Haeparang Trail (Goseong, Sokcho Section)

The Haeparang Trail is the longest walking travel route in the Republic of Korea, totaling 750 km, starting from Oryukdo in Busan. Among them, let's walk the Haeparang Trail in the Goseong and Sokcho sections, the northernmost part of the Republic of Korea. <br>
Courses 48 and 49 of the Haeparang Trail include the 'Kim Il-sung Villa' located in Hwajinpo and the 'Baekseom Sea Observatory' where you can see a beautiful sunrise. This course, which has villas where Kim Il-sung and Rhee Syngman stayed, clearly shows the severed roads of the Republic of Korea. <br>
Haeparang Trail Course 47 is a path that passes by 'Seonang Rock', which resembles the profile of a person, and leads to 'Wanggok Village', home to traditional houses with a unique structure, including the yangtongjip that can only be seen in northern Gangwon.<br>
On Course 46 of the Haeparang Trail, you can sit at 'Neungpadae', where waves crash against the rocks, and lose yourself in thought, and also walk to Jangsahang.<br>
Haeparang Trail Course 45 is a single course in Sokcho. This course includes 'Yeongnangho Lake', where Yeongnang, a Silla hwarang, stayed, captivated by the appearance of Beombawi Rock crouching down; 'Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion', where you can face the sea after crossing a cloud bridge about 50m long; and 'Cheongchoho Lake', which stands out with its sparkling night view.

Details

Castle at Hwajinpo

Kim Il-sung visited Hwajinpo as a summer resort with his family, including his wife Kim Jong-suk, son Kim Jong-il, and daughter Kim Kyong-hui, from 1948 to 1950. This is evidenced by a photo taken in August 1948 of six-year-old Kim Jong-il with his arm around the shoulder of the son of Soviet political commander Major General Lebedev at the villa entrance. The Kim Il-sung villa was originally built in 1938 by German émigré architect Weber for the missionary couple Sherwood Hall. It is a stone building with one basement floor and two above-ground floors, showing considerable splendor for architecture of that time.
At Kim Il-sung's villa, various relics such as photographic materials showing the old villa and the reception set used by Kim Il-sung's family were made into models and displayed. Located on the hillside by the coast, Kim Il-sung's villa was built right after liberation and was frequently used by Kim Il-sung along with his son Kim Jong-il and daughter Kim Kyong-hui until before the Korean War. It was originally a stone structure with one basement floor and two above-ground floors, but it was heavily damaged during the war, so in 1964 the army demolished the original building and rebuilt it as the current one-story building.
Among the superb views of Kim Il-sung's villa, an unmissable spot is the rock island called Geumgudo facing it. Geumgudo, about 300m from Hwajinpo Beach, resembles a turtle, and in autumn the bamboo forest growing on the island turns yellow, dyeing the entire island golden. Unlike Kim Il-sung's villa, which is located on a coastal hill overlooking the East Sea, Rhee Syngman's villa is a place where the sea is not visible and only Hwajinpo Lake can be overlooked, and they are situated about 1km apart from each other.

Baekseom Offshore Observatory

It was created from March 2019 to October 2020 as part of the Geojin Port Fishing Village Tourism Experience Village Development Project, and was opened to tourists on October 30, 2020. With a total length of 137 m and a height of 4–25 m, it connects the coastal road and Baekseom (Baekamdo), allowing visitors to walk over the beautiful East Sea and view Haegeumgang and Geumgudo to the north, while Geojin Port and Geojin 11-ri Beach unfold to the south, creating a spectacular sight. Part of the 25 m-high observation deck has a transparent tempered glass floor. It is a marine deck connecting Baekseom (Baekamdo), located behind Geojin, and the coastal road, with a length of 137 m, a width of 2.5 m, and a height of 4–25 m. When you go up to the marine observation deck, you can view the beautiful scenery of the East Sea, Haegeumgang, Geumgudo, and Geojin Port.

