Jinju(진주, 晋州), formerly Chinju, is in South Gyeongsang province, South Korea.
Orienting yourself in Jinju is easy. Jinju is a central city among the regions in the south of Korea. The town is cut in half by the Nam River (Namgang), with Jinju Fortress, downtown, most hotels, the commercial-residential sprawl and the intercity bus station all on the north bank. The train station and the express bus station lie on the south bank. Jinju is a small and medium-sized city with a population of about 350,000, but it is an educational city with two colleges and three national universities.
As is true elsewhere in Korea, a grasp of basic Korean will be helpful. See South Korea#Talk for detailed advice.
- Jinju Fortress, 626 Namgang-ro, Jinju-si, +82 55-749-5171. daily 9AM-6PM. Originally, the castle was made of clay, but later the stone was turned into material. Most sights in Jinju are located on the grounds here, at the west end of the north bank. General Kim Si-min fought here when the Imjin War broke out. Jinju's moment of glory came in 1592 during the Imjin War, when a force of just 3,800 Koreans held off an invading army of 20,000 Japanese. Unfortunately, the Japanese came back the next year with an army of 70,000 — Jinju was finally crushed and all defenders were killed or committed suicide. The night scenery of the fortress is also a breathtaking sight and a must-see. Also called Jinju Castle. Admission to the fortress grounds costs ₩1000. Parking is available in front of the fortress, at ₩500 per 30 minutes for small and medium sized vehicles, and ₩1000 per 30 minutes for large vehicles.
- Chokseongnu Pavilion, +82 055-749-5171. 9AM-6PM. Chokseongnu is in Jinju-seong. CNN ranked one of the 50 best places to hear if you visit Korea. The command base during the battles of Jinju, this beautiful pavilion is next to the cliff with commanding views across the river. During days of peace, civil service exams were held here. ₩1,000(Price included in Jinju-seong Admission).
- Jinju National Museum. Tu-Su 9AM-5PM. At the west end of the fortress. A small but well-presented branch of the National Museum specializing in the Imjin War. The museum also has a large collection of materials on exchanges between South Korea and Japan. Labeling in English is a little spotty but mostly sufficient. An interesting (if rather propagandistic) 3D film on the First Battle of Jinju is shown hourly for free. ₩1000.
- Nongae Shrine. Commemorates the gisaeng (courtesan) Nongae, who seduced a Japanese general after their victory in the second battle, and with her arms wrapped around him plunged from the cliff to her — and his — death. The yearly Nongae Festival commemorates the event.
- Musical Fountain. This fountain is a must-see for any visitor to Jinju. An impressive water and light show is put on by the fountain in time to a selection of songs ranging from classical to popular music. Shows are at regular intervals beginning after dark (exact times depend on the season). This is a popular gathering place for couples and families in the summer.
A few sights of minor interest are scattered elsewhere around town.
- Eunyeolsa Shrine. The birthplace of Confucian scholar Gang Mincheom, the shrine is small but picture-perfect.
- Jinyang river, 130, Namgang-ro 1beon-gil, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do South Korea, +82 055-749-5933. Summer (March-October) 09: 00-18: 00, Winter season (November-February) 09: 00-17: 00. Jinyang Lake is an artificial lake and a lake where the Gyeong-ho River flowing from Sancheong-gun, Gyeong-sang namdo and Deokcheon River flowing from Jinju-si, Gyeong-sangnamdo meet. In spring, many cherry trees bloom near lakes and zoos, attracting many tourists from both families and lovers. free for lake (ZOO : Adults (persons ₩1,000/ group ₩800) Youths, military police (persons ₩800/ group ₩600) Children (persons ₩500/ group ₩400) However, children under 7 years old, preschool children, aged 65 and over are free).
Jinju Fortress, 626 Namgang-ro, Jinju-si, +82 55-749-5171. daily 9AM-6PM. Originally, the castle was made of clay, but later the stone was turned into material. Most sights in Jinju are located on the grounds here, at the west end of the north bank. General Kim Si-min fought here when the Imjin War broke out. Jinju's moment of glory came in 1592 during the Imjin War, when a force of just 3,800 Koreans held off an invading army of 20,000 Japanese. Unfortunately, the Japanese came back the next year with an army of 70,000 — Jinju was finally crushed and all defenders were killed or committed suicide. The night scenery of the fortress is also a breathtaking sight and a must-see. Also called Jinju Castle. Admission to the fortress grounds costs ₩1000. Parking is available in front of the fortress, at ₩500 per 30 minutes for small and medium sized vehicles, and ₩1000 per 30 minutes for large vehicles.
