Part 1. Saldun (殺屯): A Land Hidden in History
In Nae-myeon, Hongcheon, Gangwon Province - deep within layers of steep mountain ranges.
Following the winding road along the upper stream of the Naerincheon River, a small village suddenly reveals itself. Just when it seems unlikely that anyone could live this deep in the mountains, the village reveals itself quietly on a mountain pass. This is Saldun Village, a name that means “a hill where people can lean and live.”
The Joseon-era prophetic text Jeonggamnok speaks of seven lands where people could hide themselves in times of turmoil, known as the “Sa-chil (四七).” Among them was Saldun, located in the upper valley of the Naerincheon. It was said to be a secluded refuge where people sought shelter from the chaos of the world.
Through the upheavals of the Imjin War and the Manchu invasions, Saldun became a land erased from maps - a final sanctuary beyond the reach of the world’s disorder. Some say those who failed in their attempt to restore King Danjong hid here while fleeing government troops. Others tell of defeated soldiers of the Donghak Peasant Revolution who followed the river upstream and laid down their tools and weapons beside these mountains. Over time, these stories settled quietly into the land.
In Saldun, history remains not as monuments, but as traces layered in the soil.
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