KOREA GUIDE
Finding New Journey to the West filming locations in Korea is harder than it first appears.
The show traveled across different countries and Korean regions, while many online location lists mix confirmed filming areas with pensions, restaurants, and private properties that may no longer operate or welcome casual visitors.
For a fan trip, the better approach is to focus on places that have a clear connection to the program and still make sense as real travel destinations. The strongest options include Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach from Season 7 and Chuja Island from Season 8.
Quick Answer
The production team confirmed that New Journey to the West 7 filmed around Gongju's Gyeryongsan area and Sokcho. The Korea Tourism Organization specifically identifies Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach in Goseong as locations that appeared in Season 7. tvN's official Season 8 information confirms a route through Jirisan, Yeongwol, Chuja Island, and Jeju Island.
Important: Check Before Visiting Filming Locations
A confirmed filming region does not mean every pension, restaurant, house, or production property is open to visitors. Businesses can close or change access rules, and Chuja Island ferry service can be affected by weather and operating schedules. Use public tourist sites where possible, confirm current information before departure, and never enter private property simply to recreate a scene.
1. Which Seasons Were Filmed in Korea?
Season 7 and Season 8 are the most useful starting points for travelers looking for New Journey to the West filming locations inside Korea.
Earlier seasons of the variety show became famous for overseas journeys, including destinations in China and other parts of Asia. Season 7 shifted the format toward domestic Korean locations.
Before the October 2019 premiere of Season 7, producer Park Hyun-yong confirmed that filming had taken place around Gongju's Gyeryongsan area and Sokcho. The production team explained that Gyeryongsan was chosen for the Taoist-themed concept, while Sokcho matched the season's retro travel concept.
Season 8 continued the domestic format in 2020. tvN's official episode information traces the season through Jirisan, Yeongwol, Chuja Island, and Jeju Island.
| Season |
Confirmed Area |
Best for Fans |
Verification Level |
| Season 7 |
Gongju / Gyeryongsan |
Regional fan trip |
Production team confirmed |
| Season 7 |
Sokcho / Goseong |
Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach |
Production team and Korea Tourism Organization |
| Season 8 |
Jirisan / Yeongwol |
Regional travel |
tvN official episode information |
| Season 8 |
Chuja Island |
Dedicated fan destination |
tvN official episode information |
| Season 8 |
Jeju Island |
Combine with a wider Jeju trip |
tvN official episode information |
This distinction matters because a filming region and an exact filming property are not the same thing. A reliable fan guide should say when only the broader region is officially confirmed instead of inventing a precise address.
2. Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach
Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach are the clearest New Journey to the West 7 filming locations for travelers who want an actual place to visit.
The Korea Tourism Organization directly identifies both places in Goseong as locations that appeared in Season 7. Unlike a private pension or temporary filming set, both are established public travel destinations.
Cheongganjeong — 청간정
Cheongganjeong is a historic seaside pavilion in Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon State. It is one of the northernmost pavilions traditionally associated with the scenic Gwandong Palgyeong.
The attraction is the landscape rather than a recreated television set. Pine trees, the pavilion, the East Sea, and distant mountain scenery create the same kind of coastal atmosphere that made this part of Gangwon attractive for the program.
| Korean Name |
청간정 |
| Area |
Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon State |
| Filming Connection |
Identified by the Korea Tourism Organization as appearing in New Journey to the West 7 |
| Visit Type |
Public sightseeing attraction |
| Best Photo |
Use the pavilion structure to frame the East Sea rather than trying to match a television screenshot exactly. |
| Nearby Stop |
Ayajin Beach |
For navigation, search the Korean name 청간정 in Naver Map or Kakao Map. Checking the Korean place name is more reliable than depending on a translated spelling.
Ayajin Beach — 아야진해변
Ayajin Beach is the natural second stop because it is only a short distance from Cheongganjeong.
The Korea Tourism Organization groups the two locations together in its New Journey to the West 7 travel coverage. The beach is known for clear East Sea water, sandy sections, and small rocky areas along the coast.
| Korean Name |
아야진해변 |
| Area |
Toseong-myeon, Goseong-gun, Gangwon State |
| Filming Connection |
Identified by the Korea Tourism Organization as appearing in New Journey to the West 7 |
| Visit Type |
Public beach area |
| Best Time |
Daylight is best for the sea color and coastal photographs. Swimming-season facilities are seasonal. |
| Private Property? |
The beach itself is a public travel destination, but nearby homes and businesses remain private property. |
Do not climb onto slippery or wave-exposed rocks simply to reproduce a camera angle from the program. Coastal conditions change quickly, especially outside the summer beach season.
How to Visit from Seoul
The practical base for these locations is Sokcho or northern Gangwon rather than Seoul itself.
