Frozen pork belly BBQ in Jeonju's Ajung-dong: World Naengsam Uwa

Hello there ♥️ Crispy and savory frozen pork belly! Let me introduce World Naengsam in Ajung-dong.

Location and hours of World Naengsam Uwa

• 📍 9 Uwa-ro, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk-do, 1st floor
• ⏰ Mon–Sat 17:00–24:00 (closed Sundays)
• 🅿️ Parking at World Naengsam Jeonju - roadside parking nearby

World Naengsam is a frozen pork belly restaurant in Ajung-dong, Jeonju, with a charming retro atmosphere. I was craving flat, savory naengsam so I stopped by for an early dinner!

An interior full of retro charm

This is the inside of World Naengsam in Ajung-dong. It feels just as retro as the sign, right? Cozy but with plenty of tables, all neatly set.

Menu board and what I ordered

Check out World Naengsam's menu board. The main dishes are plain flash-frozen pork belly and gochujang-marinated frozen pork belly, with sides ranging from stew to ramen, noodles, fried rice, and nurungji (scorched rice). I ordered three servings of flash-frozen pork belly, fried rice, and spicy mixed noodles.

How much banchan do you get?

The banchan (side dishes) at World Naengsam were surprisingly generous. Kimchi, green onion kimchi, spicy radish salad, pickled green onions, pickled onions, plus old-style ham and garlic scapes to grill alongside the meat!

Day-of-week cheonggukjang and kimchi stew service

A rich cheonggukjang and soft steamed egg came free ✨ Cheonggukjang and steamed egg go so well with naengsam 🤤 The salty, savory cheonggukjang and the silky, melt-in-your-mouth steamed egg were seriously delicious!! By the way, World Naengsam gives kimchi stew on Mon/Wed/Fri and cheonggukjang on Tue/Thu/Sat as a free service. Such a generous deal haha.

What I ordered and the prices

• 🐷 Flash-frozen pork belly (₩14,000) × 3
• 🍜 Spicy mixed noodles (₩6,000)
• 🍚 Fried rice (₩3,000)

The pork belly at World Naengsam is said to be premium frozen belly made from Grade 1+ domestic Korean pork, slaughtered the same day and flash-frozen, so you get fresh naengsam without any off flavor.

Grilling and tasting the flash-frozen pork belly

Preheat the grill on medium heat, lay the naengsam down, and sprinkle on pepper!! Since it's so thin, it starts sizzling the moment it hits the grill haha.

Golden brown and gorgeous >< so shiny lol. With just the right amount of fat rendering out, you really get that savory pork flavor coming through haha. Crispy at first bite, savory at the finish — that's the charm of naengsam!! Grilling kimchi, garlic, and garlic scapes alongside the pork belly cuts the richness while adding even more umami 👍🏻

Wrapped some in lettuce too 🥬

Finishing with fried rice and spicy mixed noodles

Leave a little meat, chop it up small, and mix it with fried rice for an explosion of savory goodness! So fluffy and delicious haha.

When things start to feel a bit rich, finish off with the sweet and tangy spicy mixed noodles~ The noodles have just the right thickness, and the combo of sauce and sesame oil is unbeatable! Naengsam to dessert, I ate very well 💗

Whenever you're craving golden, savory naengsam, head over to World Naengsam in Ajung-dong near Jeonju Station!