I never heard about this place, Beolgyo, not until I had a talked with my overnight dorm mate in Suncheon. She was reading the novel that was blocked by the government for a time. She said it depicts about politics, leftists, those that are against the administration and sufferings from Japanese invasion, minor and major incidents that locals from Beolgyo experienced. Given that the place is the location of a 10 volume novel that she was about to read, she was still in the 2nd volume but that already inspired her to see the place.
"Taebaek Mountain Range tells the story of Korea’s partition into North and South after its liberation from the Japanese occupation at the end of the Forties. This period of tremendous social and political upheaval has defined Korea’s destiny as a divided country. For Jo Jung Rae, understanding Korea’s past holds the key to the future – to resolving the ongoing confrontation between North and South Korea." [Reference]