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Today on the Korean Atlas and History. Korean Mountains. Mount Seorak.

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Mount Seorak is a mountain located in the northeastern region of South

Korea. Mount Seorak, or 설악산, is commonly considered to be one of the three

main mountains of South Korea, including Halasan and Jirisan. It is the third highest

mountain in South Korea, its peak, 대청봉 standing at 1,708 meters or 5,603 feet tall.

The mountain is sometimes called the backbone of South Korea.

The area of Seorak mountain to the east belongs to 속초 city and is known as

오에설악, or outer Seorak. It is one of the most accessed areas of the park, and

features easy hiking courses. The area of Seorak mountain that is in the northwest,

including 대청봉 peak, is called 내설악, or Inner Seorak. 내설악 has multiple valley

views, including an eight kilometer area known as 백담 valley, which means “one

hundred pools of water.” It has clean water and lush forests, and is also home to

백단사, a Buddhist temple in the area.

Baekdamsa was establishedby the venerable 자장 율사 in 647 AD. In 1905, the

famous poet 한용운 was ordained at Baekdamsa. He is know for famous works such

as “Reformation of Joseon Buddhism,” “Commentary on the Ten Profound Verses,”

and a poetry collection called “Silence of My Beloved.” Recently, Baekdamsa was

designated as a foundational Seon Temple. The temple established a special

meditation room called 무문관. In this room, a practitioner can lock themselves into

a room and practice meditation alone for a fixed period of time. For this reason,

Baekdamsa has become a refuge for young monks who wish concentrate on Seon

meditation practice. 전두환, the former military dictator of South Korea, and his wife,

이순자, were forced to spend several years at Baekdamsa as a penance for their

actions. Baekdamsa is a home to multiple cultural properties and offers a temple

stay program for visitors to the temple.

내설악 also houses 가야동 valley. It is a smaller valley compared to others in

the region. When travelling to 가야동 valley, one will come to the 천왕 gates, the

name given to the 40 meter high cliffs that mark the entrance to the valley. Past the

천황 gates, one can see numerous landmarks including 천왕 waterfall and 너럭 rock.

Continuing through the valley, you can find a path to 대청 peak. 가야동 valley has

convenient paths for travelling through the mountain, but as of yet, there are no

signs or ladders, so some areas may be difficult or confusing.

12 선녀탕 Basin is another tour area that is very popular. Although it doesn’t

have a route to the peak, it has beautiful waterfalls and basins. Along with this,

ancient Korean Yew trees, or 유목 can be seen along the path. Legends surround the
area of fairies that come down to take baths in the basins. The area is considered

one of the most artistic valleys on Mount Seorak.

대승 Falls is also found in Inner Seorak. It is an 80 meter high waterfall that is

said to be one of the country’s three leading waterfalls, along with 구룡 falls in

금강산 and 박연 falls in 개성. The falls have a story that inspired the name. Once

upon a time, a young villager named 대승 was collecting mushrooms. He wanted to

get some nice-looking mushrooms that were on a small ledge, hanging just near the

waterfall. So, he tied a rope to a tree that was on the top of the cliff and began

scaling down the cliff wall to pick the mushrooms. The job was terrifying, as he was

nearly 80 meters from the ground, but he had faith in the rope, and managed to get

to the ledge where the mushrooms were growing. After collecting a few, he looked

up and saw a huge centipede on the tree, gnawing at the rope. Panicked, he

scrambled along the cliff wall and nearly fell. At just that moment, he heard the

voice of his mother, who had already passed away, calling him to have courage. He

suddenly had superhuman strength and managed to scale the rope, just before it

broke. Ever since then, the 대승 falls has been named after the boy who nearly died

there.

One of the most well-known attractions to Seorak mountain is 울산 Peak, also

known as Ulsan Rock. Ulsan Rock is actually a collection of strange rocks that stretch
from the foot of the mountain to the top, at around 900 meters above sea level. The

peak consists of six rocks, which create a majestic view. The area has been visited by

many poets and calligraphers, including 최연 and 허적 during the Jeoseon dynasty.

The name, 울산 Peak, comes from a legend about the site. One day, a heavenly god

commanded all the peaks of all the mountains to come together for a meeting at

금강 mountain. 울산 peak was too heavy, though, so it was slow, and late for the

meeting. It decided to take a rest on Seorak Mountain, but in the end, it stayed

there forever.

공룡능선 or Dinosaur ridge is the name given to one region of Mount Seorak.

In 2013, it was designated as Korea’s 103rd cultural scenic treasure. The ridge peaks

have the appearance of a spiked dinosaur. The Dinosaur Ridge hiking trail is quite

strenuous, however, with steep peaks that require more than 16 hours to traverse. It

is considered to be one of the most difficult mountain courses in Korea. Because of

this, accidents are very common, especially in the winter. In 1993, two university

students died of hypothermia when they lost their way on the trail at night.

권금성 fortress is also located deep in the 돌산 peak area of Seorak mountain.

There is a legend that the fortress was built by two generals named 권 and 김, in

order to avoid a war. For this reason, it is sometimes called 권김 castle. Travelling by

foot takes over an hour on the steep rocky path, however, a cable car was installed
by Dr. 이기숲 in 1971 and is still in use today. It should be noted that the 권금성

fortress is a natural formation, and no actual fortress exists on the site.

For those interested the remains of a man-made fortress, Inner Seorak holds

용장성, or the Fortress of Dragon’s Teeth. The fortress was built during the 고려

dynasty by 삼별초 as a resistance to an invading Mongolian army. Unfortunately, at

present, most of the fortress has lost its original form, and only the outlines of the

walls remain.

In 1965, Mount Seorak was designated as Korea’s Natural Monument number

171. On March 24th, 1970, it was designated as a national park, and in August 1982,

UNESCO designated the area as a biosphere reserve. The ecosystem of the

mountain is varied, with the inland climate having gentle slopes and thick layers of

soil, along with forests and animal habitats. The marine climate of the area has steep

and rocky slopes. The entire area is home to rare plants and animals, as well as

endangered animals such as Asiatic Black Bears and Long-tailed gorals.

Seorak mountain is a beautiful area rich in nature and wildlife. If you ever get

the chance to visit the northeaster region of South Korea, it is not a place you

should miss out on!

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