Yongsan Korean restaurant for late-lunch spicy gomtang: Baekok Yongsan

Today my wife and I went to Yongsan Tax Office for some business-related errands. By the time we finished it was a bit past lunchtime, so we decided to grab a warm bowl of soup nearby — and the place we found was Baekok Yongsan, which turned out to be a genuine Sinyongsan hidden gem, so here I am writing about it again haha!!

I usually love warm soupy dishes like gukbap or gomtang (bone/meat soup), so I went in with expectations since Baekok Yongsan specializes in pork gomtang. Apparently it's pretty famous among office workers in the Sinyongsan area as a lunch spot.

What Baekok Yongsan looks like inside, and how long is the wait?

The restaurant spans the 1st and 2nd floors with an open kitchen, making it feel clean and hygienic. Apparently crowds pile up during the lunch peak and waits happen, so we deliberately went a bit past lunchtime and were lucky enough to eat without any wait.

Pork gomtang, 11,000 won: the signature bowl at Baekok Yongsan

The first thing we ordered was the basic pork gomtang, priced at ₩11,000. It comes with clear broth, rice, and meat all together, and just looking at it made me feel comforted already.

They say they use domestic sow foreleg meat, and there was plenty of meat in there — more than enough to eat alongside the rice.

The broth wasn't overly strong-flavored but had a deep taste that came through from the pork. Being a clear broth, it felt light at first, but the longer you sipped it the more a subtle savory depth emerged. It paired especially well with the kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) served alongside, making for a satisfying meal. This is a great dish for when you want to eat quickly during lunch but still have a proper meal!!

Like a spicy broth? Yeolgomtang at 12,000 won, spice level 1

My wife and I ordered the yeolgomtang, priced at ₩12,000, and chose spice level 1.

Spicy seasoning and cheongyang chili (Korean hot green chili) are added to the base gomtang, making the spiciness noticeably different from the start — a dish I'd recommend to anyone who needs to cure a hangover haha.

Taking a spoonful, it had a clearly different charm from the plain pork gomtang — a subtle rising heat combined with a sharp, spicy kick made it a great fit for anyone who likes a hearty spicy broth. Recommended, as long as you're not into extremely intense spice!! You could choose between the plain flavor of pork gomtang and the spicy kick of yeolgomtang depending on your mood.

Cabbage mandu: the dish I liked most at Baekok Yongsan

We also ordered a side dish — cabbage mandu (dumplings)!

Priced at 2pcs for ₩4,000, or ₩2,000 each, we ordered 4. The biggest difference from regular mandu was the wrapper — instead of a flour skin, these were wrapped in cabbage, which made them unique.

Wrapping the filling in a cabbage leaf and dipping it whole into the sauce gave a completely different texture from regular mandu, and best of all the filling was so packed in that each bite delivered a really rich flavor.

I think this would be popular with people who aren't fans of the usual flour wrapper, or anyone looking for something a bit different. Of everything I ate that day, the cabbage mandu left the strongest impression. If I come back, this is definitely something I'll order again without fail, haha.

Cold jeyuk half plate, 10,000 won: chewy pork cheek with tohajeot shrimp paste

Another dish I was curious about was the cold jeyuk (boiled and chilled pork), which we ordered as a half plate for ₩10,000 to try.

Cold jeyuk is pork cheek meat cooked until chewy, then served cold, paired here with tohajeot (fermented freshwater shrimp). The pork cheek itself had a really chewy texture that made it fun to chew, and eating it together with the tohajeot added a salty, savory depth.

Adding a little squeeze of lemon juice brought a refreshing note that gave it a whole different feel. It went fine alongside the soup, but personally I felt it would go even better as a drinking snack. If it's your first time trying this, ordering a half plate like we did is a good way to sample it.

After lunch: walking to the Yongsan History Museum

There's also the Yongsan History Museum near Baekok Yongsan. I was planning to check it out after the meal, but of all days, the day we went happened to be Monday, when it's closed. Unfortunately we just ate and left this time, but next time I plan to check the museum's operating days first and visit together. Worth keeping in mind if you're planning a meal and a light outing around Yongsan Station.

When you want a hot bowl of pork gomtang in Yongsan

Baekok Yongsan was a place I stumbled onto after finishing business at Yongsan Tax Office, and it turned out to be a genuinely great find!! The basic pork gomtang had a clear yet deep broth paired well with a generous amount of meat, and if you like spicy flavors, the yeolgomtang is also worth trying. The cabbage mandu we ordered as a side left an impression with its unusual cabbage wrapper and generously packed filling — I still remember it well. The cold jeyuk was also unique, with the chewy texture of pork cheek paired with tohajeot, definitely worth trying at least once. I heard Sinyongsan office workers come here a lot for lunch, and after trying it myself, I could see why.

If you're looking for a place to eat lunch near Yongsan Station or Sinyongsan, Baekok Yongsan is definitely worth a visit!! After trying it out that day, I feel like this is a place I'll come back to next time I have business in Yongsan — saving this one for later~~