May 18 - 19, 2013

If you tell a Korean person that you’re headed to Yeoju, they’ll probably assume you’re going shopping at the outlet stores there (여주 프리미엄아울렛), but there are other fun things to see and do there.

It’s home to Silleuksa (신륵사), the only riverside Buddhist temple in Korea. Silleuksa was founded in 580 by the monk Wonhyo, one of the leading minds in Korean Buddhist tradition. It is home to a collection of 7 relics as well as a brick-constructed pagoda, one of only several in the country.

The tomb of Sejong the Great, the most influential king in Korean history, is in Yeoju and is one of the largest tourist attractions for the area. 

Also, in 1851 towards the end of the Joseon Dynasty Empress Myeongseong, the last Empress of Korea, was born in Yeoju. I didn’t visit her birthplace, destroyed and then restored after Korean liberation, but I imagine that it’s worth seeing. It’s a quaint, beautiful city and worthy of your time if you have a day or two.