 'Hwaampalkyung' situated in Dong-myeon, Hwaam-ri. As the name 'Hwaam-ri' tells us, the picturesque rocks form a cliff from which crystal-clear water rapidly flows, the spring brushoff of the snows in Jeongseon.

As soon as you enter Hwaam-ri, you will immediately behold the Hwaam Grotto. Unlike other lime grottos in Korea, it is a huge grotto of 2,88 meters long shaped like a plaza where you can see majestic sights as a yellow stalactite wall, and grotto painting in the Orient, a statue of the Virgin Mary and many more. This is typical of grottos in Korea where the stalactite is still forming.

The next place you can stop as you follow the stream from the grotto is the Hwaam Mineral Spring. Eighty-seven years ago. as a villager found the spring by was digging here that was marked by a mountain god in his dream. The water from this spring is so rich in iron that it feels like rust water when you drink it. Nevertheless, it is well known for its effectiveness, it is well known for its effectiveness in healing stomach problems and skin diseases.

After quenching the thrist with this pungent mineral water, you can feel hunger in your stomach. What you don't want to miss in Jeongseon is the culinary specialties of 'Gonderae Restaurant,'namely fried Champiri and Champiri sashimi. Champiri is a finger-sized fish found in the clean valley streams nearby. The unique taste of Champiri comes from the deft preparation by the talented restaurant owner. Another speciality of this region is 'Pyogojuk', a rice gruel made of Shiitake mushroom boiled in beef broth. 'Hwaam-ri Refectory' is where you can taste the best Pyogojuk.

Even the scenery of Mount Geumkang cannot impress those who are hungry.         Sogeumgang is known as the small Mount Geumkang of Jeongseon. Upon entering the Sokeumgang, one automatically slows down the car to 30km per hour in order to enjoy the scenic beauty of Naksibawi(a rock) said to be where the gods enjoyed fishing and was later sanctified by the local residents. On top of that, the odd-shaped rocks and palisades along the Sogeumgang are like the beautiful paintings on a folding screen.

As you leave the Soaked River behind, you are greeted by Gogaemaroo where Molundae is lined up in a row. Molundae is said to be a cliff where the clouds stopped to rest. It is made up of stone layers piled up several kilometers high under which a stream of crystal-clear water flows by.  Numerous poets and artists must have been in awe with the mysterious harmony os nature during their stay here.

The next cliff you encounter is called Gwandaegok, a steep valley where the sky, the clouds and the land meet amidst the sounds of the waterfall and cool breeze. Passing through this breathtaking scenery, you can follow the winding road and cross over a mountain to reach Sabuk-eup. This dark gray town brings out distant memory of the 'Sabuk Crisis in 1980' and reminds us of a past so quickly forgotten.

At one point in Jeongseon, the development of smokeless coal in Gohan, Sabuk and Hambaek increased the population to 130,000 in 1983. As the coal industry deteriorated, so did its population which is currently less than 50,000.

In recent times, the people are becoming more optimistic about their future as casino developments are currently under progress thanks to the special law on closed mine areas passed by the National Assembly. Even so, there are many who suffer painfully from disease caused by coal dust.

Jeongseon, the land of Arirang. Although Jeongseon should inspire pride, there still may be people who try to fill the inherent void and loneliness by singing Arirang as a song of hope for a better world.