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On weekdays, I live in the city, and on the designated weekends, I experience a new daily life in Paju. This project is not a short trip to stop by and then leave, but a '5°2chon' local project ('Five days in the city, two days in the countryside') centered on Paju’s local breweries, where we brew alcohol together, stay together, and repeatedly encounter the local people and spaces to create our own “Second Neighborhood.”
First, we learn the basics of makgeolli, and then each team decides on a concept for its taste, alcohol content, and color. Afterward, we brew and taste the alcohol ourselves, gradually completing our team’s unique makgeolli. At the Healing Farm, you meet the nature of Paju, and at the guesthouse, you talk together and enjoy a campfire. At the end, we present the homemade liquor at the flea market tasting event. By spending three weekends together, participants become 'Weekend Local Crew' who build a connection with Paju, going beyond being mere tourists.
1. Set aside your weekday self for a while and try living a different daily life in Paju every weekend.
Take a break from the repetitive commute and familiar cityscape, and head to Paju. Here, it’s not just a trip to rest and return, but a chance to brew alcohol ourselves, stay together, and meet new people. You can spend your days at a slightly slower pace than usual and experience a lifestyle different from the city.
The streets and spaces of Paju, which may have felt unfamiliar at first, become naturally familiar after visiting them several times. As you greet the people you meet again and wait to see how the drinks you’ve made together change, Paju soon becomes not just a place you’ve visited once, but somewhere you want to return to.
Making in Paju over three weekends is not just a simple travel itinerary. It’s my own second everyday life experienced outside the city. Spend a slightly slow morning, make something yourself, and encounter new scenes that are rarely seen in everyday life. Weekends spent at these different paces bring new changes to the repetitive routine.
2. Instead of a weekend of resting and coming back, spend it as a weekend of completing our team’s makgeolli.
This project does not end with just making makgeolli once according to a set recipe. First, we learn how makgeolli is made and the fermentation process. Next, we discuss with the team members what kind of flavor, alcohol content, and color we want to create, and decide on our team’s unique concept.
When the first makgeolli ferments, taste it together and see how the flavor has changed. After discussing with team members what went well and what they would like to change, those comments are incorporated into the next brew. Through the process of making, waiting, tasting, and re-brewing, our team’s unique makgeolli gradually comes together.
At the end, we personally present the finished liquor at the flea-market tasting event. We also check what people think when they taste our alcohol. Because you are directly involved from the moment the concept is first decided to the moment the finished liquor is presented, it leaves a much stronger impression than a simple experience.
3. Don’t just learn about alcohol; meet people and spaces, and create Paju’s story together.
The project is not conducted only inside the brewery. At the healing farm, we see and experience herbs and plants up close, gaining ideas for what to put in the liquor we make. At the guesthouse, we eat together and have a conversation. While enjoying the campfire, we naturally share our daily lives and the reasons why we took part in this project.
At the end, we present the makgeolli we made to the village residents and share the stories we experienced through the project. What began as a meeting to make alcohol develops into a connection between people, evolving into a relationship that links travelers and their regions.
What this project leaves behind is not just a bottle of makgeolli. There is also the experience of returning to the same place, saying goodbye to people you meet again, and sharing the results you created together. At first, you start as a traveler, but by the time the project ends, you’ll have a reason to want to visit Paju again. Become a 'Weekend Local Crew' in Paju.
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
This is the '5°2chon' local project ('Five days in the city, two days in the countryside') that temporarily escapes from the routine of the city to stay in Paju every designated weekend. We make our own alcohol, meeting local people and spaces multiple times. It's not a one-time trip; through three meetings and the brewing process, we create my own 'Second Daily Life' in Paju.
The core of the project is the process of completing our team's makgeolli.
After learning the principles and fermentation process of making makgeolli, we decide on the concept of the alcohol in terms of taste, aroma, alcohol content, and color with team members. Then, we brew the first makgeolli ourselves. Once fermentation is complete, we taste it together to check the flavor changes and share our opinions. Based on that experience, we challenge ourselves for the second brewing.
