′Woo Young woo Gimbap′ Haengnidan-gil attracts crowd

'Woo Young woo Gimbap' Haengnidan-gil attracts crowd: K-DRAMA&FILM / 연합뉴스 / 2022-08-04 16:58:33

▲ This photo, shows people lining up for the restaurant that appeared in the drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" in Haenggung-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon city, Gyeonggi province. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, August 4 (Yonhap) -- "I traveled from Yeosu, South Jeolla province to Suwon, and we came here because our children said they wanted to visit the 'Woo Young-Woo Gimbap Restaurant'."

On Thursday morning, Hwang (43), who was standing in line with his elementary school kids at Haengnidan-gil, a cafe street in Haenggung-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon city, Gyeonggi province, could not hide his excited expression.

In front of a small Japanese restaurant located at the end of the cafe street, about 40 customers gathered 30 minutes ahead of its opening, creating a long queue.

Ever since this restaurant has appeared in the ENA Wednesday-Thursday drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" as the restaurant run by the father of the main character, Woo Young-woo, it has been making headlines every day.

Even on this hot day, the guests are in line under the scorching sun with their families and friends, as they fan themselves waiting for their turn to enter.

While wiping away the dripping sweat, the visitors were seen enjoying as they were talking with their friends and family about the drama and what food they were going to order.

Many people were also seen taking pictures with the "Woo Young-woo Gimbap" sign hanging in front of the store.

"I loved the drama so much that I never missed a chance to see it, and because I had to go to Suwon because of some family matters, I came here with my brother," said Yang Eun-joo (15), who came from Daejeon and waited in line for over an hour. "It's really tiring because of the hot weather, but I'm excited to be able to go to a place that appeared in my favorite drama."

"I really liked this drama, so I even went to Changwon to see the hackberry tree in the village of Bukburi that appeared in the drama," Choi (59) said. "It was fun as I took pictures with my family and looked around the place."

This place that appears as a gimbap shop in the drama is actually a Japanese restaurant that sells omurice, udon, and rice bowls.

Although it looked like some people in line did not realize this until they looked at the menu board in front of the store, nevertheless, they didn't leave their seats and waited for their turn.

With the store opening at 11:30 a.m., and having around 20 people in the store, the number of visitors waiting outside did not stop.

"When the store first appeared in the drama, customers started rushing in. These days, there is constant crowd until 8 p.m. when we take our last order, so we try to prepare as many ingredients as possible during the break time," the owner of the restaurant said.

In addition to "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," with several dramas including the SBS drama, "Our Beloved Summer," and the OCN drama "The Uncanny Counter," being shot in Haengnidan-gil, this place has been gaining attention as a tourist attraction.

The unique atmosphere of this street, where various restaurants, cafes, and accessory shops are in harmony in the old downtown area around Hwaseong Haenggung, is the reason behind its popularity.

The sellers in this area are expecting the commercial district to be further revitalized due to the drama's popularity.

"When a work based on Haengnidan-gil becomes a hot topic like this one, more and more tourists will come from other regions, and thanks to that, we'll get to have more customers," said a business owner who runs a cafe in Haengnidan-gil. "I hope that even after the drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' ends, there will be more opportunities to publicize the streets of this place, energizing the surrounding commercial districts."