Haejangguk (뼈다귀해장국)

Pork-bone 'hangover soup' — the heavy-duty morning-after fix.

Korean name: 뼈다귀해장국
Spice level: Medium
Flavor: savory · spicy
Typically contains: pork
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩9,000–₩13,000 per person checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●○○○ Solo dining ●●●●○ Kid-friendly ●○○○○
Also written as: haejang guk, hangover soup, ppyeo haejangguk, pork bone hangover soup

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Haejangguk?

Haejangguk (해장국) literally means "soup to chase a hangover" — a family of restorative soups, most commonly ox-bone broth with ugeoji greens, congealed ox blood (seonji), and pork spine. Served scalding in stone pots at restaurants that never close, it is Korea's institutional answer to the morning after. Chongno's decades-old haejangguk houses feed office workers at dawn and drinkers at 3 a.m. alike.

How to eat it

Add rice to the ttukbaegi and eat it as gukbap — this is working-person fuel, not a delicate course.
Work meat off the backbone with chopsticks; the ugeoji (cabbage greens) carry the broth's depth.
Season with chili paste or perilla powder at the table to taste.

Good to know

'Haejangguk' is a category, not one recipe — pork-bone (ppyeo), bean-sprout, blood-cake (seonji) versions differ a lot; ask what kind before ordering.
Seonji (congealed blood) appears in many versions — opt out with '선지 빼주세요' if needed.

The name means 'soup that undoes the hangover' — 24-hour haejangguk houses are the after-midnight backbone of every Korean nightlife district.

Where to eat it

Selected classic places — verified, sourced, never sponsored. See all →

청진옥 · Cheongjinok Jongno (Gwanghwamun) · ₩

Local classicSince 1937

The haejangguk original, simmering since 1937 — three generations of Jongno drinkers have ended (or started) their nights here.

Known for: Haejangguk

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Open as of our last check (2026-07-20) · Sources: Wikipedia · 공식 사이트 — hours, prices and status can change; check the map link before visiting.

Nutrition

Calories	21 kcal
Carbohydrate	0.96 g
Protein	2.7 g
Fat	0.63 g
Sodium	108 mg

Per serving (~650ml): ≈137 kcal · sodium ≈702 mg (35% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100ml · total serving 650ml · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 뼈다귀해장국, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.