Travelers coming from Seoul can take an intercity or express bus toward Sokcho, then continue toward Goseong by local bus or taxi. The best connection depends on the accommodation, arrival terminal, and live local route.
Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach are close enough to combine, so there is little reason to make separate long-distance trips for each location.
3. Gongju and Gyeryongsan
Gongju and the Gyeryongsan area are confirmed New Journey to the West 7 filming territory, but this section requires more caution than the Goseong coast.
Before Season 7 aired, producer Park Hyun-yong stated that the program had filmed in Gongju's Gyeryongsan area. The location matched the season's Taoist-themed concept.
That production statement verifies the region. It does not automatically verify every accommodation, pension, restaurant, or building that later appeared in fan-made filming-location lists.
What Fans Can Safely Visit
Gyeryongsan National Park and Gongju are normal travel destinations with temples, mountain scenery, historical sites, cafés, and accommodation. A fan can visit the region without needing access to a private filming property.
If the goal is simply to experience the landscape behind the Season 7 concept, a normal Gongju or Gyeryongsan trip is the better choice.
What This Guide Does Not Recommend
This guide does not provide an unverified pension address and tell fans to walk onto the property.
Accommodation businesses may change ownership, close, renovate, restrict non-guests, or look completely different years after filming. Even when an old television location is correctly identified, filming there does not create permanent public access.
If you find a specific property through another source, confirm three things before traveling: whether it is still operating, whether non-guests are allowed, and whether the area you want to see is actually open to the public.
4. Jirisan and Yeongwol in Season 8
Season 8 moved the domestic travel concept through several regions, beginning around Jirisan and later passing through Yeongwol.
tvN's official final-episode description summarizes the season's route as Jirisan, Yeongwol, Chuja Island, and Jeju Island.
Jirisan
Jirisan is one of Korea's largest mountain regions and stretches across more than one administrative area. For that reason, searching only “Jirisan filming location” can produce many unrelated pensions, restaurants, valleys, and tourist sites.
The television connection to the region is confirmed. A specific private property should still be treated as unverified unless the production, property owner, local tourism authority, or another reliable source confirms it.
For most foreign visitors, Jirisan is worth visiting because of the mountain landscape and regional travel experience, not because one old accommodation building may have appeared on screen.
Yeongwol
Yeongwol in Gangwon State is another officially referenced Season 8 destination.
It works better as part of a wider Yeongwol itinerary than as a quick filming-location detour. The area is inland, and attractions are spread more widely than they are in central Seoul or Busan.
If a fan trip includes Jirisan or Yeongwol, plan the transportation and accommodation first. The New Journey to the West connection should be an additional reason to visit rather than the only reason to make a complicated rural journey.
5. Chuja Island
Chuja Island is the strongest Season 8 destination for fans who want to turn the show into a real trip.
tvN's official Episode 7 preview describes the members becoming six different Chuja Island guides and reporting from different spots around the island. Episode 8 continues with the group's first morning on Chuja Island, and the final episode returns to footage introducing the island's scenery.
This makes Chuja different from a background location used only for accommodation. The island itself became part of the program's travel content.
Where Is Chuja Island?
Chuja Island, written 추자도 in Korean, is administratively part of Jeju City but lies between Jeju Island and the southern mainland.
Visit Jeju describes Chuja as a group centered on Sangchuja and Hachuja, with additional inhabited and uninhabited islands nearby. It has fishing villages, coastal scenery, walking routes, and local accommodation.
| Korean Name |
추자도 |
| Administrative Area |
Chuja-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province |
| Season |
New Journey to the West 8 |
| Episodes |
Chuja Island is prominently referenced in Episodes 7, 8, and 9, with additional footage revisited in the final episode. |
| Access |
Passenger ferry required |
| Best Trip Style |
Full-day or overnight island trip rather than a short Jeju sightseeing stop |
Do Not Treat Chuja as a Quick Jeju Detour
This is the biggest planning mistake fans can make.
Reaching Chuja requires a passenger ferry, and ferry schedules can change by route, season, vessel, weather, sea conditions, inspections, and port operations.
Visit Jeju currently lists ferry access from Jeju and provides operator information, but travelers should confirm the current sailing directly before booking accommodation or building a fixed itinerary.
A trip can also become an overnight stay if the desired return ferry does not fit the schedule. Build a weather buffer into any island plan.
Is Chuja Island Worth Visiting for the Show Alone?
For a serious Season 8 fan, yes, but only if island travel already sounds appealing.
The location has a stronger connection to the program than a single restaurant or lodging property because the cast moved through the island as part of the travel concept.
For a first-time visitor with only two or three days on Jeju, however, adding a ferry trip can consume too much time. In that case, watch the Chuja episodes again and save the island for a longer Korea trip.
6. Jeju Island
Jeju Island is officially confirmed as the final destination of the main Season 8 journey.
tvN's Episode 10 description states that the New Byeoljubujeon journey reached its final destination on Jeju Island. The episode included the cast's final games and activities on the island.
