Inside Iksan :
The Ancient Capital Reborn as South Korea’s Sleek Transit Hub
For decades, travelers simply passed through Iksan on their way to the culinary alleys of Jeonju or the coastal stretches of Mokpo. But those who step off the platform today find a city that quietly holds the keys to Korea’s soul. This is a place where 1,400-year-old Baekje dynasty ruins rest comfortably alongside sharp modern infrastructure—a city that reinvented itself by merging its historic heart with the gritty, colonial-era railroad town of Iri in 1995.
Today, anchored by one of Korea’s major KTX stations, Iksan serves as the essential transit gateway of the southwest. It is slick, highly connected, and unexpectedly poetic.
The 8 Wonders of Iksan: A Curated Guide
1. Mireuksa Temple Site (미륵사지)
The definitive crown jewel of Baekje kingdom architecture. This UNESCO World Heritage site houses the oldest and largest stone pagoda in Korea. After a meticulous 20-year restoration process, the structure stands as a masterpiece of ancient engineering, mimicking the flexible bracket systems of traditional wooden temples using solid stone blocks.
2. Wanggung-ri Historic Site (왕궁리 유적)
The remnants of King Mu’s dream palace. Walking through the open earthen ramparts and standing before the solitary five-story stone pagoda at twilight feels like stepping directly into an ink wash painting. The onsite museum elegantly details the sophisticated drainage and water systems built here over a millennium ago.
3. The Quirky Prison Set (이상한 교도소 세트장)
South Korea’s only specialized prison filming location—and an ironic viral sensation. This former elementary school campus was transformed into a realistic penitentiary backdrop used in countless K-dramas and movies. Visitors can rent inmate uniforms or guard outfits for a surreal, playful photo session.
4. Iksan Jewelry Museum (보석 박물관)
A glittering nod to Iksan’s 1970s status as a booming diamond-cutting and gemstone manufacturing center. Shaped like a giant gemstone itself, the museum showcases over 110,000 rare pieces, including an intricate, life-sized jewel-encrusted replica of the Mireuksa pagoda.
5. Won-Buddhism Headquarters (원불교 중앙총부)
A serene sanctuary dedicated to Won-Buddhism, a modern, reformed school of Buddhism founded in Korea in the early 20th century. The complex is an architectural marvel of simplicity, featuring humble, beautifully preserved early 20th-century buildings nestled amidst quiet, manicured pine groves.
6. Nabawi Catholic Church (나바위 성당)
Perched near the Geumgang River, this historic church marks the spot where Andrew Kim Taegon, Korea’s first Catholic priest, landed in 1845. The building itself is a fascinating architectural hybrid, featuring a traditional Korean tiled roof (giwa) built over Western-style brick walls and Gothic arched windows.
7. Agape Garden (아가페 정원)
Originally opened in the 1970s as a private senior care sanctuary, this hidden forest has transformed into a public botanical masterpiece. The undeniable highlight is its breathtaking “Metasequoia Path”—a dense, towering corridor of metasequoia trees that forms an ethereal green tunnel.
8. Kosrak garden (고스락)
An expansive, organic traditional sauce estate spread over nearly 30 acres. The draw here isn’t just the pristine fermented condiments, but the hypnotic sight of roughly 4,000 onggi (traditional earthenware jars, 옹기) lined up in sweeping geometric rows across hills covered in wild grass and stone paths.
How to Get There
Hop on the Honam KTX line from Seoul’s Yongsan Station.
In just 70 sleek minutes, you’ll step off the platform and straight into Korea’s most understated, culturally layered secret.
Tip for the Jetsetter
If you only have one afternoon, time your visit to Wanggung-ri right before dusk. Watch the sun dip below the five-story stone pagoda, then catch the evening train back to the capital. It’s the ultimate high-speed, high-culture escape.
The KTX Advantage: Located right at the crossroads of the Honam line, Iksan Station connects you directly to downtown Seoul in just over an hour. It makes this historic destination the perfect, low-stress day trip or weekend escape from the capital.
The Final Note: A City of Intersections
As night falls over Iksan, the hum of the KTX trains echoes gently in the distance—a reminder of how effortlessly this city bridges its fractured past. To love Iksan is to understand the beauty of layers. It is a place where ancient kings dreamed of empires beneath the same soil where modern rail lines now pulse with life.
You come here looking for history, but you leave carrying something much rarer: the quiet realization that time doesn’t simply pass here—it lives alongside the present.
Behind these prison walls, hundreds of stories have come to life.
Welcome to Korea’s most iconic prison film set.
🎬 Iksan in Film & Drama
- Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013, 7번방의 선물) Starring: Ryu Seung-ryong, Kal So-won, Park Shin-hye
One of Korea’s most beloved films, with memorable prison scenes filmed at the Iksan Prison Set. - The Prison (2017, 프리즌) Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Kim Rae-won
A gripping crime thriller that brought Korea’s most famous prison film set to life. - Tazza: The High Rollers (2006, 타짜) Starring: Cho Seung-woo, Kim Hye-soo, Baek Yoon-sik
Several prison scenes were filmed at the Iksan Prison Set, now one of Korea’s best-known filming locations. - Divorce Attorney Shin (2023, 신성한, 이혼) Starring: Cho Seung-woo, Han Hye-jin
Modern courtroom and prison scenes were filmed at the Iksan Prison Set, highlighting its versatility as a filming location. - Delightfully Deceitful (2023, 이로운 사기) Starring: Chun Woo-hee, Kim Dong-wook
Another recent drama showcasing the realism of Korea’s only dedicated prison film set.
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