A corporate retiree turned pension owner in Gyeongju shares what it's really like running a six-room property near Bulguksa Temple—guest quirks, amenity surprises, and why a spacious owner's quarters mattered most.
Property Type: Pension
Address: 23 Hadong 1-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do (Hadong)
Room Types: 2-person (studio), 4-person (two-room / duplex), 8-person, couple room
Amenities: Hotel-grade bedding, outdoor pool, whirlpool spa, private BBQ, smart projector, skylight, garden, board games, etc.
Nearby Attractions: Bulguksa Temple & Seokguram Grotto, Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond, Blue One Water Park, Memory Lane (Chuok-ui Daldongne), Bomun Tourist Complex, Gyeongju World, etc.
Q Please introduce yourself and your property.
Hi, I'm Ryu Jun-seok, owner of Praha Pension in Gyeongju. I used to work in automotive manufacturing. After retirement, I moved down to Gyeongju and took over an existing pension — I've been running it for about three years now. The biggest reason I acquired this place was the owner's living quarters. Most pensions have tiny reception areas where you're basically living alone, but Praha has a spacious one that's actually comfortable. No matter how much guests love the place, I came here to enjoy my retirement, and if I'm not comfortable, what's the point? (laughs)
Praha Pension has six rooms for couples, families, and groups. Couples usually book the two-person rooms, while the 4-person and 8-person rooms are popular with families — often with extra guests added. Even the 2-person rooms allow additional guests, so we can accommodate up to about 20 people max. Kids (usually two) can be added, and adults get extra bedding. I always remind guests ahead of time that more people means a tighter space.
We have three couple rooms, so most visitors are couples or small families. But the age range is huge — from young couples to seniors. Some bring their parents-in-law, others bring the kids. Just this past Chuseok, we had extended families staying together — in-laws, parents, you name it.
Q What drew you to Gyeongju specifically?
Looking back, I was born in the countryside, so even while working my corporate job, I always felt this pull toward rural life. I dreamed of retiring to the countryside someday — it just happened sooner than expected.
But in this 100-year lifespan era, I can't just retire and do nothing. I needed something to keep me busy, but not too demanding. Running a pension seemed like a good fit — my wife and I work together on busy weekends, and during the week when it's slow, I can manage solo without stressing over revenue. Turns out I underestimated how hard it is. (laughs)
I originally lived in Changwon, so I first scouted pensions in nearby Geoje and Namhae. But those areas are summer-only businesses with brutal off-seasons in winter, and they're all tucked away in the mountains. I'm not really a deep-woods person, so I chose Gyeongju instead. Gyeongju has cultural heritage sites, good transportation, and tourists year-round. That consistency was a big factor in my decision.
Q Each room has a different interior and vibe. The projector feels like a private theater! What makes Praha unique?
When I took over, I kept some of the original interiors and tweaked others. Back in the day, pensions were all colorful and flashy, but younger guests today prefer clean, minimal aesthetics. So we changed wallpaper and other design elements bit by bit.
The in-room projectors came about because more guests started watching Netflix and other streaming services. There's not much to do at a pension, so I thought — why not turn the room into a mini cinema? We started with one projector, but the image quality degraded over time, so I bought a new high-res one and ended up installing them in other rooms too. Projectors don't cost much, and as long as you have wall space, they're worth it. That duplex movie-theater vibe became one of Praha's signature features.
Beyond that, we have two spa rooms and skylights in the duplex rooms so guests can stargaze at night — kids especially love it.
Q It must be tough managing all the amenities and services solo?
Actually, cleaning and maintenance aren't the hard part — I can hire help for that. What's really tough is the communication gap with guests. I wish people would just tell me on the spot if something's wrong. Instead, they stay quiet during their visit, then leave bad reviews on Naver or their blogs afterward.
For example, someone once wrote that the pool floor was slippery and implied we only clean once a year. If they'd asked me in person, I could've explained that the tile floor feels slippery even after daily cleaning. But they didn't, so that misunderstanding just sits there online. It's frustrating.
We provide hotel-grade bedding, but sometimes young guests drink, spill on the linens, or even break bottles on the bed. Would they do that in their own home? It's disheartening.
Some guests have a great stay, then post something completely off-base afterward. When that happens, I respond honestly and directly. Other property owners say you should never argue with guests because it hurts business. But I think leaving a straightforward reply helps other customers judge objectively. If we made a mistake, I apologize and fix it. But if a guest leaves a malicious review, I clarify the facts. That's the right way to handle it.
Q Running a pension must eat into your personal time. How do you cope?
The downside of this job? First, it's hard to attend family events. Weddings and celebrations happen on weekends — exactly when bookings peak.
Second, you're off when everyone else is working, and working when everyone else is off. I play sports as a hobby, and weekdays are cheaper than weekends, so I thought working weekends would be great. But most of my friends are still working, so there's no one to play with on weekdays. I have to wait for them to retire before we can hang out again. (laughs)
Also, there's less social interaction, which gets lonely. So I've joined a community of pension owners where we share struggles and hang out.
These days I've got a little vegetable garden in front of the pension — tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, sweet potatoes. I just planted cabbage and radishes for kimjang (winter kimchi season). I give guests fresh lettuce and peppers sometimes. Watching the plants grow is genuinely fun. It's become my quiet little hobby.
Q You offer bike rentals, keyless entry, bidets, hotel-grade bedding — all very upscale. That's not easy for a pension.
True. We have two bikes, but in my three years here, we've only rented them out once. (laughs) Most people drive to Gyeongju since public transport is limited, and the roads around here are either steep or busy, so biking isn't popular. Still, I keep them maintained.
