Unbo's House

On a wooded slope in Naesu-eup, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, Unbo's House is the home where the painter Unbo Kim Ki-chang (1913–2001) lived and worked for more than twenty years and where he died. A neat hanok, a pond, a pavilion and carefully tended gardens surround it, and the museum displays works and belongings of Kim and his wife, the painter Park Rae-hyeon. After years of neglect, it reopened on 19 March 2026 following an 18-month restoration.

Unbo Kim Ki-chang, the painter who could not hear

Born in Seoul in 1913, Kim lost his hearing at the age of eight after a high fever from typhoid. He trained in the studio of Kim Eun-ho and became his best-known pupil, and in 1946 he married the painter Park Rae-hyeon; together they sought new directions for Korean ink painting. His most familiar image is probably the portrait of King Sejong on the 10,000-won banknote. As a refugee during the Korean War he painted The Life of Jesus, a series portraying Jesus as a Korean in hanbok, first shown in Seoul in 1953 and invited in 2015 to an exhibition in Germany marking 500 years of the Reformation. He also produced paintings and illustrations glorifying the war in the last years of Japanese rule, and he is listed among Korea's pro-Japanese collaborators.

A house in his mother's home town

Kim built the house here, in his mother's home town, and opened it in 1984. He spent his later years here and died in 2001. After his death the foundation was caught up in ownership disputes and financial trouble, some facilities were auctioned off, and the site was largely abandoned for more than a decade. A new board took over in October 2024 and carried out a major restoration. Today the 85,000 m² site has a wider lawn, an expanded sculpture park, and a refreshed hanok, pavilion and pond.

What to see

• Main house: the hanok where Unbo lived for over twenty years, reached through an elegant gate and the garden.
• Garden and pond: paths wind between rounded, clipped trees, and from the pavilion by the pond you see the hanok against the hillside.
• The Life of Jesus gallery: a former workshop building converted to show about 20 works from the series.
• Unbo Art Museum: works and personal items of Kim Ki-chang and Park Rae-hyeon.

The site has recently become known as a filming location for the drama Judge Lee Han-young.

What comes next

The foundation plans a walking trail with artworks on the hillside behind the house, free for everyone. Film and drama crews are also showing interest, and the once-forgotten site is regaining its place as a cultural landmark of Cheongju. It is a good place to take in an artist in the round: his life, his work and its shadows.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 1–2 hours for the gardens, house and exhibitions.
• Opening hours and fees: hours and admission may have changed since the reopening; check with the Unbo Culture Foundation, which runs the site, before you go.
• Getting there: about 7 km east of Cheongju International Airport, an easy detour on the day you fly in. Public transport is awkward, so a car or taxi is best.
• Best time: May–June, when the garden is at its greenest, and autumn for the foliage.