Resigning from a large corporation and returning to their hometown... A house built by two daughters

The story of Yeon-ji and her mother Chae-hyeon, who built a Nordic-style house at the foot of Bihaksan Mountain in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeong-jun, a former fashion designer living while tending a 5,300㎡ field in the deep mountains of Yeoju, Gyeonggi, will be introduced on EBS1 ‘Architecture Exploration: House’. Yeon-ji, who worked at a large corporation, returned to her hometown and built a house with her mother, who has been working in construction for over 10 years. Gyeong-jun worked in the fashion industry and returned to his hometown to become a farmer. The broadcast examines the houses and surrounding spaces of these two people whose lives have changed. The program will be broadcast on EBS1 on October 13, 2026, at 9:55 PM.

A house in Pohang built with her mother after leaving life at a large corporation

According to EBS, the house located at the quiet foot of Bihaksan Mountain in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, was built together by daughter Yeon-ji and mother Chae-hyeon. After studying abroad and joining a large corporation, Yeon-ji returned to her hometown because she was exhausted from living in a different region and wanted to be close to her family. The broadcast reports that when her mother told her, “Do whatever you want!”, Yeon-ji decided to return home upon hearing those words. Chae-hyeon has been running a small business after learning construction work, and Yeon-ji discovered a new aptitude and talent while helping her mother's work.

While building the house, the mother and daughter chose and used materials that were difficult to use in construction tailored to a client's budget. They decorated it in a Nordic style that they both like, combining a red brick wall stacked without grout and a steeply sloped roof. They applied oil stain several times on-site to match the color of the wood. EBS introduced this house as looking like a house from a fairy tale.

A structure embracing the grandmother's room and an attic for the family of three

The reason the mother and daughter hurried to build the house was the deteriorating health of the maternal grandmother. Yeon-ji hurried the construction, hoping her grandmother could live in a good house even one day sooner. The house was designed with the grandmother's room placed inside the mother's room to make it easy to care for her. The mother's room was decorated like a princess's room in the forest, inspired by the Palace of Versailles during a trip the mother and daughter took. The broadcast introduces that Yeon-ji wanted to treat her mother, who worked in harsh construction sites while supporting her daughter, like a princess.

Climbing the stairs leads to a second-floor attic. In a space where the mountain is visible through a large triangular window, a single mattress is placed. Initially, it was planned as a house for the mother and grandmother, and a separate attic was prepared for Yeon-ji to stay at every weekend. During the process of building the house, Yeon-ji, who decided to live a rural life, sold her apartment and moved into this house with her husband Su-beom and their four-year-old son. The attic became the room for the family of three, and household items are stored in built-in cabinets on both sides of the attic. The broadcast also covers the life of Su-beom, who came to live a multi-layered life by supporting his wife's dream. Yeon-ji stated that she has no lingering attachment to life in Seoul and that time spent with her family is her greatest happiness.

From a fashion designer to a farmer in the mountains of Yeoju

In the deep mountains of Yeoju, Gyeonggi, a field and a pure white house are situated together. Gyeong-jun, who lives here, is personally tending a field of 5,300㎡. Born as the youngest of five siblings in a farming family, he entered university without help from his parents and started his social life early. Although he achieved results in the fashion industry and was promoted quickly, EBS reported that one day he began to reflect on whether his life in Seoul was happy. Gyeong-jun, who had grown up as a farmer's daughter and wanted to stay away from farming, discovered that he feels happy when touching soil and grass. After long deliberation, he left his life in Seoul, returned to his hometown, and became a farmer.

The house is a single-story trapezoidal house built to surround the field on land surrounded by mountains. The living room and kitchen, which have high ceilings, are connected in a long straight line, and instead of reducing furniture and storage, windows were placed to look out at the mountains and fields in front and behind the house. In the attic, there is a water carrier made by his father and farming tools used by his parents. In Gyeong-jun's bedroom, there is a wooden platform (pyeongsang) to drink tea while looking at the field, a small wardrobe, and a mattress. The interior is finished with an exposed concrete texture reminiscent of a studio. In the kitchen, blue and green tiles are attached, adding color with yellow grout.

The field in front of the house where 100 types of crops are grown

The field and garden, which are larger than the house, are Gyeong-jun's living space. To create a field and garden for self-sufficiency, he personally designed and cultivated the shape of the field. In radial frame beds, hill beds, and a greenhouse, he cultivates about 100 types of crops such as dill and okra. He is applying the permaculture method, which does not use chemical fertilizers, for cultivation. The broadcast introduced that for Gyeong-jun, the daily task of tending the field is a source of comfort and healing. He made it so that the field can be viewed even from the wooden platform placed inside the house, and the windows of the living room and kitchen are also arranged toward the mountains and fields in front and behind.

Gyeong-jun's mother is over eighty years old. EBS reported that the mother was proud of her youngest daughter, who studied well, graduated university on her own, and worked in Seoul, and is happy that her daughter returned to her hometown and lives close by. However, she also worries about her daughter farming under the scorching sun. Gyeong-jun, who wanted to escape farming when he was young, returned to his hometown, keeps his parents' farming tools in the attic, and spends his time personally tending the land around the house. The broadcast shows his career in the fashion industry along with his current farming and the spaces inside and outside the house.

‘Architecture Exploration: House’ covers the Nordic-style house built by the mother and daughter in Pohang and the house embracing the field in Yeoju in one episode. It will be broadcast on EBS1 on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 9:55 PM.

Read the original (Korean)