The most popular rice soup dishes of Koreans and famous food streets in Gyeonggi-do

Do you wanna know amazing stories behind amazing rice soup dishes in popular Korean food street? They not only have taste but also rich history.

Spring in Korea is a bit peculiar. Between February and mid-March, a wave of the last cold snap comes as if jealous of the blooming spring flowers. To fight off the chilly weather, there is nothing better to eat than a bowl of warming soup or stew, and Koreans enjoy a wide variety of soups and stews. Budaejjigae (sausage stew), someorigukbap (beef head meat and rice soup) and sundaegukbap (blood sausage and rice soup) are perhaps the epitome of Korean soup and stew dishes, and have been beloved by Koreans as soul food for generations. The cities of Uijeongbu, Gwangju and Yongin in Gyeonggi-do are homes to these delectable dishes. With streets dedicated to each dish, these cities attract visitors from across the country. Let’s find out a bit more about Uijeongbu’s budaejjigae, Gwangju’s someorigukbap in Gonjiam, and Yongin’s sundaegukbap in Baegam.

Budaejjigae Street in Uijeongbu, Home to Korea’s Budaejjigae

Budaejjigae, one of Korea’s representative stew dishes, is made with an assortment of ingredients added to spicy broth. Budaejjigae was first made using leftover food from US military bases during the Korean War. As such, this dish is associated with Korea’s painful history. Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi-do, where US military facilities have been located for a long time, is the home to budaejjigae and is famous for “Budaejjigae Street.” This street is located in within a two-minute walking distance of Exit 2 of Uijeongbu Jung-ang Station via the U LRT (Uijeongbu Light Rail Transit). So, visitors can travel conveniently to this famous street using public transportation. A large signboard that reads “Uijeongbu Budaejjigae Street” is situated at the entrance to the street, helping even first-time visitors find it without much difficulty.

Uijeongbu Budaejjigae Street was designated for development and preservation on November 1, 1998. Around 20 budaejjigae restaurants with histories spanning 3 decades are located along this street. “Odeng Sikdang,” in particular, was the first-ever budaejjigae restaurant in Korea. Opened in 1960, Odeng Sikdang is so famous that it has even been introduced on Korean TV shows and also selected by the Blue Ribbon Survey, a guidebook for restaurants in Korea that was established by combining the merits of France’s Michelin Guide and America’s Zagat Survey.



Budaejjigae’s charm is its spicy-yet-brothy taste. It is served simply with a bowl of steamed rice and side dishes. A wide variety of ingredients—such as ham, sausage, minced beef, spring onion and instant noodles—are generously added to a clear broth. When a pot containing the ingredients and broth is served at the table, close the lid of the pot and keep it closed until the broth comes to a boil. When it starts boiling, you can remove the lid and start enjoying budaejjigae.

For people who want to taste budaejjigae but live far away from Uijeongbu or don't want to dine out because of COVID-19, most restaurants on Budaejjigae Street provide nationwide delivery services!

Someorigukbap Street in Gonjiam

Someorigukbap is a soup of boiled beef head meat served with a bowl of steamed rice. It is a local specialty of Gonjiam (Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do) and considered a beloved soul food by many Koreans. During the Joseon Dynasty, Gwangju was a stopover location for people traveling to Hanyang (present-day Seoul) to take the Royal Examinations. While staying in Gwangju, they ate someorigukbap. Hence, someorigukbap became a representative dish of this area. For those who were about to take the Royal Examinations, someorigukbap was an ideal dish because it was warm, nutritious and delicious.

Gonjiam Someorigukbap Street is located across from Gonjiam Station (Gyeonggang Line) with big signboards guiding visitors to this famous street. After a ten-minute walk from Exit 1 of Gonjiam Station, you will find someorigukbap restaurants located along the central part of the street. Visitors can easily find other restaurants and cafes here as Someorigukbap Street is a main street of Gwangju. There is also a public parking lot for Someorigukbap Street nearby, which is convenient for visitors driving to this area.

Nowadays, someorigukbap is enjoyed at ordinary times rather than as a special dish for special occasions. So, it can be found in various locations across the country. Gonjiam Someorigukbap Street, however, is the place to be if you want to experience the authentic taste of someorigukbap. The milky white broth is made by boiling down beef bones. You can season it according to taste by adding salt and a spicy condiment. With a spoonful of salt and a spoonful of condiment, the broth transforms into spicy delight that Koreans love. For those who are not comfortable with spiciness, it is recommended that they add just a bit of the spicy sauce to enhance the rich flavor of the broth. The sliced boiled beef served in the broth is a great match. To enjoy the meat separately, it is a good idea to order a serving of suyuk (boiled meat slices).

