The Valleys of Poor but Proud Scholars

Namsangol-gil winds gently around Pil-dong on the northern slopes of Namsan (South Mountain) in central Seoul.

In the spatial politics of Joseon-era Hanyang (Seoul), geography dictated status. The high-ranking officials and wealthy aristocrats lived in Bukchon (North Village), huddled close to Gyeongbokgung Palace. In contrast, the valleys of Namsan—known as Namchon or Namsangol—were home to the out-of-power, impoverished, and marginalized scholars who had either failed the civil service exams or belonged to ousted political factions.

These poor scholars were mockingly but affectionately called "Namsangol Ttalgakbari." "Ttalgakbari" refers to the "click-clack" sound made by wooden clogs (namaksin). While wealthy gentlemen wore soft leather shoes on dry days, the poor scholars could only afford stiff wooden rain clogs, which echoed noisily on the dry, unpaved roads. They had no firewood in winter and watered-down porridge for meals, yet they refused to engage in manual labor or beg, sitting rigidly in their unheated rooms reading Confucius and composing poetry.

The term "Ttalgakbari" evolved to symbolize absolute, uncompromising integrity and stubborn adherence to principle over material comfort—the very essence of the Seonbi (virtuous scholar) spirit. Today, Namsangol-gil features the Namsangol Hanok Village, a collection of restored traditional houses where visitors can picture the proud, impoverished scholars whose clicking footsteps once echoed through these valleys.