Goseong Wanggok Village

Wangok Traditional Village, located north of Songjiho Lake, is a must-visit spot when traveling to the northern coastal region of Gangwon-do for a summer vacation. The distance to the beach is only 1.5km, but strangely, the sound of waves cannot be heard in the village. This is because mountains with five peaks surround the village. Thanks to being surrounded by mountains like this, most houses were able to avoid bombing during the Korean War. As a result, old houses have been preserved intact to this day, maintaining the atmosphere of a traditional village. It is not as large as Andong Hahoe Village or Suncheon Naganeupseong Village, nor does it have many houses with impressive exteriors, but once you enter the village, you feel as if you have traveled back in time.
Upon entering the village entrance, about 10 old pine trees over 150 years old, surrounding a large information board, greet travelers with the scent of pine. The village has a total of 50 households, with 32 tiled-roof houses and 9 thatched-roof houses. Mr. Ham Seung-bon, who runs a pure buckwheat noodle restaurant in Wanggok Village, explains, "This neighborhood wasn't particularly wealthy, but the reason there were quite a few tiled-roof houses is because there was a kiln making roof tiles in the inner Guseong-ri Village." The tiled-roof houses here show the unique housing structure of the northern Gangwon region, where rooms, wooden floors, kitchens, and barns are all attached together. This structure is a style found in regions with long, cold winters.
In the upper part of the village, the Yanggeun Ham clan lives in a group, and in the lower part, the Gangneung Choi clan lives in a group, with the Ham clan being slightly more numerous than the Choi clan. In addition, there are 2 households with the surname Jeon and 2 with the surname Kim, and 1 household with the surname Park. This is also a village of filial piety, with as many as 2 filial piety pavilions. As a village that retains an old-fashioned atmosphere, it sometimes appears as a filming location for dramas and movies. TV Literature Museum
- Many anti-communist films, including "Hongeo" and "The Courier of the Delivery", were filmed here. The villagers even boast of their experience appearing as extras. The main occupation of the people of Wanggok Village is rice farming. They farm rice on plots ranging from as small as 1,000 pyeong to as large as 10,000 pyeong. Just four years ago, they cultivated a lot of potatoes, but due to a lack of sales channels, they now grow only enough for their families to eat. Perhaps because of the sea breeze and the large diurnal temperature range, even miscellaneous grain farming does not do well, so they even grow upland rice in the fields.
After visiting Wanggok Village, nearby beaches worth visiting include Songjiho, Sampo, and Baekdo Beaches. In particular, Jajakdo Beach, located between Baekdo Beach and Sampo Beach, is a summer resort that has only recently begun to become known. Although its beach length is short at about 400m for an East Sea beach, it curves deeply inland like a bow and is shallow, so the owners of the guesthouses boast that there has never been a drowning accident. Even 100m out to sea, the depth is only about an adult's chest. After being recognized as a family summer resort, several condominium-style guesthouses have recently been built along the beach. Since 2004, the "Goseong Wanggok Village Folk Experience Festival" has been held in mid-October, allowing families to enjoy a journey into the past together.

Songjiho Coastal Seonangbawi Rock (Gangwon Peace Area National Geopark)

Seonangbawi is a rocky coast developed in the granite zone south of Songjiho Beach, where the micro-topography of weathered granite and the erosive action of waves combine to create a very unique topographical landscape. In particular, it forms a unique landscape as thick felsic dikes* intrude between the granite layers. Seonangbawi is a place name derived from the location of the Seonangdang (Seonghwangdang) of Ohori Village. The Seonangdang is an area of Korea's traditional faith where the Seonangsin (Seonghwangsin), the guardian deity of the village, is enshrined, and the area around the Seonangdang has been a place where the taboo against recklessly digging or demolishing things has been observed.

Neungpadae (Gangwon Peace Region National Geopark)

Neungpadae (凌波臺) is a large tafoni* colony developed on the rocky coast that forms a land-tied island. The name Neungpadae, meaning 'a rock island that surpasses the waves,' was given in reference to the sight of waves crashing against the rocks. A land-tied island refers to an island connected to the mainland by accumulated sand, and tafoni refers to honeycomb-like clusters of hollows eroded into the sides of rocks (rock walls). Neungpadae originally existed as an island (rock islet) with exposed bedrock (granite) in front of the Munam coast, but as sand supplied by the Munamcheon Stream accumulated behind the island where wave action decreased, it became connected to the mainland. However, today the Munam 2-ri harbor has been built along the southern boundary of Neungpadae, and a settlement has been established on the tombolo connecting the island and the Munam coast, making the original form of the land-tied island almost impossible to observe.

