Cheongjinok

Cheongjinok (Korean: 청진옥) is a historic Korean restaurant in Cheongjin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. It is the sixth-oldest active restaurant in Seoul, having been founded in 1937. It specializes in the hangover soup dish haejang-guk. In 2013, it was made a Seoul Future Heritage in recognition of its historical value and quality. The restaurant was founded in 1937 (during the Japanese colonial period, when Seoul was called Keijō), near its current location, by couple Choi Dong-seon (최동선) and Lee Gan-nan (이간난). It was founded in around a time when there were many lumberjacks who worked in the area; it was popular among this demographic. Reportedly, early in its history, rice was scarce, so it was commonplace for people to bring their own rice with them to the restaurant. Like with another soup dish seolleongtang, haejang-guk was popular amongst the working class and seen as a representative dish of Keijō. Eventually, the restaurant was passed onto the second generation of owners: Choi Chang-ik and Kim Jae-in. They gave way to a third generation; Choi Chang-ik died in 2005.