Technically speaking, this is not really the "last" stretch of P'imat-gol, since there are still a few remaining strips along Chongno-
2-ga and Chongno-3-ga. However, the block-long section behind Kyobo in Chongno-1-ga was certainly the most picturesque,
atmospheric and well-preserved, whereas the others have a rather seedy and desolate character (and may not last long themselves,
either). The tallish red-brick building you see here contained a number of excellent restaurants including the famed Sorin Nakji
("Sorin Octopus"), where I celebrated the signing of "Balch'ikhan Han'guk-hak" with my old publisher Eclio back in 2001, and
lost several quarts of sweat as I feasted on molten-hot nakji bokkum or "grilled octopus." The jerry-built grey building to the
right once housed The Net Cafe, one of the nation's first Internet cafes, and a popular hang-out for expats in the late 1990s;
the second-story space is now occupied by an extension of Yolch'a-jip ("Train House"), a very famous 60-year-old bindaeddok
or "mung-bean pancake" shop (I used to duck in and use the tiny bathroom in the stairwell there when I sold Bug in front of
Kyobo back in the day, which was probably a better idea than watering the foliage along the side of Kyobo). There are a few
grilled-fish restaurants and other drinking establishments including Yolch'a-jip which are still open (and which I believe are
holding out for a better offer from the developer), but they'll soon be gone, too. Be sure to stop by while you still can, before
this landmark slice of Chongno history is sadly gone forever. |
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The Last of P'imat-gol 
[re] The Last of P'imat-gol 