Chokseongnu Pavilion, +82 055-749-5171. 9AM-6PM. Chokseongnu is in Jinju-seong. CNN ranked one of the 50 best places to hear if you visit Korea. The command base during the battles of Jinju, this beautiful pavilion is next to the cliff with commanding views across the river. During days of peace, civil service exams were held here. ₩1,000(Price included in Jinju-seong Admission).
Jinju National Museum. Tu-Su 9AM-5PM. At the west end of the fortress. A small but well-presented branch of the National Museum specializing in the Imjin War. The museum also has a large collection of materials on exchanges between South Korea and Japan. Labeling in English is a little spotty but mostly sufficient. An interesting (if rather propagandistic) 3D film on the First Battle of Jinju is shown hourly for free. ₩1000.
Nongae Shrine. Commemorates the gisaeng (courtesan) Nongae, who seduced a Japanese general after their victory in the second battle, and with her arms wrapped around him plunged from the cliff to her — and his — death. The yearly Nongae Festival commemorates the event.
Musical Fountain. This fountain is a must-see for any visitor to Jinju. An impressive water and light show is put on by the fountain in time to a selection of songs ranging from classical to popular music. Shows are at regular intervals beginning after dark (exact times depend on the season). This is a popular gathering place for couples and families in the summer.
Eunyeolsa Shrine. The birthplace of Confucian scholar Gang Mincheom, the shrine is small but picture-perfect.
Jinyang river, 130, Namgang-ro 1beon-gil, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do South Korea, +82 055-749-5933. Summer (March-October) 09: 00-18: 00, Winter season (November-February) 09: 00-17: 00. Jinyang Lake is an artificial lake and a lake where the Gyeong-ho River flowing from Sancheong-gun, Gyeong-sang namdo and Deokcheon River flowing from Jinju-si, Gyeong-sangnamdo meet. In spring, many cherry trees bloom near lakes and zoos, attracting many tourists from both families and lovers. free for lake (ZOO : Adults (persons ₩1,000/ group ₩800) Youths, military police (persons ₩800/ group ₩600) Children (persons ₩500/ group ₩400) However, children under 7 years old, preschool children, aged 65 and over are free).
- Nongae Festival. held in May each year. The Nongae Festival commemorates and celebrates the sacrifice of the beautiful and patriotic gisaeng (professional Korean entertainer) Nongae's suicide-assassination of a Japanese general together with the 70,000 Koreans who lost their lives in the battle of Jinju Castle during the Imjin War. The festival features an emotional reenactment of Nongae's suicidal drowning of a Japanese general from ‘uiam bawi’ (righteous rock) below Chokseongnu (Jinju castle pavilion) on the banks of the Nam River.
- Jinju National Bullfighting Contest. held at a purpose-built traditional Korean sports arena near Jinyang lake in August.. The Jinju National Bullfighting Contest is recognized as Korea's oldest bullfighting event and spectators can witness a test of strength at this bullfighting contest.
- Gaecheon Arts Festival. annually held from October 3 to 10. The entire city turns to the streets for celebration at Korea's first provincial culture art festival, which awakens the artistic spirit of the Korean people. The festival falls around Gaecheonjeol (National Foundation Day) and is widely regarded as one of Korea's finest.
- Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival. held in October for approximately ten days. This nationally designated cultural tourism festival, found only in Jinju, features a spectacle of lanterns floating on the Nam River to commemorate the patriotic spirit of the 70,000 militia corps and government troops who died for their country defending Jinju from the Japanese forces during the Imjin War (1592–1598).
Nongae Festival. held in May each year. The Nongae Festival commemorates and celebrates the sacrifice of the beautiful and patriotic gisaeng (professional Korean entertainer) Nongae's suicide-assassination of a Japanese general together with the 70,000 Koreans who lost their lives in the battle of Jinju Castle during the Imjin War. The festival features an emotional reenactment of Nongae's suicidal drowning of a Japanese general from ‘uiam bawi’ (righteous rock) below Chokseongnu (Jinju castle pavilion) on the banks of the Nam River.
