Mr. Sunshine (미스터 션샤인) is one of the most visually breathtaking K-dramas ever made — a sweeping romance set against the dying years of the Joseon Dynasty and the rise of the Korean Empire. The production team built and used some of the most beautiful sets and historic sites in Korea, and many of them are open to visitors today.
Here's your complete guide to walking through the world of Eugene Choi and Go Ae-shin.
Mr. Sunshine (2018) follows Eugene Choi, a Korean-American Marine Corps officer who returns to Korea in the early 1900s and falls in love with Go Ae-shin, a noblewoman secretly fighting for Korean independence against Japanese encroachment. Directed by Lee Eung-bok and written by Kim Eun-sook, starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri. A story about love, sacrifice, and a country at a crossroads.
The signature location
Sunshine Studio is the massive open-air set built specifically for Mr. Sunshine in the city of Nonsan. It faithfully recreates the streets of Hanseong (old Seoul) at the turn of the 20th century — Western-style buildings, the famous Glory Hotel facade, a French bakery, a streetcar, traditional Korean tile-roof houses, and Japanese-era storefronts all standing side by side. After filming wrapped, the set was preserved and opened to the public. Visitors can wander the streets, take photos in 1900s clothing rentals (both Western and hanbok), and stand in the exact spots where Eugene and Ae-shin's story unfolded.
The easiest way from Seoul is to take the KTX to Nonsan Station (about 1 hour 20 minutes). From Nonsan Station, take a taxi (around 20 minutes) directly to Sunshine Studio. You can also reach Nonsan by intercity bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal. Allow at least 2–3 hours to explore the studio properly.
Historic sites used in the drama
Manhuijeong is the small wooden pavilion and footbridge where one of the drama's most quoted scenes takes place — the moment Eugene tells Ae-shin, "Let's walk together, even if it's only one step." Built in the 16th century by a Joseon scholar as a place of retreat, Manhuijeong sits beside a stream surrounded by mountains and old pine trees. The narrow wooden bridge crossing the stream is exactly as you saw it on screen, and it's almost impossibly beautiful in person.
Take the KTX from Seoul to Andong Station (about 2 hours). From Andong, a taxi to Manhuijeong takes around 30 minutes — there is limited public transport, so a taxi or rental car is recommended. Combine your visit with the nearby Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is one of Korea's best preserved Joseon-era villages.
Unjoru is a stunning 18th-century aristocratic estate at the foot of Jirisan Mountain. With its sweeping tiled roofs, courtyards, and traditional gardens, it served as a filming location for several of Ae-shin's noble household scenes — the kind of refined Joseon family setting the drama portrays so beautifully. The house is famous in Korean history for its inscription "타인능해" ("anyone may take freely"), reflecting the family's tradition of sharing rice with the hungry. The atmosphere of quiet, dignified old Korea is exactly what Mr. Sunshine captures.
Take the KTX from Seoul to Gurye-gu Station (around 3 hours). From Gurye-gu, a local bus or taxi can take you to Unjoru in about 15–20 minutes. It pairs well with a trip to Jirisan National Park or the nearby Hwaeomsa Temple — easily a full weekend escape from Seoul.
Period film sets
Hapcheon Image Theme Park is a large outdoor film set built to recreate Seoul's streetscape from the late 1900s through the mid-1900s — Japanese colonial-era buildings, old streetcars, period storefronts, and government offices. It has been used in countless Korean period dramas and films, including several scenes in Mr. Sunshine. Walking the cobbled streets feels like stepping straight into the show's atmospheric exterior scenes. Costumed photo experiences are available on site.
Take the KTX to Daegu Station (about 1 hour 40 minutes from Seoul), then transfer to an intercity bus to Hapcheon (about 1.5 hours). A taxi from Hapcheon Bus Terminal reaches the Image Theme Park in around 10 minutes. The site is best combined with a visit to nearby Haeinsa Temple, home of the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks.
Plan your Mr. Sunshine pilgrimage
Unlike most filming-location trails, the Mr. Sunshine locations are spread across the country rather than concentrated in Seoul. That actually makes it a wonderful way to see parts of Korea that most tourists never reach. Here's how to make it manageable:
- Start with Sunshine Studio in Nonsan — it's the closest to Seoul and gives you the full visual world of the drama in one place.
- Combine Andong (Manhuijeong) with Hahoe Folk Village — a perfect overnight cultural trip from Seoul, full of Joseon-era atmosphere.
- Pair Gurye (Unjoru) with Jirisan — beautiful in autumn for the foliage and in spring for cherry blossoms.
- Hapcheon Image Theme Park works well as a stop on a wider Gyeongsang province road trip, alongside Daegu and Busan.
- Bring or rent period clothing — many of these sites offer hanbok or 1900s-style Western outfit rentals, and photos in costume on the actual sets are unforgettable.
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