한국국제교류재단

Postwar Korea adopted a ppali, ppali (hurry, hurry) mindset that remains embedded in its society today. But during winter, if you head to Muju County, deep in the southern interior of the Korean peninsula, you will encounter a hidden side of Korea that offers a respite from the frenetic pace.

A Trip to Muju County in North Jeolla Prov­ince is an opportunity to revel in the charm of the Korean winter and opens your eyes to the beauty and value of nature. The highlight of a visit here is the topography of Mt. Deogyu National Park. The mountain, whose name means “abundance of vir­tue,” stretches for more than 30 kilometers, part­ly covering Muju County and anchoring Baekdu­daegan, the north-south mountainous spine of the Korean peninsula.

Hyangjeokbong, Mt. Deogyu’s central peak, towers 1,614 meters above sea level and is com­plemented by numerous ridges with peaks more than 1,300 meters high, some 20 large and small waterfalls, dozens of ponds, and 13 famous obser­vation platforms.

Below, Gucheondong Valley, whose name stems from a serpentine stream that flows through it, is known for its breathtaking scenery which draws visitors all year round. The most spectacular spots are collectively known as the “33 Vistas of Gu­cheondong.”

GLASSY LANDSCAPE

 

The true beauty of Mt. Deogyu is best appreciated on foot. In winter, the snow on the tree branch­es melts slightly in the day’s sunlight, then freez­es again when the temperature drops at night. This repeated cycle of melting and freezing forms ice crystals known as hoarfrost that cloak trees, boulders, and rocks. From afar, the landscape ap­pears to be encased in clear glass. The hoarfrost at Mt. Deogyu is the thickest and most transparent in the region, thanks to the mountain’s high ridg­es and ideal humidity and wind conditions. When you push away the hoarfrost-covered branches, they knock against each other, creating an inde­scribably clear sound.

Despite being the fourth-highest mountain in South Korea, it is not difficult to reach the sum­mit of Mt. Deogyu. Inexperienced hikers can take a 20-minute cable car ride to a platform at Seol­cheonbong, a peak at 1,520 meters. From there, you can overlook the center of Muju-eup, the town in the county’s north. The rest area rents out winter hiking gear, such as crampons, spats, and hiking staffs. When ready, visitors only have a 600-meter walk up to Hyangjeokbong and can en­joy the hoarfrost along the way. Gentle stairs help with the ascent.

Mt. Deogyu is also home to the only Korean ski resort located inside a national park; it boasts the biggest ski slope and the steepest vertical drop in the country. Whether you prefer hiking or ski­ing, you will be able to appreciate why Mt. Deo­gyu is considered one of the most beautiful Kore­an mountains to visit in winter.

The pristine natural environment around Mt. Deogyu and Muju County is simply breathtaking. The annual Muju Firefly Festival in early autumn celebrates the large firefly habitat by Namdae­cheon, a stream that flows through the northern part of Mt. Deogyu. At night, the fireflies illumi­nate the area in a massive mating ritual. In 1982, Muju’s habitat of fireflies and their prey was des­ignated as Natural Monument No. 322.

 

CONSERVATION

Environmental protection efforts in Korea began in earnest in the 1960s. In 1963, the National Re­construction Movement Headquarters proposed that the government bestow national park status onto Mt. Jiri, to the south of Mt. Deogyu. The fol­lowing year, residents of Gurye County near Mt. Jiri promoted and raised funds for the plan. Their efforts paid off in 1967, when Mt. Jiri was designat­ed as the country’s first national park. Mt. Deogyu gained national park status in 1975, making it the tenth Korean national park at the time.

The Korean fir, which grows at an altitude of 1,300 meters at Mt. Deogyu, is familiar to most Koreans as it is a popular Christmas tree. The tall European spruce may be a more common choice for outdoor Christmas trees, but the Korean fir is preferred indoors because of its smaller size and the larger spaces between its branches, which al­low for more room to hang decorations.

