South Korea’s stunning National Parks makes your visit unforgettable

South Korea, known for its mountainous terrain, also has several areas that are designated as National Parks. They are well protected and maintained to preserve its beauty. 

For instance, Bukhansan National Park has dozens of gorges and peaks with crystal clear streams flowing between them, creating a beautiful harmony between mountain and water. There are more than 1,300 species of flora and fauna. In addition, there are also many historical and cultural sites including Bukhansanseong Fortress with over 2,000 years of history and over 100 Buddhist temples. In short, it’s an educational site for learning about ecology, culture, and history.

Then there is Seoraksan Mountain, which was designated in 1970 as South Korea’s fifth National park, and in 1965, it was designated as a natural monument. The name ‘Seoraksan’ was given to the mountain because of how white the mountains become when there is snowfall. The snow falls not just on the peaks, but the entire mountain. Including its main peak, Daecheongbong, Seoraksan has a total of 30 imposing peaks spread across its territory. Seoraksan Mountain is popular among hikers, especially during winter, because they don’t want to miss catching a glimpse of the marvelous scene of the snowy mountains.

In 1975, Deogyusan was designated as South Korea’s 10th National Park. Deogyusan National Park nests Gayasan in the east, Naejangsan in the west, Jirisan down south, and Gyeryongsan and Songnisan to the north. Deogyusan is called “The Heaven of Wild Flowers”, with a total of 1067 species of plants, which is why Deogyusan is a must-visit national park! It is rich in biodiversity with a total of 2039 species.

Naejangsan was designated as South Korea’s 8th National park in 1971 and is one of five representative mountains of the Honam region. It also is one of the eight most beautiful places in South Korea. With Sinseonbong being its highest mountain peak at 763m, most of Naejangsan’s mountain peaks average at 700 m. However, each peak is unique in its way, the rocks n each peak is different, gaining the name “Geumgang of Honam”.

Gyeongju National Park is the only national historic park in Korea, being designated as the second national park in 1968. The park is divided into eight sections over several districts, with some of the most famous World Heritage sites in multiple areas. Gyeongju is a living history book with well-preserved relics of the Silla dynasty, in harmony with the natural scenery. In 1979, UNESCO listed Gyeongju as one of the 10 most important historic sites in the world.