Outside the brewery, we experience various local spaces in Paju. We gain new ideas while meeting herbs and plants at a healing farm, and at a guesthouse, we share meals and bond around a fire. Participants who were initially unfamiliar naturally grow closer as they brew alcohol and spend time together. Becoming one 'weekend local crew' is also an important experience of this project.
In the end, we participate in a tasting event showcasing the makgeolli we made in the village. We share the alcohol we brewed during the project and the stories behind it with local residents. We conclude the project by confirming how people feel about our alcohol.
One bottle of makgeolli contains the memories of the weekends spent together in Paju.
As rice and nuruk (traditional Korean fermentation starter) wait to become alcohol, we grow closer to each other, and the once unfamiliar Paju transforms into a place we wish to revisit. With a bottle of makgeolli, create your own special weekend and ‘Second Neighborhood’ in Paju.
■ Main Activities
"Brewing alcohol may ultimately be about crafting time."
While waiting for rice and nuruk (traditional Korean fermentation starter) to become alcohol, strangers become one crew, and the previously unfamiliar Paju changes into a place each wants to revisit. What we complete in this project is not just a bottle of makgeolli. The relationships, memories we create together, and my own second neighborhood also remain.
1) 1st Session | A weekend meeting and getting to know makgeolli for the first time in Paju.
We listen to an explanation about the village and the project at the local brewery and form our team. After learning the principles of makgeolli production and basic brewing methods, we decide on the alcohol content, taste, and color of the drink our team will create. In the evening, we enjoy a welcome party and makgeolli tasting at the guesthouse, getting to know each other through ice-breaking activities and watching the fire. The next day, we return to the brewery to brew our team’s first makgeolli together. It is the first weekend where a stranger and unfamiliar Paju gradually become familiar.
2) 2nd Session | A weekend connecting local inspiration to taste.
We visit a healing farm to see and experience herbs and plants directly. Based on this experience, we look for new ideas to incorporate into our drink. After that, we move to the brewery to taste the first makgeolli and discuss how the flavors have changed with team members. We also compare various tastes and aromas by sampling other local makgeolli. The next day, we brew the second makgeolli, reflecting on our previous experiences and feedback. During this time, the taste our team desires becomes clearer than before.
3) 3rd Session | The final weekend showcasing the alcohol we've created in Paju.
During the last weekend, we prepare a flea market and tasting event in the village. We set up the makgeolli we created and introduce it to visitors. While observing people's reactions as they taste our alcohol, the experiments and discussions we've had turn into a single result. After the event ends, we share a last meal with our crew and reflect on the time spent together. The next day, we share the results of the tasting and the outcomes of the project, finishing up by receiving a 'Paju Local Brewing Crew Completion Certificate' signed by the village head.
* The detailed schedule may be adjusted according to business operations and local cooperation timelines. The flea market will operate as a tasting session for local evaluators rather than commercial sales.
■ Additional Information
■ Program Schedule
| Week | Location | Main Activities |
|
Week 1 Meet and Brew |
Local Brewery / Guesthouse |
Learn about makgeolli → Form team → Concept planning → 1st Brewing Introduction to the village and the project · Team formation · Basic theory and initial training for makgeolli · Team's flavor/alcohol content/color concept planning · 1st experimental brewing · Makgeolli tasting · Ice-breaking & watching the fire |
|
Week 2 Taste and Brew Again |
Healing Farm / Local Brewery / Guesthouse |
Local exploration → First taste of the drink → Feedback → 2nd Brewing Herb and plant-based local experience · Explore brewing ingredient ideas · Taste and feedback on the 1st brew · Taste local makgeolli · 2nd experimental brewing |
|
Week 3 Complete and Share |
Village / Local Brewery / Guesthouse |
Local exploration → First taste of the drink → Feedback → 2nd Brewing Preparation for flea market and tasting event · Our team’s makgeolli tasting event · Interaction with local residents · Last supper · Sharing tasting results · Paju Local Brewing Crew graduation ceremony. |
Some inclusions are available when options are added or selected.
