Why Do These Men in Their 90s Meet in Jongno 3-ga Every Month?

Once a month, a group of men in their 90s meets in Jongno 3-ga.

They do not all live nearby.

Some come from Incheon or Bucheon. Others come from Hanam. Some live in Yangjae-dong in Seoul, while another lives near Dobongsan Station, at the northern edge of the city.

Yet once a month, they make their way to the same place.

Jongno 3-ga.

A Meeting Place in the Middle of Seoul

One reason is simple: transportation.

Jongno 3-ga Station is where Seoul Subway Lines 1, 3, and 5 meet. For people coming from different parts of the Seoul metropolitan area, it is a practical place to gather.

But transportation alone does not explain why they keep coming back.

Jongno 3-ga has almost everything they might want to do during one of their monthly meetings.

Most months, they start with a meal.

They sit down together and eat a bowl of beef soup.

There is nothing particularly elaborate about the meal. They meet, eat, talk, and spend some time together.

Sometimes, though, the plan changes.

When There Is a Movie Everyone Is Talking About

If a much-talked-about movie has just opened, they may go to the movies together.

Jongno has a movie theater with a long connection to older moviegoers.

On the fourth floor of Nakwon Arcade is the Silver Cinema, a theater known for screening films for older audiences. The theater has long offered an inexpensive way for older people to enjoy movies, making it part of the familiar cultural landscape of Jongno.

So their monthly meeting is not always about looking back.

Sometimes they sit together in a movie theater and watch the same movie that people all over Seoul are talking about.

Then they come back out into Jongno.

A Walk Through Tapgol Park

On some days, they take a walk in Tapgol Park.

The park has its own rhythm.

Some people come simply to walk or sit. Others gather around boards to play baduk, the Korean game of Go, or janggi, Korean chess.

The men can watch the games for a while, walk around, and talk.

There is something very ordinary about this scene.

They are not visiting a famous attraction.

They are simply spending time in a familiar part of the city.

That may be one of the things that makes Jongno 3-ga feel different from other parts of Seoul.

You can eat lunch, see a movie, take a walk, watch a game of baduk, and then continue on with your day without ever having to leave the neighborhood.

Even the Dentist Is Nearby

Sometimes the reason for being in Jongno 3-ga has nothing to do with the monthly gathering itself.

If one of them needs dental treatment, he may visit one of the small dental clinics located on the second or third floor of an older building in the neighborhood.

This is another side of Jongno 3-ga that is easy to miss.

For visitors, the neighborhood may be known for old restaurants, traditional shops, or the newer cafés around Ikseon-dong.

For people who have been coming here for years, it can simply be a place where ordinary things get done.

You meet a friend.

You eat lunch.

You see a dentist.

You walk through a park.

You go to the movies.

It is a neighborhood, not a sightseeing itinerary.

A Small Bag of Rice Cakes Before Going Home

Eventually, it is time to go home.

But sometimes they do not leave Jongno 3-ga empty-handed.

Before heading back, they stop by a tteok shop such as Nakwon Tteokjip or Jongno Tteokjip and buy a small package of rice cakes to take home to their families.

It is a small gesture.

They came to Jongno 3-ga to see their friends, but they return home carrying something for the people waiting for them there.

Then they go their separate ways.

One heads toward Incheon.

Another goes to Bucheon.

Someone else takes a train toward Hanam, Yangjae-dong, or Dobongsan.

And Jongno 3-ga goes back to being what it is every other day: a busy part of central Seoul.

Until next month.

So, Why Jongno 3-ga?

Perhaps the answer is partly the subway.

Lines 1, 3, and 5 make it easy for people from different directions to meet here.

But that is only the beginning.

Jongno 3-ga gives them a place to eat together, see a movie, walk in a park, watch a game of baduk or janggi, take care of an appointment, and pick up a small gift for their families before going home.

It gives them somewhere to meet without requiring anything special.

And perhaps that is exactly what makes a good meeting place.

You do not need a special occasion.

You just need a place where everyone can get there.

Once a month, these men in their 90s find their way to Jongno 3-ga.

They share a bowl of beef soup.

Sometimes they watch a movie.

Sometimes they walk through Tapgol Park.

And before they go home, they may buy a little rice cake for their families.

Then, a month later, they meet again.