Contrary to its reputation, this street only has a small number of someorigukbap restaurants remaining. So, Gwangju has set out to revitalize Someorigukbap Street. To do this, the city government plans to pursue a number of initiatives including the “Safe Restaurant” project to create a safe dining culture, a project to provide funding to restaurants for the improvement of antiquated facilities, a project to provide 1-on-1 customized consulting services to restaurants, a project to support droplet-blocking partitions, and a project to distribute a map of restaurants.

In addition, after being selected for a program to support systemization of local businesses in 2020, the city government has performed such activities as painting murals at a traditional market in the old town center of Gonjiam, creating photo zones, and making flower lanes as part of its environmental improvement efforts.

Moreover, the city government removed unauthorized posters attached to telephone poles and street lamps along main streets and pedestrian roads in Gonjiam, installed covers to prevent the attachment of illegal advertising materials at various facilities, and posted promotional materials to publicize Gonjiam Someorigukbap Street. Thanks to such efforts, Someorigukbap Street will be reborn a more pleasant and celebrated location that is loved by many people.

Baegam Sundaeguk Street in Yongin

The origin of sundaeguk is in keeping with that of sundae (blood sausage). Sundae, originating from the combat rations of Mongolia, is comprised of pork intestine filled with rice and vegetables; it is dried or frozen for convenient transportation. It is said that sundae helped the Mongolians effectively execute mobile warfare and thus conquer nations. In Korea, Sundae was enjoyed in the cold northern regions, such as Hamgyeong-do and Pyeongan-do, in days gone by. As for the origins of sundaeguk, which is a soup made with sundae, a prominent view is that it was first started under the extended family system of agrarian communities. To supplement protein intake, soup was made in a large bowl using sundae as replacement for meat and shared among family members.





Although the methods of making and eating sundae vary by region, it is a very popular dish that is enjoyed in both South Korea and North Korea. Sundae, which is one of Korea’s traditional foods, is a great source of iron as it contains animal blood. It is also made with a combination of meat, grains, and vegetables. Therefore, sundae can be regarded as a nutritionally complete food, although some recipes exclude certain nutrients. The accompanying salted shrimp sauce pairs especially well with pork, preventing indigestion and even removing the potentially pungent smell of sundae.

There are a number of famous sundae varieties across Korea. Baegam sundae, in particular, originated during the Joseon Dynasty. It is a local specialty of Gyeonggi-do that has been maintained and preserved through Baegam Market in Baegam-myeon, Yongin. Sundae and gukbap (soup with rice) served at Baegam Market approximately 50 years ago herald the origin of Baegam sundae. Baegam Market is a village market that opens at five-day intervals on dates ending in the numbers 1 or 6. In the beginning, Baegam sundae was only served on market days. Since then, it has developed into a special local food brand of Baegam as it gained popularity not only in Yongin but across the country. A humble dish sold only at a local market has become a famous local brand that represents the entire region.

Fun fact: Baegam sundae was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 2003 as the “world’s longest sundae.” Two hundred citizens participated in this challenge and filled pork intestines measuring 50 cm in length with sundae ingredients. The filled intestines were then connected together and boiled. This 100-meter-long sundae set a new world record.

In addition to Baegam Sundaeguk Street, Yongin features a number of famous tourist sites. One of the attractions is the Nam Jun Paik Art Center, a media art center established to commemorate the artistic spirit of Nam Jun Paik, the father of contemporary video art. All exhibitions at this center operate as international and project exhibitions. Nam Jun Paik himself participated in the process of establishing the basic building plan, and he named it the “house where the spirit of Nam Jun Paik lives on.” At the same time as playing an intrinsic role as an art museum in such regards as building an archive and collecting artworks, the Nam Jun Paik Art Center also holds significance for fostering international curators in Korea through collaboration with progressive art institutions abroad.


Bojeong-dong Cafe Street, which features a unique and impressively exotic atmosphere like a street in a foreign village surrounded by nature, is also gaining popularity as a new hot spot in Yongin. Of particular note, Jukjeon Cafe Street located near Dankook University is being established as a street of culture and art where various cultural events like university festivals and graduation exhibitions are held. The street emerged in 2006 as the development of the Jukjeon housing site was launched in 2004. It is deemed to be an exemplary success case of a commercial and residential housing site sold by the Korea Land Corporation.