Olgaengi soup is one of Goesan's famous dishes, and near the intercity bus terminal in central Goesan-eup, a few restaurants selling olgaengi soup still maintain their presence. Juchajang Restaurant is known for its olgaengi hangover soup. Other notable places include Gisa Restaurant, Olgaengi Seoul Restaurant, and Mas Restaurant, which appeared in Heo Young-man's comic "Sikgaek." Olgaengi is called dasulgi in standard Korean, but the term olgaengi better conveys its taste and aroma. The flavor of olgaengi soup depends on the doenjang (soybean paste); each restaurant in Goesan making olgaengi soup prepares their own doenjang for a reason. Usually, they use doenjang aged over three years, and some even have doenjang aged eight years. The soup includes the ingredient auk (mallow). In particular, auk tastes best in autumn, so olgaengi soup is at its most delicious when eaten in autumn.
Goesan Dongheon was constructed in the early Joseon period and is believed to have been repaired several times afterward. During the Japanese colonial era, it was used as a government office building and was altered, losing its original form. Until recently, it served as the official residence for the Goesan Tobacco Production Cooperative, but it was restored as a Dongheon building during repairs in 1996. The current building in Seoburi, Goesan-eup, is an eight-kan house with four kan at the front and two kan on the side. It is a wooden structure with five beams and a single-eave, hipped-and-gabled roof. The original building foundation is about 50cm lower than the surrounding ground level, indicating that the surrounding ground has risen significantly since the building was constructed, and other buildings such as the inner quarters no longer remain.
The Residence of the Governor of Goesan-gun was donated by Choi Buja, a local notable, in 1950 and is still used as the official residence. It is believed to have been built between 1914 and 1918. Most surviving official residences from the modern period are either Japanese-style or Western-style buildings, but the Goesan-gun governor's residence is significant for maintaining the form of a traditional Korean hanok. It consists of a main gate with a prominent gatehouse in the center, an '–'-shaped sarangchae (men's quarters), and an 'ㄱ'-shaped anchae (inner quarters). The interior layout and room arrangement have undergone many changes, extensions, and renovations due to evolving lifestyles, but the exterior has retained its original appearance well and preserves the residential style of a yangban family house.
This old house located in Dongbu-ri, Goesan-eup, Goesan-gun, Chungbuk, is the birthplace of Byeokcho Hong Myeong-hui (1888–1968), the author of the historical novel Imkkeokjeong. The main building, facing due south, features an inner quarter structured overall in a [ㄷ]-shape with five bays at the front and six bays at the side, connected to an [一]-shaped wing to form a [ㅁ]-shaped inner quarter. The sarangchae (men's quarter) is located on the left side, harmonizing the natural scenery of the rear mountain into the house and creating an intimate internal space. It shows the typical mid-central region residential architectural style with a symmetrical floor plan. This house was the childhood home of Ilwan Hong Beom-sik (1871–1910), who served as the head of Geumsan County and committed honorable suicide in protest of the 1910 Japanese annexation. It is also said that local residents gathered here in 1919 to prepare the Goesan Manse Movement during the March 1st Movement. The house is estimated to have been built around 1730 (the 8th year of Emperor Yongzheng), represents the characteristics of mid-Joseon nobility homes, is a historic site connected to the March 1st Movement, a literary historic heritage, and a valuable residence of an anti-Japanese patriot.
Gaesimsa Temple is a small traditional temple located in Dongbu-ri, Goesan-eup, with very little known about its history. The only clue comes from the written by Monk Bohak in 1935. The temple plaque records that a female devotee named Kim Gyeongrim donated a large Dharma hall of about ten rooms. This aligns with an oral tradition about its founding: when Dodeokam in Ducheon-ri, Chilseong-myeon, Goesan-eup was closed, halls were built on the current Gaesimsa site and two wooden Buddha statues—a seated Buddha and a seated Avalokitesvara—were moved from Dodeokam. According to the 1935 record, when Kim Gyeongrim donated the Dharma hall, the two wooden statues from Dodeokam were enshrined in Gaesimsa, marking its revival. In 1998, the statues housed in Daeungjeon were moved to Geungnakbojeon, newly built on the site of the torn-down dormitory. The wooden seated Buddha and Avalokitesvara statues are designated tangible cultural properties of Chungcheongbuk-do. Since 1998, restoration including rebuilding Geungnakbojeon, the dormitory, and construction of retaining walls and parking lots has been underway.
Gaesimsa houses wooden seated Buddha and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva statues created during the Joseon Dynasty. Originally located at Dodeogam Hermitage in Ducheon-ri, Chilseong-myeon, they were moved after the hermitage was closed. It is said that Kim Gyeongrim, who lived in Seobu-ri, Goesan-eup, relocated them around 1935 while rebuilding the current Gaesimsa. The two statues feature carved parts and elegant stylistic techniques characteristic of late Joseon period statues, with good preservation. The 85cm tall wooden seated Buddha is crafted from a single piece of wood, with a refined Ushnisha and peaceful facial expression, complete with a white urna. Eyebrows, eyes, mouth, and lips are neatly defined, and three neck folds are distinct. The monk's robe is of the Joseon-era style, thickly expressed at the wrists. The knee folds are also thick, providing a sense of stability. The mudra shows the right hand raised and the left lowered in the preaching gesture. The Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva statue is 72cm, also carved from one piece of wood, wearing a bright metallic crown. The facial expression is gentle, with a white urna on the forehead; the soft eyes and lips harmonize with the three neck folds. The robe is thick yet graceful, considered excellent for a Joseon-period work. Nearby, there are worthwhile places to visit including the Hong Beom-sik old house, Goesan Hyanggyo Confucian School, and Aehanjeong Pavilion.
