Photo Essay: The Mungyeong-saejae Open Set – Feel the Sensation of Historical Korean Dramas

By Emmanuela Sabatini

The Mungyeong-saejae Open Set is part of Mungyeongsaejae Provincial Park in North Gyeongsang. There you can find Mungyeong Natural Ecology Park, the Yetgil Museum, Mungyeong Ecology Maze Park, and the Mungyeongsaejae Open Set. To be honest, my friends and I only visited the Mungyeong-saejae Open Set because of the influence of the Korean Wave, of which Korean dramas feature so prominently.

As its name suggests, the Mungyeong-saejae (문경새재) Open Set is a historical Korean drama filming location. Over the years, a large number of Korean dramas and movies have been filmed here, including Bossam: Steal the Fate (2021), Kingdom (2020), The Crowned Clown (2019), Hwarang (2016), The Face Reader (2013), The Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), The Great King Sejong (2008), Taejo Wang Geon (2000), and many more. Therefore, this place offers various historical locations set in the Joseon era, such as the homes of the nobility and commoners, Gwanghwamun Gate, government offices, and Joseon and Baekjae period palaces.

Photographs by Emmanuela Sabatini

(문경새재도립공원) Address: 932 Saejae-ro, Mungyeong-eup, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 경북 문경시 문경읍 새재로 932 Open Dates: Open all year round Phone: 054-571-0709

Emmanuela Sabatini is originally from Jakarta, Indonesia. After graduating with a master’s degree from Keimyung University, she landed an internship at the Gwangju International Center in 2020. Since 2021, she has been working at one of South Korea’s educational institutions. You can follow her journey at www.emmasabatini. com. @emmasabatini