Published by the Gwangju International Center since 2001
Located about an hour and change southeast of Gwangju, Obong-san (literally “five-peak mountain”) has left me smitten for its topographical variety, bucolic bayside views, and one of the most unique rock formations I’ve ever seen: Knife Rock (칼바위). In this edition of “Lost,” I’ll carve out a few paragraphs on what puts this mountain in my top 10.
Sunchang County’s been on a roll lately in terms of tourism promotion. The county boasts a pair of suspension bridges at Gangcheon-san and Chaegye-san, plus the new zigzagging boardwalk up Yonggwol-san. The county’s tourism crown jewel is probably its hanok-inspired Gochujang Village, adjacent to which is the new Sunchang Fermentation Theme Park (순창발효테마파크), which is about the most Jeolla pair of tourism facilities imaginable.
In fact, arguably the first mountain you’d think of when South Korea comes to mind is Bukhansan, nestled in its eponymous national park spread out over 30.86 square miles along the northern periphery of Seoul. Unsurprisingly, it tops most peoples’ to-do list and would likely be your first port of call as a hungry hiker newly moved here. But there are many more mountains to be explored beyond Bukhansan.
Among the ample little peaks studding Korea’s west, one that’s recently left me lovestruck is Jindo Island’s Dongseok-san. It’s about as far southwest as you can drive in Korea and a solid 2.5 hours from Gwangju.
My involvement with the “Lost” column began this month back in 2018, and as much as I’d like to have a single, significant topic to cover, this fourth anniversary has fallen during a creative slump. As per tradition, whenever this happens, I’m left to cobble together a few half-baked ideas with little rhyme or reason to them. And so, here it is – an underwhelming medley of odds and (dead) ends that have been crowding my workspace these past few months.
Located alongside the bulging rockface of Yonggwolsan, the new “Sky Road” (하늘길) zigzags for long stretches up the mountainside, offering unparalleled views of the Seomjin River valley below. It’s the latest manifestation of the region’s push to develop the local tourism industry, for better and for worse.
Gureumdari Footbridge, also known as the Cloud Bridge, is located in Wolchulsan National Park. The park is just outside the little city of Yeongam in Jeollanam-do. The Cloud Bridge is … Read More
Join Carl as he adventures to the beautiful Geumo Island!
