#36 | June 2026 | 3 Days 2 Nights | 🇰🇷 Cheongju | How to Walk Around a Regional City ①
Hello! This is Oharu.
In June 2026, I went on a 3-day, 2-night trip to the regional Korean city of Cheongju!
What is the regional Korean city of Cheongju?
Located in North Chungcheong Province in the central part of South Korea, it is the provincial capital and is characterized by being an inland city with no access to the sea.
In recent years, with the LCC Aero K expanding its routes to various parts of Japan using Cheongju International Airport as its base, it is gaining attention as a new travel destination where you can avoid the crowds of Seoul and enjoy a cheap, close, and short trip.
Features of the LCC Aero K
A major feature is that they are actively launching flights not only to major airports like Narita and Kansai but also to regional airports in Japan, and they are steadily increasing their routes.
They made headlines for their corporate culture that respects individuality—allowing tattoos, which were previously taboo in the aviation industry, and permitting free hairstyles and hair colors—as well as for adopting unisex uniforms consisting of pants and sneakers that are easy to move in.
So, let's start the travelogue of the regional Korean city of Cheongju using the LCC Aero K!
① From Narita Airport to Cheongju International Airport
This time, I am using:
Outbound: 10:40 Narita → 13:05 Cheongju
Inbound: 16:15 Cheongju → 18:45 Narita
Of course, I used Aero K for both legs.
Since online check-in is not supported, I headed to Narita Airport Terminal 3 in time for the check-in start time, which is two and a half hours before the flight.
I finished checking in at the two-and-a-half-hour mark when the counter opened, but there were absolutely no passengers at the Aero K counter, which made me anxious.
...It's really flying, right? lol
With that anxious feeling, I had breakfast at the food court.
After finishing breakfast, I headed to the restricted area.
Since it's Terminal 3, it was empty, and I passed through to the restricted area non-stop.
It felt like 3 minutes; is it really okay to leave the country this easily...
Boarding for the plane started on time.
The boarding rate was about 50-60%, and since about half of the cabin was empty, we probably departed a little earlier than scheduled once everyone was on board. It was too smooth.
Since it's an LCC, there is no in-flight meal or drink service.
I slept straight through from takeoff to landing this time too, so it was no problem at all!
Cheongju International Airport is also a military airport, so you must close your window blinds when preparing for landing, meaning you can't see the view outside at all, so be careful!
Photography is, of course, prohibited inside the airport, including from the air.
Arrived at Cheongju International Airport a little earlier than scheduled.
Since there were hardly any Japanese people on board to begin with, I passed through immigration and baggage claim almost like a walk-through.
I was able to get outside in about 15 minutes after disembarking, and I was stunned by how smooth it was—is this a domestic trip...?
It was funny how it felt like a lie compared to the usual long lines for immigration at Incheon Airport.
Cheongju International Airport is a very small airport (on the scale of a regional city's domestic airport), so everything is smooth, stress-free, and feels super great!
Domestic flights only go to Jeju Island, but they seem to fly quite frequently.
It was raining in Tokyo, but it was clear in Cheongju!
The sun was strong and it was quite hot, so to travel light, I first headed to the hotel by bus to drop off my luggage.
② Check in to the hotel
There are no trains in Cheongju city, so buses are the only public transportation option. To get from the airport to the city, you have to take a bus or call a taxi.
There are local and express buses, so if the timing works out, I recommend taking the express!
I heard it would take about 30 minutes from the airport to the city, but the driver was going at Fast & Furious speeds, and I arrived at the stop nearest to my hotel in just 20 minutes.
Traffic rules? Those are basically non-existent.
The hotel I'm staying at this time is
Smart Hotel
33-1, Namsa-ro 93beon-gil, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk
The exterior looks exactly like a former love hotel, but it has that "tourists are welcome too!" style common in Korea.
Check-in is late at 3:00 PM, but it seems there happened to be a room available, so I arrived just after 2:00 PM and was allowed to enter the room right away.
There is a proper entryway, and it's a shoes-off style.
I'm the type who likes to go barefoot in the room, so I love this style of entryway!
The room looks like this.
It's not pictured, but there was a desk in the front, and there was also a desktop PC.
The bathroom area is also clean and tidy.
The toilet and shower are separate, and it comes with a bidet.
And it even comes with a Styler!
I used this sooooo much.
I didn't have to worry about wrinkles in the clothes I had folded in my suitcase, and it even has a drying function, which is super convenient. I want one for my house.
The exterior is clearly a love hotel, but it's clean, spacious, and tidy, and on top of that, the location is great, so choosing this hotel was a huge success!
③ Eating and Exploring the Downtown Area
Now that I was traveling light, I headed out for a walk right away.
I hadn't eaten lunch, so I started with a light meal.
Many restaurants in Cheongju take a break between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, so I chose this place near the hotel that was open and had good reviews.
