Poet Yun Dong-ju was born in Myeongdong Village, Jilin Province, China. After attending Myeongdong School and Soongsil Middle School in Pyongyang, he enrolled in Yeonhee College (now Yonsei University) in 1938. He boarded in many places, including the school dormitory, Bukahyeon-dong, and Seosomun. He resided at "9, Nusang-dong, Jongno-gu," the home of Kim Song, a novelist he admired, with fellow student and friend Jeong Byeong-uk as his roommate, from May to September 1941. During this brief five-month stint, he wrote 10 poems, including "Starry Night" and "Self-Portrait." Before departing for studies in Japan, he hand-copied 19 poems in a collection titled "Sky, Wind, Star, and Poem.” He kept one copy and gave one to Jeong Byeong-uk, and one to his professor, Lee Yang-ha. Two copies disappeared, but the collection was published after liberation thanks to Jeong Byeong-uk's careful preservation of the handwritten manuscript in a jar beneath the floor of his hometown house.

Yun Dong-ju's residence was a traditional tile-roofed house at the time, but its original visage has disappeared, and there is only a plaque that says "Yun Dong-ju's Boarding House" on the building wall. The street through Seochon to his boarding house is lined with quaint shops, so it is a delightful walk. If you continue about 180 meters further down, you will arrive at the Suseong-dong Valley entrance of Inwangsan Mountain. Recollecting their days at the boarding house, Jeong Byeong-uk recalled, "Before breakfast, we would walk up to the mid-slope of Inwangsan Mountain, wash our faces in a stream, finish cleaning, have breakfast, and then go to school." Experience the breathtaking vista of stone bridges, pine forests, and the majestic rock peaks of Inwangsan Mountain.

Inwang CP was a police post established to protect Cheong Wa Dae. Following an incident in 1968 where North Korean assailants infiltrated the hills behind Cheong Wa Dae, it monitored and controlled the Inwangsan Mountain area. With the complete opening of Inwangsan Mountain in 2018, the post ceased operations. It was remodeled into the accessible Inwangsan Guard Post Bookstore: The Forest, a perfect rest stop on the way from Suseong-dong Valley to Yun Dong-ju Literary Museum.

A notable feature of the redesigned structure is its retention of the original building's concrete frame while introducing large glass windows, giving it an open feeling and complete immersion in the surrounding natural landscape. Elements that hint at the building's original purpose such as the concrete wall and the old metal gate have been preserved. Shelves full of fascinating books catch the eye. While using the Guard Post Bookstore, visitors can freely pick and read books, and look up at the refreshing sight of the verdant forests of Inwangsan Mountain.

As you climb the steps next to the Yun Dong-ju Literary Museum, ”you will see Poet's Hill. On one side there is a large monument with the poem "Prelude," and on the other side is "Sad Descendants," along with the inscriptions "Yun Dong-ju Poet's Hill" and "Site of Poet Yun Dong-ju's Spirit." Next to the monument, ”there is a sign stating that the spot is famous for its nighttime views.

"With a heart that sings of stars / I must love all that fades away / And walk the path bestowed upon me."
Yun Dong-ju believed his destiny was to thrive as a poet of Joseon and composed poetry in Korean until the end in opposition to Japan's policy to eradicate the Korean language. He went to study in Japan in 1942, but was arrested in July 1943 on suspicions of independence activism. He passed away in Fukuoka Prison on February 16, 1945, six months before liberation.

Next to the monument is an explanation of Jeong Seon's “Janganyeonwoo (長安煙雨)." This spot offers visitors a view that juxtaposes Inwangsan and Bukaksan mountains, with glimpses of Buam-dong, Cheongun-dong, Hyoja-dong, and beyond them, Cheong Wa Dae, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Namsan, and even Gwanaksan mountains in the distance. The scene depicted in “Janganyeonwoo" is inspired by the landscapes nearby. Because of this, the walking course that passes through this region is named “Jingyeongsansuhwagil,” influenced by Jeong Seon's depiction of a misty Seoul during a drizzle.

The most important stop following in Yun Dong-ju's footsteps is the Yun Dong-ju Literary Museum on the hill going from Cheongun-dong to Buam-dong. The site, a previously neglected water pressure facility for high-altitude residences, was rebuilt with the poet's self-portrait as inspiration. Just as pressure facility's main role to boost the slow water flow, the museum now symbolizes a spiritual pressure mechanism that rejuvenates the flow of Yun Dong-ju's poetic spirit.

The Yun Dongju Literary Museum, which consists of three simple yet impressive exhibit rooms, displays wooden blocks from a well in Yun Dong-ju's birthplace arranged in a well-like formation in the first room. Additionally, it displays notable poems in his handwriting and covers of his poetry books translated into various languages. The top of the water tank is open is the second exhibit hall as an "open well" with a square view of the sky. The third exhibit hall, with water stains on the walls, is reminiscent of Fukuoka Prison where the poet passed away. This room has a video summarizing the life of Yun Dong-ju.

The museum shop sells various cultural products, including "A Poem for Every Star," a collection of poems that the museum published to commemorate Yun Dong-ju, a commemorative postcard set, a storybook about the process of building the museum, and a DVD titled "The Sky, Wind, Star, Poem, and Yun Dong-ju."