Why visit Jeonju for Twenty-Five Twenty-One
Twenty-Five Twenty-One (스물다섯 스물하나) aired on tvN in 2022 and ran for 16 episodes. Kim Tae-ri plays Na Hee-do, a teenage fencer chasing big ambitions, and Nam Joo-hyuk plays Baek Yi-jin, a hardworking young man trying to rebuild his life after his family loses everything. The drama follows the two from their first meeting in 1998 through the years that pull them apart, and it became one of the most talked-about Korean dramas of its year. Kim Tae-ri won Best Actress at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards for the role, and the show’s bittersweet ending is still debated by fans today.
Jeonju matters to the drama because the story needed a place that could still look like 1998. Jeonju Hanok Village, in the Pungnam-dong and Gyo-dong neighborhoods, holds more than 800 traditional Korean houses called hanok, and the village was designated an International Slow City in 2010. Its tiled roofs, narrow lanes, and low-rise streets give the drama its period texture without a built set: Hee-do’s neighborhood, the tunnel, and the corner shop all sit in or near this real, lived-in part of the city.
Jeonju rewards visitors beyond the drama, too. Lonely Planet notes that the city was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2012 and is the birthplace of bibimbap, served here with mung bean sprout jelly. The same trip that covers the four filming stops below can include Gyeonggijeon, the shrine holding the portrait of King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, whose family hailed from Jeonju. Plan a full day: the filming stops cluster around the Hanok Village, with the rebuilt supermarket a short ride out toward Namgosanseong Fortress.
The four stops
1. Hanbyeok Tunnel (Hanbyeokgul) — the confession walkway
This short tunnel near Jeonju Hanok Village is the guide’s centerpiece. VisitKorea names it as the place where Hee-do and Yi-jin shared their feelings and later broke up, and its Korean feature adds that Hee-do comforted the hurt Yi-jin here. Korea JoongAng Daily likewise names the tunnel as the site of a romantic scene for the leads. In the story, the tunnel is where the couple’s honest conversations happen — which is why fans come to walk it slowly and take photos.
How to get there: From Jeonju Hanok Village, follow Baramsswineun-gil (Baramssoeneun-gil), the breezy path that runs from Jeonju Eco Museum to Hanbyeok Tunnel. KTO area data notes a bicycle rental station along the road and that the route was selected by the Korea Tourism Organization as a good walk with pets. Plan the last leg with the Kakao Map and Naver Map links on the place card.
What to see: The tunnel itself, the adjoining Baramsswineun-gil road — Yi-jin’s newspaper-delivery route in the drama — and nearby Hanbyeokdang Pavilion, a Joseon-era pavilion designated a Tangible Cultural Property and counted among the eight scenic beauties of Jeonju. The pavilion overlooks the river and is worth the short detour.
Tips: Come early or on a weekday for quieter photos; the tunnel draws photo traffic. Watch footing after rain, and watch for cars — the tunnel sits at a fork near a road. Allow 20–45 minutes.
VisitKorea names this former guesthouse near Jeonju Hanok Village as the place where Hee-do and Yi-jin first meet. The interior was filmed on a set, but the exterior — the white gate, the street lamp, and the stairs — is as seen in the drama. That is what fans come to see: the front of the house, not the inside.
How to get there: The house stands near Hanbyeok Tunnel and the Hanok Village, up a small slope. Verify the exact house on the map before you go: the VisitKorea course lists the Gyo-dong address shared with the tunnel area, and the house’s exact street address is unverified. Use the place card’s map links and look for the white gate and street lamp.
Tips and etiquette: The guesthouse has closed, so see it from outside only. It stands in a residential area where people live, so keep noise down, do not enter private property, and do not block neighbors’ gates or driveways. Allow 15–30 minutes.
3. Ahyeon Supermarket — the rebuilt corner shop
This corner shop is the drama’s most nostalgic set. VisitKorea says the set was taken down after filming and later rebuilt by Jeonju City, complete with the pyeongsang bench where the leads sat. KTO area data adds that the set was dressed with a retro old-supermarket atmosphere for a drama set in the 1990s, and that two scenes were filmed here: the kiss misunderstanding between Hee-do and Yi-jin, and Yi-jin shielding Hee-do from a motorcycle. The low wooden bench where the leads sat and talked is a photo spot.
How to get there: The shop stands on the road toward Namgosanseong Fortress, away from the Hanok Village core. Take a taxi or check the bus route on Naver Map for your travel day. The address on the place card comes from KTO area data; check the location before you go.
Tips: The shop is a rebuilt set, not the original — that is part of its story, and worth knowing before you visit. It is free to see. Allow 15–30 minutes, and combine it with a walk around the fortress area if you have time.
4. Seohak Art Village — the alley and the record shop
Across from Jeonju Hanok Village, Seohak Art Village is the quieter, artsier side of the drama’s Jeonju. Korea JoongAng Daily names it as a filming area and points to the alley and the record shop that Hee-do ran across in tears, and says the village has drawn more travelers since the drama aired. The neighborhood today mixes small galleries, indie cafes, and converted hanok spaces.
How to get there: Walk across from Jeonju Hanok Village into Seohak-dong and use the Kakao Map or Naver Map links on the place card for the exact route. No precise street address is published for the filming alley, so treat the village itself as the stop.
Tips and etiquette: This is a lived-in neighborhood, not a set. Keep noise down, stay out of private courtyards, and ask before photographing people or shop interiors. Allow 30–60 minutes to wander the galleries and cafes.