Jinju National Bullfighting Contest. held at a purpose-built traditional Korean sports arena near Jinyang lake in August.. The Jinju National Bullfighting Contest is recognized as Korea's oldest bullfighting event and spectators can witness a test of strength at this bullfighting contest.
Gaecheon Arts Festival. annually held from October 3 to 10. The entire city turns to the streets for celebration at Korea's first provincial culture art festival, which awakens the artistic spirit of the Korean people. The festival falls around Gaecheonjeol (National Foundation Day) and is widely regarded as one of Korea's finest.
Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival. held in October for approximately ten days. This nationally designated cultural tourism festival, found only in Jinju, features a spectacle of lanterns floating on the Nam River to commemorate the patriotic spirit of the 70,000 militia corps and government troops who died for their country defending Jinju from the Japanese forces during the Imjin War (1592–1598).
There are two movie theaters in Jinju. Lotte Cinema is located downtown. MBC Cinema is located on the east side of town.
Visit this site to check movie titles and show times. Select “Gyeongsang” Province. “CVG” is MBC and the other is Lotte Cinema.
If the movie is in English, it will have Korean subtitles. If the movie uses subtitles to communicate character dialogue from a different language, it will only be in Korean.
Gyeongsang National University (GNU, Gyeonsang Daehak-gyo, 경상대학교) is located in the southern part of Jinju. They offer Korean-language classes each semester. For information, contact gnukorean@gnu.ac.kr .
- Taekwondo, Korea's most popular martial art.
- There are a variety of gyms in Jinju.
- If you look around your neighborhood, you might be able to see PT signs. That stands for "personal trainer.” There are a few by Gyeongsang National University (GNU, Gyeonsang Daehak-gyo, 경상대학교). There’s a boxing gym in I-hyeon-dong (I-hyeon neighborhood), on the ground floor of the sports stadium.
- Bellydancing. Location: The class occurs near the GNU Hospital, near 경상대학교 평생교육원. The beginner’s class is Wednesdays, 7-10PM. The intermediate class is Wednesdays, 10AM-noon. Bellydance =벨리 댄스 in Korean. Beginner =초금 in Korean. Intermediate = 중급 in Korean.
- Rock climbing gym. It's a bouldering gym, there is no top-roping. The gym is in the community center, downtown. Directions: "Stand in front of Lotte Cinema. Get across the road, and walk to the left towards Angels and Us. Turn right into that road, walk past the first little street and the next building on your right is the community center."
- Yoga. There are a few different yoga studios in Jinju. There’s a yoga place across the road from Gyeongsang University, Gajwadong. There’s also a yoga place called “Bobby Hot Yoga” across the road from McDonalds in Pyeonggeo-dong.
- Marathons. There are several marathons throughout the year in Jinju.
There´s an excellent silk outlet across the street from the fortress (촉석루) towards the main bridge. The prices are good and the quality and selection are excellent.
If you want to experience a local traditional flea market, you could swing by Joong-ang central market ("Joong-Ahng-Shee-Jhang = 중앙시장". Come and get a glimpse into the daily lives of the people of Jinju at this market with over a 100 year history. At Joongang market shoppers can browse through the medicine and hanbok (traditional Korean dress) street, restaurant street, and street vendor street. The central underground shopping mall, south of Jinju central intersection, offers an array of medicinal products, accessories, cosmetics, clothing and living products. Also, there are many little shops (가게/상점) throughout the city where you can buy goods.
Jinju now has three major department stores - E-Mart, Galleria and Homeplus, where you can purchase foods stuffs, including some western type foods, clothing, footwear, electrical goods, bedding and household goods. Both, also include a food court, where you can sit and eat western style take-away foods or a large variety of traditional Korean foods. Emart and Galleria are both close to the center of the city; Emart is a little to the west, and Galleria is a little north. Homeplus is on the east side of the city. Food/groceries are on the basement level of these department stores.
There are several Hi-marts, LG stores, and Samsung stores throughout the city, for your electronic/appliance needs.
Grocery stores are found everywhere in Jinju, from small family operated grocery stores, to the upmarket chain convenience stores like GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, etc. These grocery stores generally operate 24 hours for your convience. At these stores you can purchase items like, milk, soft drinks, beer, cigarettes, snack foods and general grocery items.
If you are planning to set up house in Jinju, there are furniture shops in Jinju that can provide most of your requirements, whether you are looking for new or second hand furniture and appliances.Linen and bedding stores are also available and there is also two outdoor markets in Jinju where you can purchase all of these things. Personal gardens are pretty much non-existent in Jinju, however, there are plenty of shops where you can buy indoor plants and pots and all the tools to satisfy your green thumb.
There are a number of book stores in Jinju; however most only stock Korean literature. The bookstore, on the basement floor of the MBC building in Hotan-Dong, does have some English language and reading books. It is almost impossible to find English newspapers in Jinju, the internet being the only way to keep up with overseas news and current events.
Jinju has its own version of bibimbap (비빔밥), which is rice topped with all sorts of goodies. The Jinju style, also known as kkotbap (flower rice) or chilbohwaban (seven-color flower rice), is distinguished by using raw meat! (Not to be confused with the rather more famous Jeonju bibimbap.)
Another local delicacy is broiled eel (장어구이 jangeo-gui), eaten bulgogi-style with a dab of gochujang paste and wrapped in a sesame leaf.
- Kwan Namgaek Sikdang. Coffee, drinks and pretty decent bibimbap sets (₩5000). There's a bizarre collection of totem poles outside to stare at while you wait for your order.
- Yujeongjangeo, 경남 짐주시 진주성로 2 (north bank just west of the bridge, +82 55-746-9235. Specializes in amazing grilled eel. No English sign but easily spotted (it's the ornate traditional house). ₩22,000 for a saltwater Anguilla eel and the works, ₩27,000 for freshwater Conger eel, each set is designed to serves two if you order rice on the side (an extra ₩1,000). They'll halve the eel you get if you go in alone, but don't expect a discount. Open late which is good for festival goers.
Kwan Namgaek Sikdang. Coffee, drinks and pretty decent bibimbap sets (₩5000). There's a bizarre collection of totem poles outside to stare at while you wait for your order.
Yujeongjangeo, 경남 짐주시 진주성로 2 (north bank just west of the bridge, +82 55-746-9235. Specializes in amazing grilled eel. No English sign but easily spotted (it's the ornate traditional house). ₩22,000 for a saltwater Anguilla eel and the works, ₩27,000 for freshwater Conger eel, each set is designed to serves two if you order rice on the side (an extra ₩1,000). They'll halve the eel you get if you go in alone, but don't expect a discount. Open late which is good for festival goers.
See South Korea#Drink for general guidance to nightlife in Korea.
Jinju has a few bars and clubs. Pyeonggeo-dong (평거동, west side of town) has quite a few bars and clubs. For example, Umbrella Bar is quite popular. Umbrella Bar is called 우산 in Korean. Address: 우산, 평거동, 진주시. +82 55-745-9305
There are also many bars and clubs near Gyeongsang National University (GNU, Gyeonsang Daehak-gyo, 경상대학교), on the south side of town. Some people say that the tap water is drinkable, but others would recommend drinking bottled water, which is widely available.
Jinju is a very safe city. Pickpocketing is not very common and violent crime is minimal.
See South_Korea#Stay_safe for more advice.
Internet cafes known as PC bang (PC 방) (pr: pee-shee-bang) are common, and usually cost anywhere from ₩800-2,000/hr. Most have printers at the front desk.
Post offices are sprinkled around Jinju, although many are hidden on smaller roads and alleys. Most post offices sell boxes and packing materials. They probably don't speak English, or if they do, they only speak a little bit.
If you want to buy an international phone card, you can look in stores like 7-Eleven, CU, or GS25. If the convenience stores don’t have any, then you can check the Asian food stores. Option 1: There’s a Chinese shop next to the Intercity Bus Terminal that has international phone cards. Option 2: there’s a Pakistani shop near City Hall. It's just off the road that goes past City Hall, in the Homeplus direction, down an alley, on the right. They’re cheap and last for about 4 hours.
Pharmacies are everywhere. While most are labeled only in Korean, the signage and Hangul character is easy to recognize; 약 (pronounced “yak”) means medicine. Most pharmacists speak some English.
Vaccinations/inoculations: the place to get vaccines is at the Public Health Center, on the second floor. The Public Health Center is across the street from E-Mart, in Insadong (인사동). They do not speak English there.
Hospitals:
- Gyeongsang University Hospital (055) 750-8282
- Jinju Goryeo Hospital (055) 751-2525
- Jeil Hospital (055) 750-7119
- Bando Hospital (055) 749-0200
- Jinju Medical Clinic (055) 740-8281
- Hanil Hospital (055) 750-1333
- Emmaus Hospital (055) 749-9000. Pan-mun-dong neighborhood.