The challenge is that the official episode description verifies Jeju but does not provide a clean tourist list of every exact property used during filming.
Why This Matters
It is tempting to search Korean blogs, collect several restaurants and pensions, and label all of them “official New Journey to the West filming locations.” That creates a verification problem.
A business name may have changed, a location may have closed, or the visible television scene may have been filmed in a private section rather than an area open to ordinary customers.
For that reason, this guide treats Jeju as a confirmed Season 8 filming region without presenting weakly verified businesses as guaranteed fan attractions.
Combine It with a Normal Jeju Trip
If Jeju is already part of your Korea itinerary, the Season 8 connection is a fun addition rather than a reason to rebuild the entire trip.
The island requires enough time for long road distances, changing weather, buses or rental-car travel, and different accommodation bases. It is usually better to choose Jeju destinations based on actual travel value and add verified television locations when they fit naturally.
7. Which Locations Are Worth the Trip?
Not every confirmed New Journey to the West filming region deserves the same amount of travel time.
The best choice depends on whether you want an easy public location, a larger regional trip, or a dedicated island journey.
| Location |
Fan Value |
Travel Difficulty |
Best For |
| Cheongganjeong |
High |
Moderate |
Season 7 fans staying around Sokcho or Goseong |
| Ayajin Beach |
High when combined with Cheongganjeong |
Moderate |
Coastal photos and a two-stop Season 7 route |
| Gongju / Gyeryongsan |
Medium |
Moderate |
Fans already planning a Gongju or mountain trip |
| Jirisan |
Medium |
High |
Travelers interested in the region beyond the show |
| Yeongwol |
Medium |
High |
A wider Gangwon road trip |
| Chuja Island |
Very high |
High |
Dedicated Season 8 fans with enough time |
| Jeju Island |
Medium without exact verified stops |
Moderate to high |
Travelers already visiting Jeju |
Best Easy Choice
Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach are the best pair for most Season 7 fans.
They have a direct Korea Tourism Organization connection to the program, they are legitimate sightseeing destinations, and they can be combined in one coastal route.
Best Dedicated Fan Trip
Chuja Island is the most distinctive Season 8 choice.
The island was not merely a background. The program built travel and reporting segments around it, giving fans a stronger sense of revisiting the journey itself.
Best Locations to Skip Unless Already Nearby
Jirisan and Yeongwol are worth visiting as destinations, but the television connection alone may not justify the additional transportation for a short Korea itinerary.
Gongju and Gyeryongsan make more sense when combined with the area's temples, history, mountains, or other attractions.
8. How to Find Filming Locations Safely
Filming-location travel in Korea becomes much easier when you search with Korean names instead of relying entirely on English spellings.
Save the Korean Name
For the two strongest Season 7 locations, save:
- 청간정 — Cheongganjeong
- 아야진해변 — Ayajin Beach
- 추자도 — Chuja Island
- 계룡산 — Gyeryongsan
- 영월 — Yeongwol
- 지리산 — Jirisan
Search the Korean name first, then confirm the province or district before following directions. Several Korean businesses and geographic features can share similar romanized names.
Use a Korean Navigation App
Naver Map is especially useful for checking Korean place names, current public transportation, local bus stops, walking routes, and the exact branch of a business.
Do not save an old bus number from a television-location blog and assume the route still works years later. Check the live route on the day of travel.
Separate Public Places from Private Properties
A beach, public pavilion, island walking route, and national park are different from a pension, private residence, production office, or restaurant kitchen.
Even if a private business appeared on television, visit only during normal business operations and only in areas that ordinary customers are allowed to enter.
Do not open gates, enter yards, look through windows, block driveways, or walk into a lodging property without a reservation or permission.
Do Not Expect the Location to Look Exactly the Same
New Journey to the West 7 aired in 2019 and Season 8 aired in 2020.
Signs, businesses, interiors, vegetation, beach facilities, roads, and surrounding buildings can change significantly over several years. Production props and temporary decorations may have disappeared immediately after filming.
The most satisfying fan trip is usually one that recognizes the place and landscape without expecting a permanent television set.
Final Recommendation
If you only choose one New Journey to the West filming-location trip on the Korean mainland, combine Cheongganjeong and Ayajin Beach while staying around Sokcho or Goseong.
If Season 8 is your priority and you have enough time for island transportation, Chuja Island offers the strongest destination-style connection to the show.
Gongju, Gyeryongsan, Jirisan, Yeongwol, and Jeju are all confirmed parts of the domestic filming journey, but they work best when the wider region already interests you.
Most importantly, treat filming evidence and visitor access as two separate questions. A place can be a real filming location without being a place fans are allowed to enter today.
That rule makes a New Journey to the West fan trip both more accurate and more respectful.