Janggu Dumplings
96-1 Seomun-dong, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
I ordered mandu (dumplings) and gimbap.
I'm happy that they make it after you order, so you can eat it freshly made.
The dumplings felt quite meaty, the skin was chewy, and eating them with the soy-based chili sauce gave them a punchy, delicious flavor.
The gimbap was also freshly rolled, so the rice was delicious, and I was happy that it was packed with ingredients.
After the meal, I went to Central Park.
It's a familiar place for Cheongju citizens to relax, and grandpas and grandmas were playing Yut Nori (a traditional Korean board game) all over the place.
It's a scene you don't see in Seoul, and it makes you feel like you've come to the countryside.
Inside the park, historical buildings like old gates are preserved as they were, creating a nice atmosphere.
The weather is nice, so the contrast between the vermilion color unique to the Joseon Dynasty and the blue sky really stands out. One of my favorite shots.
I've been to Korea dozens of times, but I finally got to experience that feeling of "being on a trip" that I haven't really felt in Seoul for a long time.
A popular Cheongju specialty with a line next to the park
Cholchol Hotteok
85, Namun-ro 2-ga, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
It happened to be empty with no wait, so I decided to eat it at this moment.
The feature of this hotteok is that both sides are deep-fried until crispy.
Standard hotteok usually has pumpkin seeds or nuts inside, but this one has nothing inside.
It contains sweet syrup, and thanks to the melted syrup, the surface becomes crispy.
Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, it's definitely delicious with a simple sweetness!
There is an eat-in space since they also serve light meals, but the weather was nice, so I ate it in the park next door.
After that, I went to Cheongju's downtown area, "Seong-an-gil".
Including the streets lined with shops along Seong-an-gil, there is a full range of places to hang out, such as stylish cafes, dining spots, movie theaters, and cheap clothing stores.
I did some shopping at Daiso, Olive Young, and the mart, got a coffee to go, and went back to the hotel to drop off my bags.
Since the hotel is nearby, I can easily go back to drop off my luggage, so choosing this hotel was definitely the right decision!
④ A classic menu that originated in Cheongju
Nights in regional cities end early, so I had dinner a little earlier than I would in Seoul.
I went to the "Samgyeopsal Street" located in Seomun Market next to the hotel.
There is a gate and a golden pig at the entrance, so if you remember this as a landmark, it's easy to understand and you won't get lost even if it's your first time.
There seem to be a few theories, but Cheongju is said to be the "birthplace of samgyeopsal".
Samgyeopsal Street is covered by an arcade, so it shouldn't be a problem even on rainy days.
On both sides of Samgyeopsal Street, there are about 30 specialty samgyeopsal restaurants lined up.
Some restaurants have outdoor seating like a terrace, and there were many locals eating outside.
I decided to eat at a famous, long-established restaurant in Cheongju.
Tongil Sikdang
147-7 Seomun-dong, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do
The deciding factor was the kind uncle at the restaurant who was cleaning up the terrace seats and kindly called out, 'Welcome.'
The inside of the restaurant seemed reasonably busy with locals, and several groups who had already finished their meals were just leaving.
I ordered the fresh samgyeopsal.
Even though it's samgyeopsal, it seems to have the skin on, so I wonder what the difference is between this and ogyeopsal...?
It's a self-grilling style, but the auntie at the restaurant explained how to cook it.
Japanese is hardly spoken in Cheongju, so the interaction was in Korean, but since it's just yakiniku, as long as you grill and eat it, it's fine, so even those who don't know Korean should be okay.
Honestly, I feel like the meat itself isn't much different from the samgyeopsal you eat anywhere else.
However, the seasonings for the side dishes were all truly delicious, and the miso, in particular, was exquisite.
By the time I was ready for the finishing fried rice, most of the other customers had left, so when I asked, 'What time do you close?', they told me, 'Don't worry about that, just eat slowly.'
You really have to have fried rice to finish off the meal!
The fried rice, mixed with the meat fat and side dishes left on the iron plate, condensing all the umami, was the best.
I was very satisfied with dinner on the first day, thank you for the meal.
⑤ Night Walk and the Usual Thing
After dinner, I went back to Seong-an-gil to scout out the state of the city.
I had heard that nights in regional cities end early, but by around 9:30 PM, almost all the shops were closed.
However, there was still a fair amount of foot traffic, and it seemed safe.
It was lit up with various lights, and although the shops were closed, it was bright enough to feel safe.
And then, off to the arcade, a staple of every trip to Korea.
There were many arcades with neon lights so bright they felt like something out of the Showa era.
Every time I come to Korea, I play the UFO catcher at the arcade, and of course, I did it this time too.
For some reason, I ran into a Kahala Resort suntanned Kitty here...
It even had a tag on it, but of course, it's a knockoff, right? (Someone should tell them off for that.)
And with that, the first day, which was our travel day, came to an end.
Tomorrow, I plan to go out and do some active sightseeing!
To be continued on Day 2 ↓