Unfortunately, the Korean fir may become a rare sight. In 2013, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified it as an endangered species. To protect it, Yuhan-Kimber­ly, Ltd., a joint venture of Korean pharmaceutical company Yuhan Corporation and U.S. paper-based consumer product giant Kimberly Clark, launched a Korean fir conservation project with the Baek­dudaegan National Arboretum in 2021. The initia­tive can be compared to building a “Noah’s Ark” for the imperiled tree. Nearly 6,800 seedlings are being grown in the arboretum’s greenhouse, and 120,000 Korean fir seeds were collected in 2022 to further increase this number. The plan is to transplant young Korean firs onto Mt. Deogyu.

“BACKUP” SITE

There is another place in Muju that is dedicat­ed to preservation. It is the royal historical re­pository on Mt. Jeoksang, which is located inside Mt. Deogyu National Park. The Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the late 14th to the early 20th centuries, placed great importance on keep­ing historical records. The purpose was to pre­vent the tyranny of the king, who wielded ab­solute power, as well as to pass down knowledge and expertise to future generations. The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which contain daily accounts encompassing 472 years of the dynasty’s history, are the most prominent record. They are not on­ly the longest-running historical record of any single dynasty in the world, but the only case where the original volumes remain intact to this day. In recognition of their value, they were des­ignated as a national treasure of Korea in 1973 and inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 1997.

How could the annals be preserved in their original state over many centuries, surviving wars, fires, and countless natural disasters? This can be attributed to the Joseon government’s ef­forts of creating several “backups.” One set was kept in the capital and another three or four in different places across the country. In addition, every three years, the books were aired under the sun to prevent mold growth and damage from sil­verfish.

The annals faced dire situations. At the end of the 16th century, when Joseon fought off Japanese invasions with the help of Ming China, all but one copy of the annals were destroyed in a fire. The surviving copy had been stored at the Jeonju repository, about 50 kilometers southwest of Mu­ju, and the government later restored the origi­nal number of five copies and dispersed them to repositories across the nation. One of them was the repository on Mt. Jeoksang, an ideal location thanks to its proximity to a cliff that could pro­vide protection from invaders. In addition, Mt. Jeoksang Fortress, which had been built 1,500 years earlier, was reconstructed to fortify areas with gently sloping terrain.

In the early 20th century, the annals that were stored at the Mt. Jeoksang repository were re­located to Seoul, but they mysteriously disap­peared during the Korean War. Despite this loss, the extensive collection, comprising a total of 1,893 volumes and 888 books, has been passed down from generation to generation, thanks to the dedicated efforts to create backups.

HARMONY WITH NATURE

Muju is not just a travel destination; it is also a place providing a deeper understanding of the breadth and depth of Korean society’s efforts to coexist with nature. One example is Muju Deungnamu Stadium in the southern part of Mu­ju-eup. It was designed so that the 500 or so wis­teria vines that climb up its steel frame provide spectators with shade during summer and shelter from the snow during winter.

Modern architecture places more emphasis on practicality and functionalism, but there is one aspect it frequently overlooks: the interaction be­tween humans and nature. Modern architecture tends to exude an overbearing aura as if wanting to dominate nature, and landscaping can be seen as an effort to create an artificial form of nature. The stadium’s architect, Chung Guyon (1945–2011), had a different idea. Rather than artificially transforming and utilizing nature as an architec­tural component, he let nature take center stage.

Nature is constantly changing. Flowers bloom in spring, trees become lush in summer, leaves fall in autumn, and trees turn bare in winter. The ar­chitect used wisteria, whose branches are beauti­ful even when bare, to create a stadium that con­nects with nature. Taking the stairs up to the bleachers and walking behind the back row re­veals the beauty of the stadium.

A trip to Muju is an opportunity to discover that Korean society has not been completely fo­cused on moving forward at breakneck speed. It has also sought ways to interact and live in har­mony with nature. As winter is coming to Muju, there is no better time to enjoy its rich history and natural beauty.

From left, © Muju County, © Muju County, © Muju County, © KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION