Suamgol Mural Village (수암골 벽화마을)

Suamgol Mural Village is the residential mural village on the slopes of Suamgol in central Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, a steep hillside neighborhood that was preserved largely intact through Cheongju's 20th-century redevelopment because of its difficult terrain. After the village became widely visible by appearing in several Korean television dramas, local artists and the city worked together to paint murals along the alleys and stairs, both as a placemaking project and as a way to slow the village's depopulation. The murals run across walls, stair risers, retaining walls, and even some old roof tiles, with the steep alley climbing past viewpoints back across central Cheongju. The combination of the murals, the still-occupied old houses, and the elevated city view makes the village a coherent walking attraction. Best in late afternoon for the visual quality.