Gangjin's Byeongyeong Pork Bulgogi
KoreaSouth Jeolla · GangjinGangjin's Byeongyeong Pork Bulgogi: Coal-Grilled Pork From a 500-Year Garrison Town
Byeongyeong-myeon in Gangjin was home to the Joseon-era army headquarters for Jeolla Province, and the place where Hendrick Hamel lived for seven years. Here, spicy marinated pork is grilled over coal briquettes on a wire rack and served with a spread of southern side dishes. Here is the local origin tale, how it is grilled, the near-banquet table, and how to enjoy it.
A Garrison Town and Its Grilled Pork
Byeongyeong-myeon in Gangjin County, South Jeolla, has military roots right in its name, which means "army camp." The Jeolla Byeongyeong Fortress here was built in 1417, the 17th year of King Taejong, by army commander Ma Cheon-mok, and is said to have served for nearly 500 years, until 1895, as the headquarters commanding the army of Jeolla Province and Jeju. Today Byeongyeong's signature food is pork bulgogi grilled over coal briquettes. Thinly sliced pork is marinated in a spicy red sauce, laid on a wire grill and cooked over briquette fire, and in true southwestern style it comes with a table full of side dishes. In 2023 the Korea Tourism Organization picked the Gangjin Byeongyeong Pork Bulgogi Street as one of its recommended destinations for October. Different in both ingredient and cooking method from the familiar beef bulgogi, it is a meat dish all Gangjin's own.
The Magistrate, His Nephew and a Feast
Byeongyeong's pork bulgogi comes with a story. A new army commander was posted to the fortress, and as it happened he was the nephew of the Gangjin county magistrate. Wanting to honor his elder relative properly, the commander laid on a feast, and on that table was pork brushed with seasoning and grilled. Ever since, the story goes, people in Byeongyeong have regarded pork bulgogi as a dish to serve honored guests. Neither the date nor the identities in this tale are confirmed by records, though, so enjoy it as local lore. What is certain is that restaurants grilling pork bulgogi still cluster along Byeongyeongseong-ro in the town.
Briquette Fire and Wire Grill
Byeongyeong pork bulgogi is described as thinly sliced pork tossed in a spicy red marinade, clamped in a wire grill and cooked over coal briquettes. Briquettes burn evenly and for a long time, which suits slow-cooking thin meat without burning it. The smoky aroma that rises as marinade and fat drip from the grill onto the coals is the dish's real charm. The cut and the marinade differ from one restaurant to the next. Some use pork shoulder (front leg), others use belly, so the flavor varies even along the same street. At many places the meat is fully grilled in the kitchen and brought out on a plate, so guests simply eat it hot without doing any grilling themselves. It is commonly eaten with shredded green onion salad or wrapped in lettuce.
A Banquet-Like Table and Gangjin Tohajeot
The other draw of Byeongyeong pork bulgogi is the spread. 2023 reports say that depending on the restaurant, side dishes such as fermented skate (hongeo), boiled pressed pork, grilled fish and salted seafood come along, making a table generous enough to rival a hanjeongsik banquet. Gangjin has long been known for southern-style hanjeongsik too, so even ordering one plate of bulgogi gives you a taste of the region's side dish culture. One frequent guest on the table is Gangjin tohajeot, a jeotgal made from toha, tiny freshwater shrimp that live in rice paddies and clean streams. It is said to be a particular favorite of longtime locals around Gangjin, Mokpo and Haenam. Salty and deeply savory, it is great dabbed on a piece of pork or mixed into rice. Side dishes vary from place to place, so don't set fixed expectations; just enjoy the table of the day.
Pair It With the Fortress and Hamel's Story
There are sights close by for before or after your meal. You can walk the restored walls of the Jeolla Byeongyeong Fortress, and the nearby Hamel Memorial Hall tells the story of Hamel's Journal. The Dutchman Hendrick Hamel and his crew are known to have arrived in Byeongyeong, Gangjin in 1656 and lived here for seven years. In 2023, from May to the end of October (with a summer break), Gangjin County ran "Bulgeum Bulpa," short for "Fiery Friday Bulgogi Party," on Friday and Saturday afternoons in the square of the Byeongyeong five-day market. Women from the village association grilled the pork themselves and served it with lettuce, side dishes and tohajeot for 9,000 won per person, along with live performances and beer evoking Hamel. Whether and when the event is held can change from year to year, so check Gangjin County's information first. On ordinary days you can enjoy the dish anytime at restaurants along Byeongyeongseong-ro.