Getting there (transit)
Fares and schedules change. Prefer official pages on your travel day.
Seoul → Jeonju
KTX serves Jeonju Station from Yongsan Station in Seoul. The fastest services take about 1 hour 30 minutes; most take roughly 1 hour 40 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. Buy and verify same-day trains on Korail (timetable) or the Korail English booking page.
Jeonju Station → Hanok Village
Take a local bus or taxi to Jeonju Hanok Village. The ride is short; check the route on Naver Map (English UI) or Kakao Map for your travel day. Bus numbers and times are not listed here because they change — use the map apps on the day.
Between the stops
Hanbyeok Tunnel, Hee-do’s house, and Seohak Art Village cluster around the Hanok Village and are walkable from each other. Ahyeon Supermarket sits out toward Namgosanseong Fortress; take a taxi or check the bus route on Naver Map.
For a ready-made itinerary covering these spots, see our 1-day Jeonju route.
Plan your trip
One-day route: See our 1-day Jeonju route for a full itinerary covering the tunnel, the house, and the rebuilt supermarket in one day. The route predates the Seohak Art Village stop; add Seohak in the afternoon if you have time.
Combine with the Hanok Village: The filming stops sit in and around Jeonju Hanok Village, so pair them with the village itself: walk the hanok lanes, visit Gyeonggijeon shrine, and try Jeonju bibimbap, the city’s signature dish. Hanbok rental inside the village makes the lanes and the tunnel feel even closer to the drama’s 1998 mood.
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn offer the mildest weather for walking the tunnel path and the village lanes. Summer brings heat and crowds; winter is quieter but cold. If you want quiet photos at the tunnel, go early in the morning or on a weekday.
Combine with other dramas: If you like nostalgic, small-town romance, see our Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha guide for Pohang’s seaside Gongjin, our Reply 1988 guide for retro Seoul, and our Our Beloved Summer guide for another youth-romance filming spot.
FAQ
Is Ahyeon Supermarket the original shop from filming?
No. VisitKorea says the set was taken down after filming and later rebuilt by Jeonju City, with the pyeongsang bench where the leads sat. It is a rebuilt set, not the original.
Is the tunnel free?
Yes. VisitKorea presents it as an outdoor tourist walkway near Hanok Village. All four stops are free to see from outside.
Can I go inside Hee-do’s house?
No. The guesthouse has closed, and the interior was filmed on a set anyway. VisitKorea says fans come to see the white gate and street light from outside. See it from the street and keep noise down for neighbors.
Is Seohak Art Village a filming location or just a nice neighborhood?
Korea JoongAng Daily names it as a filming area for the drama, pointing to the alley and the record shop Hee-do ran across in tears. The village itself is a real arts neighborhood of galleries, cafes, and converted hanok spaces.
How long does the Seoul → Jeonju trip take?
The fastest KTX services from Yongsan Station take about 1 hour 30 minutes to Jeonju Station; most take roughly 1 hour 40 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. Check the Korail timetable for your date.
Do I need a full day in Jeonju?
A day trip from Seoul works: arrive in the morning, cover the tunnel, house, and Seohak Art Village on foot around the Hanok Village, ride out to Ahyeon Supermarket, and return in the evening. An overnight stay lets you see the village at night and eat more of the city’s food.
Will this page use drama stills?
No. All photos are location photos of the real places, not drama stills.
How we checked
Places named by two independent sources (official or press) are confirmed. Places named by one source, or by sources that trace back to the same organization, are reported. All four stops on this page are reported: VisitKorea’s English and Korean features are both Korea Tourism Organization sources, and Korea JoongAng Daily’s list was recommended by the Korea Tourism Organization, so none of them counts as independent from the others. We keep the reported label rather than upgrading on a shared source.
Sources used: VisitKorea’s Twenty-Five Twenty-One itinerary (English) and its Korean feature, Korea JoongAng Daily’s February 2023 K-drama filming-spot list, KTO area data for the Ahyeon Supermarket address and the Baramsswineun-gil and Hanbyeokdang details, Lonely Planet for Jeonju’s UNESCO gastronomy designation and bibimbap, Wikipedia for Jeonju Hanok Village and the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards, AsianWiki for the episode count, and Korail for rail times.
Photos: The hero image (Hanok Village rooftops, Wikimedia Commons CC0) and the stop-1 photo (Hanbyeokdang Pavilion, KOGL Type 1) are verified location photos. Stops 2–4 have no photos yet; we list them without photos rather than using unverified images.
Last checked: Oct 17, 2026 for spot status and guide enrichment. We re-verify spot status periodically and update when places close, change, or gain new sources.
Sources
All sources for this guide
Accessed Oct 17, 2026 (Asia/Seoul) unless noted.
- VisitKorea — A Look Back at the Innocent Youth, “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” Filming Spots
- VisitKorea (Korean) — Twenty-Five Twenty-One Jeonju
- Korea JoongAng Daily — Make like a star at these popular K-drama sets (Feb 3, 2023)
- KoreaTripTips (KTO area data) — Ahyeon Supermarket, Baramssoeneun-gil Road, Hanbyeokdang Pavilion
- Lonely Planet — 10 reasons to put Jeonju on your bucket list
- Wikipedia — Jeonju Hanok Village
- Wikipedia — 58th Baeksang Arts Awards
- AsianWiki — Twenty Five Twenty One
- Korail — Train timetable
- Korail — English booking
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