Chowon Photo Studio became famous as a filming location for the 1998 film *Christmas in August*. The site was originally just an ordinary garage; the film crew rented it temporarily during production and dressed it up as a photo studio set. The name "Chowon Photo Studio" was chosen by lead actor Han Suk-kyu himself — reportedly borrowed from the name of a photo studio in the neighborhood where he grew up.
Once filming wrapped, the set was demolished as agreed with the property owner — that had always been the plan. But the film became a major hit, and visitors kept showing up looking for the studio anyway, so the city of Gunsan eventually stepped in and rebuilt it exactly as it appeared on screen. A temporary set, once torn down, came back as an official piece of the city's tourism infrastructure. It now operates as a small exhibition space, free to enter (closed Mondays). You don't need to have seen the film to appreciate the late-1990s atmosphere built into every prop and detail — but if you have seen it, the experience of standing there hits noticeably differently.