I visited here in late 2007.

Suwon is about an hour ride by commuter train from Seoul. When I arrived in Suwon I walked to the Hwaseong Fortress, getting lost on the way in the cold weather. When I got to the castle I just walked up the first stairs I found along the wall of the castle.

When I got to the top I saw a bunch of guys standing around in traditional dress. I figured that because it was a historical site, they must be doing some re-enactment for school kids or something.

Hwaseong FortressSaveWhen I get to the top of the hill, I find a ton of people, cameras, lights and big cranes. They were shooting a movie! Me, some dopey white guy with a camera, comes over the top of the hill where no one was stationed because they didn’t think anyone would be walking around the part of the grounds. Had I been there a minute or two sooner, I would have walked right into the middle of their shot.

I stuck around for about an hour watching everyone do their thing. I had never been on a movie set before, so I found that much more interesting than the historical relics around me. The director looked like a Korean hippie. I have photos of him and the lead actor, but I have no idea who they are.

Read more about the Hwaseong Fortress on my website.