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County in rural Gangwon-do to make scenic walk trail

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people walk on probably one of the most famous roads in Europe to view the stunning landscapes around it. The road is Camino de Santiago or Road to Santiago in English, which stretches from northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela (Saint James of Compostela), a UNESCO World Heritage city and a pilgrimage destination, in the northwest.The road was one of the three major Christian pilgrimage routes during the Middle Ages, leading pilgrims to the purported final resting place of the Apostle St. James. Today, the road is one of the most popular long-distance trails in Europe and many tourists choose to walk the Road to Santiago, a treasure trove of historical sites, rustic Spanish villages, extraordinary art and architecture.Taking the Road to Santiago as a great example, Korea is setting out to create its own famous road, which will eventually lure visitors to walk between scenic sites in Korea.The ambitious and meaningful project has been initiated by a county in the mountainous Gangwon-do (Gangwon Province) called Goseong.

Goseong is situated in the northernmost tip of Gangwon-do between the southern extremity of Geumgangsan (Mt. Geumgang) in North Korea and Seoraksan (Mt. Seorak).Goseong is famous for its natural beauty spots, including mountains, beaches, lakes and valleys.Boasting of this breathtaking scenery and taking advantage of it, Goseong, in cooperation with the Korea Tourism Organization and the privately run Walking Movement Headquarters has revealed a plan to promote a walking path. The focus of the plan is to promote the 400 km road featured in one of the greatest Korean literary works: "Gwandong Byeolgok," a kind of an ancient song written by statesman and poet Jeong Cheol (1536-1593). The work lauds the beauty of the scenery of Gwandong (the east side of Daegwallyong in Gangwon-do) Palgyeong (“pal” means eight in Korean, “gyeong” means a scenic spot), the eight most scenic spots in eastern Korea, which is now shared between Gangwon-do and some parts of North Korea.

The eight spots include Cheonggan-jeong (a pavilion) in Ganseong; Gyeongpodae (a pavilion near Gyeongpoho Lake) in Gangneung; Samilpo (a lake) in Goseong; Jukseoru (a pavilion) in Samcheok; Naksansa (a temple) in Yangyang; Mangyang-jeong (a pavilion) in Uljin; Chongseokjeong (a pavilion site) in Tongcheon; and Weolsongjeong (a pavilion) in Pyeonghae. In phases, a 400 kilometer-long trail that links the famous sights praised by Jeong Cheol will be developed into a walking track for an estimated itinerary of seven days, allowing visitors to rediscover the history, culture and ecosystem of the region.Two out of the eight spots, Samilpo and Chongseokjeong, are excluded because they lie in North Korea.To promote the plan, Goseong is to hold the first "Slow Walking Festival" from Oct. 12 to 18 where participants will walk for seven days along the scenic spots along the East Sea, spanning 60 kilometers from Daejin port in northern Goseong to Yongchon in southern Goseong.Meanwhile, the county has also prepared other events, including a walk along famous beaches around Hwajinpo (a lake) every fourth Saturday of the month from March to October (July and August excluded).