Jangsahang Port

Jangsa Port is a small fishing port located in the Jangsa-dong area of Sokcho-si, a typical fishing village with a 90m breakwater, a 144m jetty, a 130m wharf, and about 30 fishing boats. With about 50 raw fish restaurants and live fish shops nearby, it is perfect for enjoying fresh raw fish, and in particular, a boat fishing ground is formed nearby, making it an optimal place to enjoy sea fishing. Every summer during the vacation season, a festival is held here where people catch squid with their bare hands, adding cool fun.

Yeongnangho Lake

Yeongnangho Lake is a natural lagoon formed by the development of coastal sand dunes, with a circumference of 7.8km, an area of about 1.2㎢, and a depth well over 8m, making it wide and deep. Water flowing in from Jangcheoncheon Stream connects to the East Sea through a waterway under Yeongnang Bridge. It is surrounded by Jangsa-dong, Yeongnang-dong, Dongmyeong-dong, and Geumho-dong in Sokcho City, and a pleasant walking path has been created around the lakeshore. Along the walking path, a lyrical and beautiful landscape unfolds, harmonizing with the clear, calm lake, cherry blossoms, royal azaleas, and reeds. According to Samguk Yusa, Yeongnangho Lake is said to have been named after 'Yeongnang', a Hwarang of Silla. After completing training at Geumgangsan Mountain, Yeongnang passed by this lake on the way to a martial arts competition, but fell so in love with the beautiful scenery that he forgot about entering the competition and stayed here for a long time. Yeongnangho Lake boasts outstanding scenery, enough to remain in old records. In particular, Beombawi Rock, one of the Eight Scenic Views of Sokcho, draws admiration from all who see it. It has a mysterious energy, as if a tiger is quietly crouching. Gwaneumam Hermitage and Bogwangsa Temple, where several bizarre rocks and stones are gathered, are also must-see attractions. The Wetland Ecological Park on the west side of the lakeshore is also worth visiting.
[Main Facilities & Auxiliary Facilities]
Yeongnangho Lake Park
[Experience Program]
Scenic viewing

Yeonggeumjeong

Yeonggeumjeong is a place where large, wide rocks are spread out on the seashore beneath the Sokcho Lighthouse in Dongmyeong-dong, Sokcho-si. The origin of the name is that when waves hit the rocks, a mysterious melody is heard, and this sound is said to be like the sound of a divine "geomungo," so it was called Yeonggeumjeong. It is located close to the city center, and because the scenery is outstanding, it is a place where Sokcho citizens enjoy summer leisure and fishing in all four seasons. Currently, Sokcho-si has developed the Yeonggeumjeong area as a tourist site and built an actual pavilion near the southern breakwater. This pavilion is an offshore pavilion built on the Yeonggeumjeong rocks, and you can enter it after crossing a bridge of about 50 m. The feeling of looking at the sea from the offshore pavilion gives a refreshing feeling different from that of the breakwater, but it is regrettable that the pavilion itself is a very tacky concrete pavilion. It is usually called the Sunrise Pavilion, and the signboard of the pavilion has the characters Yeonggeumjeong (靈琴亭) written on it.

Cheongchoho Lake

Cheongchoho Lake, spread out in the center of Sokcho City, is a large natural lagoon with a circumference of 5km and an area of 1.3㎢. Cheongchocheon Stream, which flows out from near Misiryeong Pass in the Taebaek Mountains, reaches the East Sea coast, forms a beautiful lake, and then flows out to the adjacent sea. It looks like a midway stop connecting a river and the sea. On the lake, Cheongchojeong Pavilion is built, offering views of Seoraksan Mountain and the East Sea. It is located at the end of a roughly 75m-long marine pedestrian bridge, giving the feeling of being in the middle of the lake. Standing here, the entire lake view is captured at a glance. Cheongchojeong Pavilion shines even more at night and is counted among Sokcho's finest night view spots. The blue dragon and yellow dragon sculptures, containing the dragon legend passed down about Cheongchoho Lake, also draw attention. The walking path created around the lakeshore has nighttime lighting, so many people visit even at night. Benches are placed throughout, making it a good place to rest while looking at the lake. Around Cheongchoho Lake, there are many places worth visiting, such as the Seokbong Ceramic Art Museum and a migratory bird habitat. Cheongchoho Lake Park, created on the lakeshore, is the site where the 1999 Gangwon International Tourism Expo was held, and the 73.4m-high Expo Tower Observatory stands there.
[Main Facilities & Auxiliary Facilities]
Cheongcho Lake Park, Expo Tower, Citizens' Tree Planting Park
[Experience Program]
Stroll