■ Accommodation
- Accommodation at a guest house for a total of 3 times, all for 1 night and 2 days (men and women separated / dormitory)
- A stay point for networking among participants and for night fire gatherings and team meetings
■ Project Activities
- Education on traditional liquor theory and practical brewing of Makgeolli
- Support for basic ingredients needed for Makgeolli brewing and program materials (additional/special ingredients for each team are prepared separately)
- Experience of healing farm herb and plant-based healing contents and exploration of brewing ideas
- Experience local market tasting and gather community feedback
- Team-based Makgeolli concept and branding process support from project operation staff
■ Exclusions
- Participation fee
- Round-trip transportation
- Other living expenses in the area (meals, transportation costs, etc.)
- Personal traveler insurance
■ Completion and Deliverables
- 'Paju Local Brewing Crew Certificate' issued in the name of the village chief / Team's Makgeolli deliverables and concepts
*It is recommended to make transportation reservations after the final schedule of the project is confirmed.
The local brewing space where this project is taking place is located in a rural village in Paju. This place is where traditional alcohol, agriculture, and local people and spaces connect to create new regional value.
The countryside is losing vitality due to an aging population and a decline in youth. This place aims to create an environment where existing residents and returning youth can grow together. Various programs and collaborations are being developed to connect the experiences of farmers who have maintained the area for a long time with the new ideas of the younger generation, enhancing the value of local agricultural products.
It does not stop at producing agricultural products. It connects traditional alcohol, local accommodation, rural experiences, cultural spaces, and local food into a single journey. It operates a stay-type program that utilizes the village's guesthouses, farms, and cultural spaces so that visitors can experience the local life by staying, meeting people, rather than just briefly visiting.
Additionally, through the development of makgeolli that embodies the locality of Paju and experiential content, it is developing the village's unique stories into a brand. It aims to create a sustainable structure where local agricultural products, people, and culture grow together and their value returns to the village, which is the vision of this local area.
A place that goes beyond brewing alcohol, crafting the relationship between people and the region.
Creating a sustainable local tomorrow through the experience of mutual growth that started in Paju.
During the project period, we will stay at a guest house. All three schedules are for 1 night and 2 days, and the accommodation is operated in a dormitory style separated by gender. This place is not just for sleeping. It is a space where participants can naturally get closer through welcome parties, makgeolli tasting, ice breaking, bonfire, and the last meal together.
* The accommodation is in a dormitory format separated by gender, and room assignments and detailed amenities will be notified at the final announcement.
* The accommodation is a local guest house or shared type, and the actual appearance may differ from the images.
■ Location: Paju City, Gyeonggi Province
Paju, where the project is taking place, is a city where you can experience traditional liquor and rural local sentiment, as well as peace, art, and nature all at once. Before and after the program schedule, take a tour of Paju's representative tourist attractions and broaden your experience of weekend local stays.
1. Heyri Art Village | A cultural village where art and taste meet
This is Paju's representative cultural and artistic space, where galleries, museums, bookstores, small theaters, cafes, and workshops gather. The buildings and alleys connect like a single exhibition, making it enjoyable to walk slowly, view exhibitions, and discover spaces that suit your taste. If you are a participant planning a makgeolli brand, it is also a great place to gain inspiration for space branding and local content.
2. Imjingak Peace Park | A landscape of peace that can only be found in Paju
This is the tourist site that symbolically represents the locality of Paju. Walking around the wide Peace Park and Imjingak area allows you to confront the history of division and the meaning of peace. It is a place worth recommending to both domestic and foreign participants as it offers a deep understanding of the story of the city of Paju, distinct from regular nature and cafe tours.
3. Majang Lake | Nature healing walking along the lake and forest
This is Paju's representative natural tourist site, featuring a 220-meter long suspension bridge across the lake and a 4.5 km waterside walking path. It is a great place to lightly walk or rest while enjoying the view of the lake and forest, perfectly suited for leisurely enjoying Paju's nature after engaging in intense team projects. The scenery changes with the seasons, making it attractive for weekend travel.
■ This project will be conducted as a face-to-face program lasting two days and one night over a total of three sessions.
■ Overall project: Up to 12 participants / Total of 3 sessions on designated weekends
■ Eligibility and Qualifications
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