Lee Man-gi: Elderly Couple's Romance in Gapyeong

The 376th episode of KBS1's "A Walk Around the Neighborhood," airing on the 27th, is titled "Clear! Clean! – Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province." At the doorstep of a fresh early summer, the landscapes and people of Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, are quietly nurturing their lives in their respective places, cultivating simple days. Cheonhajangsa (top wrestler) Lee Man-gi visited and met them there.

It is a place where clear valley water flows ceaselessly through the embrace of large and small peaks, led by Hwaaksan, the highest peak of the Baekdudaegan mountain range. Gapyeong, nestled between mountains and embracing a river, boasts different charms each season, but its refreshing summer, created by its verdant nature and crisp waterways, is why many travelers visit. Gapyeong is a place where the cool natural environment purifies even the deepest parts of one's heart.

Cheongpyeong Lake, considered Gapyeong's number one scenic spot, is home to the largest concentration of water sports facilities in the country, attracting thousands of visitors daily during the peak summer season. Riding on a yacht offers a respite from city life, with the scenery of the surrounding mountains and gentle waves. Especially, the cheers and laughter of young people speeding across the water on boats symbolize the summer of Cheongpyeong Lake.

Next to Eobi Valley, where cool water flows, restaurants serving jjimdak (braised chicken) cooked in a cauldron lid have become another local specialty. Among them, at the foot of Yumyeongsan Mountain, there is a special restaurant run by an elderly couple in their 70s. The couple, who used to live in Seoul, fell in love with the clean air and clear water of Yumyeongsan while mushroom picking and decided to settle there. The jjimdak, cooked over a fire of oak wood personally gathered by the husband, on a cauldron lid he greased himself, with a broth made from various medicinal herbs and the wife's cooking skills, embodies incomparable dedication.

In Changui-ri, Seorak-myeon, there is a teahouse filled with the scent of flowers all year round. Representative Kim Sol has been researching edible flowers grown in her own garden for over 10 years, creating flower teas and desserts. She offers a variety of menus using fresh flowers that bloom each season. In particular, the flower tteokssam, made by wrapping rice cakes with flower paste and fresh flowers, is a delicacy that delights both the eyes and the palate. Representative Kim Sol's beautiful life unfolds as she conveys comfort and rest to people through flowers.