Korea's signature forest trail in Jecheon wins over hikers, tourists

A sign written in the Chungcheong dialect stands along Goegok Fortress Wall Trail, the sixth section of Jadrakgil in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. Korea Times file

When local cultural guide Lee Sun-yeo first explored the mountains of Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, she found a web of narrow paths used by herbalists. All she did, in her own modest telling, was connect the disjointed paths and widen them slightly for local residents. From that work emerged one of Korea’s signature forest trails.

Known as Cheongpungho Jadrakgil, the trail has become a major draw for hikers, with seven routes that preserve the landscape in its natural state. Jecheon has attracted more than 10 million visitors annually for the past three years, with Cheongpungho Lake and Jadrakgil among its leading attractions.

Lee was no stranger to mountains or hiking. She had climbed to peaks across the country before becoming a cultural guide in 2008. When the Jeju Olle Trail became popular in 2010, she began developing the idea for Jadrakgil with the Jecheon city government.

After two years of being stung by bees, bitten by snakes and cut by tall grass — at one point she started carrying spears to fend off wild boars — Lee, city officials and experts finally completed the 58-kilometer trail.

"Jadrakgil is nature itself," Lee said of the trail, which was created without laying artificial boardwalks or cutting into the mountains. “When the grass grew thick, we cleared away just enough to make a path. When we came across a stream, we simply laid a single log across it to continue the trail.”

She also recalled how Suh Myung-suk, late chair of the Jeju Olle Foundation and creator of the Jeju Olle Trail, once walked Jadrakgil and praised it as “the trail that remains most faithful to the original purpose behind such paths.”

As the creator of the trail and as a tour guide, Lee enthusiastically described the scenery in each of Jecheon’s four distinct seasons.

"Of course, there is the famous Eoreumgol Ecological trail. But Jadrakgil also includes the Jeongbangsa route, where one can take in the whole of Cheongpungho Lake and feel the serene aura of a thousand-year-old Buddhist temple. The stillness of the Goegok Fortress Wall section is particularly beautiful in winter,” Lee said.

“Each reveals a different side of Jecheon, so no matter how many times you return, every visit brings a new landscape.”

Autumn foliage colors Jeongbangsa Trail, the second section of Jadrakgil in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province / Korea Times file

For a time, the country was swept up in a hiking boom. But the trend has begun to fade, leaving trails across the country with fewer visitors. Jadrakgil has not been immune to the decline.

In response, the Jecheon city government and the Jecheon Tourism Council are preparing a range of measures to revitalize the local economy, including improving trail infrastructure and creating stronger links between the trails and downtown businesses.

“We are looking to improve the trails by installing and maintaining signs and to introduce regular programs such as walking events,” Lee said. “We also need measures that encourage visitors to stay longer, connecting food tourism featuring local medicinal herbs with accommodations and public transportation.”

The Herbal Medicine Healing Forest Trail near Uirimji Reservoir in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Jecheon city

As part of a support program for regions facing population decline, Jecheon is running its “Half-Price Jecheon Trip” initiative, which refunds more than half of eligible visitors’ travel expenses. The city also operates culinary tours linked to traditional medicinal cuisine and traditional markets downtown.

Jecheon plans to ramp up local tourism by connecting these programs with visits to Jadrakgil. It is also pursuing a trail network project linking Jadrakgil with other forest paths in the area, including the Healing Forest Trail and Samhan Green Trail near Uirimji Reservoir.

“Situated at an average elevation of 400 meters, Jecheon is truly a home of nature-based healing and wellness trekking, bringing together clean air, forests and lakes,” said Baek Chang-hyun, secretary-general of the Jecheon Tourism Council. “We will continue expanding a virtuous cycle model that preserves Jadrakgil’s authentic character, draws on the accessibility of level forest trails near downtown and uses half-price travel benefits to revitalize local businesses."

Cultural heritage guide Lee Sun-yeo, left, and Baek Chang-hyun, secretary-general of the Jecheon Tourism Council, discuss Jadrakgil, the city’s signature forest trail, at Jecheon City Hall in North Chungcheong Province on July 17 / Korea Timed Photo by Oh Seh-un

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.