A 115-Year-Old Abandoned House in Gimje, Jeonbuk, Resolves Father-Daughter Conflict and Brings Three Generations Together

After renovating an abandoned house from "Architecture Exploration: House," the family returned.

- Upon tearing it down, a thatched roof was revealed? A house preserving 115 years of time - What is the story of the father, who had a distant relationship with his daughter, coming all the way from Seoul to Gimje? - There is a protagonist who stirred the village? A house where the sound of a baby has been heard for the first time in 17 years - What is the story of the homeowner, who was an orphan, gaining a father while renovating the bathroom space?

*Broadcast Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 9:55 PM, EBS1

A house born in 1905 that brought the family together

In Gimje, Jeonbuk, there is a father who prepares to work in the garden with a hoe even in the blazing midday sun, and a daughter whose heart burns because of him... What is the story behind why the father is so insistent on gardening?

The father and daughter are Byeol, who bought and renovated a 115-year-old abandoned house, and Chan-seok, the father who visited out of curiosity to see how his daughter renovated the house. Byeol, who once worked as a broadcasting PD in the city, had a wish to someday renovate a rural house and live in it. One day, seeing a rural house listing online, Byeol was captivated by the scenery of the house sitting in the middle of the blue Gimje plains and proceeded with the contract abruptly. The daughter, who has been bold about the things she wants to do since childhood, informed Chan-seok about buying the rural house without any prior notice. Whether he wanted to stop her or was worried about her current situation, Chan-seok visited the rural house where his daughter would be staying. However, since that day, for some reason, Chan-seok decided to stay by his daughter's side.

Byeol's passion for the house was so great that she even wrote a program proposal about the rural house for her company to secure time to renovate it. The house, which she initially intended to renovate solely for her own residence, has since transformed into a bookstore, and traces of the rural life Byeol dreamed of remain everywhere.

From the masonry bathtub that looked like it would require 1 ton of water to the outdoor living room that is wide open on all sides. As soon as you enter the house, you face the outdoor living room which is filled with sunlight. As if comforting Byeol, who lived independently in a dark house during her 20s, this house is filled with bright light. In the inner living room connected to the outdoor living room, there is a space even more special to Byeol. It is a closet space prepared to remember her mother, who is no longer with them. In the space filled with the manuscripts and family photos of her mother, who was a drama writer, the time of the family that was once four people remains intact. The rural house where the parents, older sister, and young Byeol spent happy times in the photos. Miraculously, the house at that time closely resembles the house Byeol is currently renovating and living in.

One day when Byeol was in high school, her mother's sudden death completely changed the family's life. Her older sister, Jin, left the house early, leaving only Byeol and her father, Chan-seok. During their hardest times, the two exchanged words that hurt each other, and those criticisms remained as long-lasting wounds. As Byeol also left the house to live independently, the father and daughter grew even further apart. Nevertheless, when the daughter said she would renovate an abandoned house and live in the countryside, Chan-seok, who was inwardly worried, came to his daughter's side. And before long, he became a bookkeeper guarding the bookstore while staying in a room provided by his daughter. Furthermore, Chan-seok, who has always been interested in horticulture, promised that although there isn't much he can do for his daughter who is resolutely renovating the old abandoned house where traces of a thatched roof remain, he would at least let her see plenty of flowers. Like that promise, flowers bloom in the yard that the father has cultivated. For the father, it was another way of staying by his daughter's side.

The father, who had been staying alone guarding the bookstore, has recently gained new family members. Byeol, who lived in the town and visited the bookstore, renovated the detached house and moved in next to her father with her family. Now, the family shares every meal while looking out at the plains that come into view immediately after passing through the wide entrance. Father and daughter, son-in-law and young grandchild. The family that was once the closest yet most distant to each other is now gathered under one roof, looking at the same scenery.

"Architecture Exploration: House" explores the house born in 1905 that brought the separated family together.

The rural house that captured the heart of the man who was an orphan

In Gimje, Jeonbuk, find the house where the sound of a baby has been heard for the first time in 17 years! In this village filled with elderly people, everyone's eyes widened because the sound of a baby was heard for the first time in 17 years... Who is the homeowner who gave birth to Eun Woo, the protagonist who receives plenty of love from the elderly?

The identity of the homeowner is Su-hyeon, who fell in love with the rafters of the rural house and moved down to Gimje to renovate and live there, and his wife, Ji-eun. Su-hyeon fell in love with this house after seeing how the sunlight filled the wide yard even in the middle of winter. Perhaps because of memories of living in a similar rural house in his childhood, Su-hyeon began tearing down the ceiling starting from the rafters as soon as he signed the contract. Contrary to worries, the moment he discovered that the rafters remained intact despite the 90 years of time, Su-hyeon cheered. To the couple who values the value of old things enough to leave the wooden ceiling and the traces of the agungi as they are, the rafters were something they could never give up. In the living room located past the indoor veranda, the sangnyangmun (roof-ridge inscription) is prominently placed, showing the joy of that time. There is a story behind why Su-hyeon has such an attachment to the house...

His father passed away two months before he was born. After Su-hyeon's father, the eldest son, passed away, his grandmother was deeply shocked and began living in a temple. Having grown up at his grandmother's side and living in the temple as well, Su-hyeon always craved a space called "my own house." However, what Su-hyeon truly craved was not just a house. What he truly missed was the presence of a father.

While renovating the house, the couple sought advice from Ji-eun's father, who had worked as an interior contractor in the past. The kitchen and bathroom, which can be called the crowning glory of this house, contain the craftsmanship of the father. Considering the difficulty of installing upper cabinets due to the low ceiling, they made the kitchen in a U-shape and secured enough storage space for the three family members to use. What Ji-eun, who could not give up on design, specially requested was the tiles attached to the wall. Among the tiles, which are called the ultimate challenge of construction due to the high amount of labor required, Ji-eun specifically wanted small tiles. After consultation with the construction manager, her father, they did not reduce the size of the kitchen tiles any further according to the father's opinion, but they could not compromise on the bathroom. The bathroom, decorated with dark teal small tiles, contains the hard work of the father-in-law and son-in-law, stitch by stitch. Min-bae, the father-in-law who came down to Gimje to help his daughter, gained a son while renovating the house. The relationship between the once distant father-in-law Min-bae and son-in-law Su-hyeon also became closer during the time spent renovating the house together.

Min-bae felt pity for Su-hyeon after hearing the circumstances of him being raised as an orphan. Although he wanted to become closer than anyone else in heart, it was not easy to approach his son-in-law first. However, as time spent working together under Ji-eun's direction accumulated, the relationship changed. Now, Min-bae has become someone Su-hyeon can call "father" without hesitation.

In addition, Ji-eun has been personally performing ancestral rites every year for her father-in-law, whom she has never met. Perhaps recognizing that sincerity, the child the couple had longed for has arrived. The birth of Eun Woo was a great celebration for the village, to the extent that the village head planted a precious pine tree in the yard to commemorate Eun Woo's birth. Thus, Eun Woo is growing up receiving plenty of love from all the villagers.

"Architecture Exploration: House" explores the rafter rural house of Su-hyeon, the homeowner who gained a father and a son while renovating a rural house.

*Related photos are available on the EBS institutional website (about.ebs.co.kr)-Cyber PR Office-Highlights, on the corresponding broadcast date.

◆ At a Glance

· Publishing Institution: EBS

· Category: Architecture Exploration - House

· Distribution: September 7

Source: EBS Press Release

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