As for the hotel-grade bedding — our building isn't a standalone house. Rooms are split between the first and second floors, giving it a resort-like feel. If we used regular bedding, guests might question cleanliness no matter how thorough we are. Ondol (floor heating) rooms might be fine, but since we have beds, I decided that despite the extra work, white hotel-style linens convey cleanliness better. White shows any stain immediately, so it forces us to stay vigilant.
We change pillowcases and sheets every day and do all the laundry ourselves with a washer and dryer. The downside? Makeup doesn't come out easily, so even though the linens are hygienically clean, the color stains make them look dirty. That's the management challenge.
Praha caters to couples and families, not large groups or reunions. If we hosted big parties, we couldn't maintain this level of bedding quality. But because we're small-scale, we can do it — and guests tend to treat clean spaces more carefully. It's human psychology: a clean room makes you want to keep it clean. So the extra effort pays off.
Q Reviews always mention how kind you are. But work isn't always fun. What's your secret to staying friendly?
When I was younger, I worked to protect my family. Now, this is work I chose for my retirement, so I self-hypnotize. If I were the guest, I'd speak up when something bothered me, and I'd expect certain things for the money I paid. I try to understand.
For example, in summer when mosquitoes are bad, I light mosquito coils proactively. Guests thank me, and that feels good. When guests have fun and leave happy, it's rewarding — that's why I stay kind.
Also, I don't overextend myself. I treat guests like family visiting my home. They're guests in our house, so if they need something, we share. There's no difference between a pension and a home in that sense. This past Chuseok, my wife made savory pancakes for every room. One guest wrote on their blog that we could open a restaurant. (laughs) Whether it's something big or small, seeing guests enjoy what we prepare makes me happy.
If a difficult guest causes problems, I address it directly before they check out. Most of the time, when we talk it through, they apologize. I'm the type who gets sick if I hold things in, so being honest clears the air and prevents lingering resentment. (laughs)
Q You were recently featured in the press as a top Gyeongju pension near Bomun Complex! What's your goal for Praha?
I'm not great at self-promotion, but someone kindly got that article published. It's been almost three years running Praha, and I'm learning more all the time — and growing more attached.
At first I didn't realize this, but I've met pension owners ranging from their 30s to seniors. I ran the numbers on vacancy rates and noticed a pattern by age group. Younger owners actively manage Instagram and blogs — they draw guests through photos and reviews. Older owners rely on basic ads like power links and just wait for bookings to roll in.
Senior owners ran pensions the traditional way because that's what they knew. But I think they need to wake up to current trends and break out of the old playbook. You don't need a big budget — you just need to do your own PR well.
Also, some pensions have veered way off course from the original regulations. I want Praha to be a compliant, legal operation. The original intent of rural guesthouse permits was to help rural households earn income by renting out spare rooms. But now some "rural guesthouses" operate 25 rooms. They file permits under multiple names, but run it as one property, so their per-room ad costs are lower. Small pensions like ours can't compete with that kind of corporate-scale operation. The playing field isn't level.
Various pension associations advocate for industry interests and development, but I think both the government and the associations need to change. Illegal expansions are a safety issue and should be enforced.
Of course, enforcement should come with legal reform to address the root problems. I'm not after profits — I just want everyone to play by the rules. If we operate within the law based on the original values, pensions can coexist. If some pensions go corporate and break the rules, the rest of us have nowhere to stand. And if illegal practices become widespread, public perception of the entire industry suffers. Going forward, I think fixing this is the direction we need to take — along with me getting better at PR.
Q How did you discover ONDA, and how's your experience been?
I initially used another company's system when I built the pension website. That company later got acquired by Yanolja. As Yanolja grew, commissions kept rising, and they started placing their own ads on our homepage, blocking direct bookings. Also, when I called with urgent issues during peak season, it was hard to get through.
Recently, I turned down a consignment sales company too. Both experiences made me feel like our property was just another asset in their portfolio. I wanted to run my pension independently, with their help facilitating guest connections — but their goals didn't align with my philosophy of hospitality.
So I was looking for something smaller, better-managed, and friendlier when the owner of 'Magic Castle' dog-friendly pension nearby recommended ONDA.
ONDA isn't a consumer-facing booking platform. They're an IT company that provides sales agency services and a booking management system — a completely different model from the others.
I originally used ONDA's real-time booking widget, paused it during a homepage redesign, but plan to bring it back soon. ONDA's team is always reachable by phone and provides friendly one-on-one support. The app has features like room blocking, and it's easy to use anywhere. When I report an issue, they listen and push updates. I think it'll only get more convenient going forward. (laughs)
Q Finally, any hidden gems or personal restaurant recommendations nearby?
Gyeongju is a tourist city, so prices run high. Guests often ask for affordable spots. I recommend Gyeongju Milmyeon #1 in Bulguk-dong. It's a summer-only place with clean, light broth. The noodle portions are generous, and it comes with charcoal-grilled meat — all for around ₩6,000. Super cheap. Guests don't usually know about it, but we go there in summer when we want something cool and light.
I also recommend Gyeongju Dwaeji-gukbap inside Bulguk-dong Market. They're open 12–2 PM and only sell about 50 bowls a day. They use real chewy pork head meat, not just pork belly — it's delicious and filling. The market has a lot of reasonably priced spots worth exploring.
Gyeongju has plenty to see. The closest attractions are Bulguksa Temple and Memory Lane (Chuok-ui Daldongne), just 3–5 minutes by car. Memory Lane is a folk village recreating the 1960s–70s — old school uniforms, retro candy, gas lamps, that kind of thing. Nearby you'll also find Love Castle, Gyeongju Blue One, and the Folk Craft Village.
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