Dentists: There are several good dentists in Jinju. The Korean word for “dentist” is치과 (chi-gwa).
- Ye Dentist (예치과)., Jinju city, Sinandong 13-1 Ye Building, second floor (경상남도 진주시 신안동 13-1 예빌딩 2층), +82 55-747-2828. The receptionists’ English is poor, but the dentist’s English is very good. He does a lot of cosmetic dental work as well.
- Mir Dentist (진주미르치과병원)., Jinju city, Chilam-dong 510-8 (경상남도 진주시 칠암동 510-8), +82 55-745-8180.
Optician (Eye Doctors): there is an INOTI in Pyeonggo-dong (Pyeonggo neighborhood) which can help you with your glasses. The employees there speak enough English to get the job done.
Chiropractors. The nearest chiropractor is in Masan (마산), a one-hour-long bus ride away. Name: Taeg Su Choi, D.C. 최택수. Address: Woo sung B/D 4F, 84-30, Hapsung-dong, Masan City, GN, South Korea (경남 마산시 합성동 84-30 우성빌딩 4층). If you copy-and-paste the address into Naver Maps, you'll get a good map of the area, and you'll see that it's really close to the Masan Intercity Bus Terminal. Phone numbers: +82 55-292-8279 / +82 55-292-8279. Email addresses: chirochoi@naver.com, www.chirochoi.com Hours: M-W F 9:30AM–6AM. Th 2PM–6PM. Lunch hour: 1PM-2PM. The chiropractor speaks English.
Thai Massage. In Pyeonggeo-dong (neighborhood on the west side of town), there's a Thai massage place. The ladies there don't speak English; it's called Thai Feeling 태국전통휠링센타. 010-6399-8882. If you know the Korean alphabet, you can sound out "sports massage", etc., on their list of offered massages. It's usually about ₩60,000 for an hour. Latitude and longitude: 35.171592, 128.063206. If you just copy-and-paste the latitude and longitude into GoogleMaps, it should pop up with the location. The massage place is on the same block as a 7-Eleven and a Paris Baguette. The massage place is on the second floor of the building. The outside of the building says "Chinese foot massage" and has pictures of people getting massages, but the inside of the building says "Thai feeling".
Some people with sensitive stomachs should use caution when dining in Korea as some of the local cuisine is heavily spiced with copious amounts of pepper and garlic.
Ye Dentist (예치과)., Jinju city, Sinandong 13-1 Ye Building, second floor (경상남도 진주시 신안동 13-1 예빌딩 2층), +82 55-747-2828. The receptionists’ English is poor, but the dentist’s English is very good. He does a lot of cosmetic dental work as well.
Mir Dentist (진주미르치과병원)., Jinju city, Chilam-dong 510-8 (경상남도 진주시 칠암동 510-8), +82 55-745-8180.
International English Church (Jinju Sungnam Church, 성남교회) meets on Sundays at 1:30PM for English speakers, including foreigners and Koreans. They host an American-style Thanksgiving dinner for the Jinju community every November.
Jinju Church (진주교회) is international and non-denominational. Worship followed by lunch is on Sunday at 11AM. There is also Bible study after lunch for all who want to stay.
Air quality is fine. Jinju is a smaller city, so the air is clean. However, some Koreans sometimes wear different types of masks outdoors for allergies, smog and yellow dust storms (mostly in March–April). Mongolian yellow dust storms were regarded as dangerous long before industrialization began in Asia. Now these storms pick up trace amounts of toxins in the Chinese industry belt.
Haircuts. If you go to Emart in Insadong, there's a hair shop in the Emart. Inside this shop, there is a person (James, or "제임스" in Korean) who speaks English. Address: Jinju Emart, 3 Insadong, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do (in Korean: 진주이마트점. 경남 진주시 인사동 3번지 [이마트 진주점 1층]. Telephone: 055-747-8322. James doesn't work on Thursdays. Open 10AM-10PM.
Mostly, Koreans are very curious about foreigners. Many will gawk and stare while others will practice their English. For the most part, Koreans are very friendly on the street and will take great pains to be helpful, despite the above attitudes. If working in Korea, one should do a little reading on Confucianism and how it translates into social standing.