Cheongjinok

Cheongjinok is a historic Korean restaurant in Cheongjin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. Founded in 1937 by the couple Choi Dong-seon and Lee Gan-nan, it developed around an area associated with lumberjacks and other working people during the Japanese colonial period, when Seoul was known as Keijō. Its signature offering is haejang-guk, a hearty soup traditionally associated with recovering from drinking and with the everyday food culture of Seoul's working class. The restaurant is regarded as the sixth-oldest active restaurant in Seoul. The business has remained closely associated with its original neighborhood and culinary identity. In its early years, rice was reportedly scarce enough that customers sometimes brought their own rice to eat with the soup. Haejang-guk, like seolleongtang, was understood as an accessible and representative soup dish for ordinary residents of the city. Cheongjinok's appeal therefore rests not only on a recipe but also on its connection to the social history of central Seoul: laborers, long-term local customers, and generations of diners have used the restaurant as a place for an inexpensive and sustaining meal. Ownership passed from the founding couple to a second generation represented by Choi Chang-ik and Kim Jae-in, and later to a third generation. The succession was not entirely automatic; the third-generation owner had worked for a company and reportedly had not originally planned to enter the family restaurant business. This multigenerational transition helped preserve the restaurant's identity while allowing it to continue operating in a changing commercial environment. Choi Chang-ik died in 2005. Cheongjinok's operating culture has also been characterized by long employee tenures. A 2016 account reported 12 employees, with an average age of 58 and average tenure of 18.5 years. One employee was said to have worked there from age 16 until age 67, while a security guard reportedly served for 45 years. The restaurant's cooking fires are described as running continuously, reinforcing its image as a place with an enduring, labor-intensive kitchen tradition. In 2013, Seoul designated Cheongjinok a Seoul Future Heritage in recognition of its historical value and the quality of its food. That recognition positioned the restaurant as both a functioning food business and a tangible part of the city's urban and culinary heritage. The same year, it began selling prepackaged versions of its soups, extending the Cheongjinok name beyond the dining room while retaining its central association with haejang-guk. The available reference material does not identify a corporate parent, public listing, financial results, or a broader international chain operation.

Cheongjinok was established in 1937 by Choi Dong-seon and Lee Gan-nan near the restaurant's present location in Cheongjin-dong, an area now within Seoul's Jongno District. The restaurant opened during the Japanese colonial period, when Seoul was referred to as Keijō. Its early customer base reportedly included many lumberjacks working in the surrounding area, helping establish the restaurant as a practical place for laborers to eat. The restaurant's defining dish was haejang-guk, a substantial Korean soup associated with recovery after drinking. At the time, rice could be difficult to obtain, and customers reportedly sometimes brought rice with them to eat at the restaurant. Haejang-guk, alongside dishes such as seolleongtang, occupied an important place in the food culture of ordinary Seoul residents and was viewed as a representative working-class meal. The business later passed to a second generation, Choi Chang-ik and Kim Jae-in. A third generation subsequently took responsibility for the restaurant. The later succession reflected the pressures facing a family business: the third-generation owner had been employed by a company and had not initially intended to take over the restaurant. Nevertheless, the family continuity continued. Choi Chang-ik died in 2005. Cheongjinok's historical character is also reflected in its staff structure. A 2016 article reported that the restaurant employed 12 people, whose average age was 58 and whose average tenure was 18.5 years. One employee reportedly worked there from the age of 16 to 67, and a security guard was said to have served for 45 years. Reports that the kitchen fires operate at all hours further reinforce the restaurant's image as an institution built around continuous preparation and service rather than a standardized modern chain model. The restaurant received formal civic recognition in 2013, when it was designated a Seoul Future Heritage. The designation acknowledged its historical importance and food quality. Also in 2013, Cheongjinok began selling prepackaged versions of its soups, creating a packaged-product extension of its restaurant offering. This was a significant business development because it allowed customers to consume products associated with the restaurant outside its Seoul dining room, while maintaining the brand's focus on traditional soup. Cheongjinok remains identified with its Jongno location, its multigenerational history, and haejang-guk. The available sources describe it as an active restaurant but do not establish a corporate parent, public-company status, ownership structure beyond the family succession, financial performance, or a substantial international network.

• 2016

  Long employee tenures documented

  [1]Cheongjinoken.wikipedia.org

  A published account described the restaurant's small but highly experienced workforce.

• 2013

  Seoul Future Heritage designation

  [1]Cheongjinoken.wikipedia.org

  Cheongjinok was recognized as a Seoul Future Heritage for its historical value and food quality.

• 2013

  Packaged soups introduced

  [1]Cheongjinoken.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant began selling prepackaged versions of its soups.

• 2005

  Death of second-generation owner Choi Chang-ik

  [1]Cheongjinoken.wikipedia.org

  Choi Chang-ik, who represented the restaurant's second generation of ownership, died.

• 1937

  Restaurant founded in Cheongjin-dong

  [1]Cheongjinoken.wikipedia.org

  Choi Dong-seon and Lee Gan-nan founded Cheongjinok near its current Seoul location.

A heritage Korean restaurant centered on traditional haejang-guk, with a reputation built on longevity, multigenerational continuity, neighborhood history, and working-class Seoul food culture.

• Restaurant dish · 1937

  Haejang-guk

  Cheongjinok's signature offering is haejang-guk, a traditional Korean soup commonly associated with relieving the effects of drinking. At Cheongjinok, the dish represents the restaurant's longstanding connection to Seoul's working-class food culture and remains the core product around which its reputation has been built.

• Packaged food · 2013

  Prepackaged soups

  In 2013, Cheongjinok began selling prepackaged versions of its soups. The range extends the restaurant's traditional soup offering beyond on-premises dining, although the available source does not specify the exact formats, recipes, distribution channels, or current availability.

• 2013

  Launch of prepackaged soupsProduct launch

  Background

  Cheongjinok was historically centered on meals served at its Seoul restaurant, with haejang-guk as its defining offering.

  Action taken

  The restaurant introduced prepackaged versions of its soups, extending its food offering outside the dining room.

  Aftermath

  The launch created a packaged-food dimension for the restaurant brand. The available sources do not provide sales, distribution, or financial results.

  Source

1. 1Cheongjinoken.wikipedia.org