STORY
Kkotji’s red glow and one traveler’s Sowon makgeolli (a Korean fermented rice drink)
A glass with almost none of makgeolli’s usual thickness or sharp acidity, gegukji (crab-and-kimchi stew), jjimdak, and Kkotji waves washing over a traveler’s ankles: a Taean story preserved as one traveler’s account.
- Place
- Halmi and Halabi Rocks at Kkotji, Taean
- Address
- 123-1 Songnim-gil, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
- Scope of public guidance
- Sunset viewing · photography · walking
- Reviewed
- 2026-08-30
Masillog travel note · Red glow and the first glass
Masillog travel note — From here, the story follows in 1st person a single trip and tasting record submitted by a user. As the sun set at Kkotji, the wet sand, waves, and even the air turned red. That day’s Sowon makgeolli stayed with me not for a loud aroma, but for a texture that slipped lightly across the palate and a subtly sweet, savory impression of rice. Afraid I might not find it again, I bought three bottles locally and carried them back to Seoul.
Masillog travel note · At Kkotji
As each wave reached my ankles and withdrew, cold water, wet sand, and the red sunset around me overlapped at once. I remember the moment as “a synesthetic half-step into another world.” On a future trip to Taean, I would like to stand at Kkotji before sunset and wait while the water at my feet and the color of the sky change together. This does not mean every visit will bring the same waves and light.
Masillog travel note · The texture of one glass
In my glass, I could barely detect makgeolli’s characteristic thickness or pronounced acidity. It fell somewhere between smooth yogurt and a subtly sweet, savory rice drink. Chilled, it did not weigh down my mouth and led lightly into the next sip. That is the limit of one personal tasting.
Masillog travel note · one glass beside strongly seasoned food
In Taean, I set the makgeolli beside gegukji and soy-marinated crab. Back in Seoul, I drank one of the three bottles with sweet-and-savory jjimdak. Between Kkotji’s red sea and my dinner table at home, it played the same role: it did not compete with assertive seasoning, but placed a brief pause before the next bite. This is one person’s dining experience, not a general pairing assessment.
Waiting preserved in the rocks
Kkotji’s Halmi and Halabi Rocks carry a story about a wife waiting for her husband after he left for the sea. Because this tradition appears as user and blog material on a public tourism page, it should be read as a story attached to the sunset landscape, not as historical fact.
The place confirmed by public sources
Chungnam Tourism presents Halmi and Halabi Rocks at 123-1 Songnim-gil, Anmyeon-eup, Taean-gun, as a place for sunset viewing and walking. Sowon makgeolli’s ABV, volume, brewery, and current distribution were not confirmed. The product image is an editorial concept based on a publicly visible bottle shape, not an official product photograph.
Sources
- Chungnam Tourism, “Halmi and Halabi Rocks” Kkotji rock location, sunset, walking, and a user-submitted tradition on the page