"Konnect Korea"

Ask a Korean friend where the best bibimbap in the country is, and more often than not they won't say Seoul. They'll say Jeonju (전주) — a city most foreign visitors have never heard of, three hours south of the capital by train. I didn't really get why until I actually went and realized the food isn't the interesting part on its own. The interesting part is that this city has been quietly important for over a thousand years, and the food scene grew directly out of that history rather than around it. So instead of just listing "what to eat in Jeonju," I want to actually explain why this specific city ended up being Korea's unofficial food capital — because the history part makes the food part make a lot more sense. Jeonju Hanok Village at golden hour. Photo by rawkkim / Unsplash. 🏯 A City That Kept Getting Picked to Matter Jeonju's first big moment came in the year 900, when a general named Gyeon Hwon rebelled against Silla and made the city (th...