Uljin-Taean 849km Forest Trail 'Dongseo Trail', Uljin Pilot Section Opens

First East-West Forest Trail on the Korean Peninsula

‘Global Pilgrimage Route Development Plan’

On the 1st, Gyeongbuk Province completed the pilot section of the 'East-West Trail,' which connects the east and west of the Korean Peninsula, and held an opening ceremony at the summit of Hanti-jae in Geunnam-myeon, Uljin.

The East-West Trail is the first forest trail that crosses the Korean Peninsula, connecting a long distance of 849 km across five cities and provinces from Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk to Taean-gun, Chungnam.

East-West Trail Route Map.

The Gyeongbuk section is 275 km long, accounting for 32% of the entire trail, making it the longest section among the target cities and provinces. The pilot section of 20 km in the easternmost Uljin area was prioritized for completion and opened on this day.

The event was attended by key guests including Nam Sung-hyun, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, the Uljin County Governor, and the President of Woori Bank representing Woori Financial Group which provided ESG funding, along with related organizations, to open the East-West Trail pilot section together with the residents of Uljin.

Hanti-jae, where the event was held, is said to be the first mountain pass on the old route from Uljin to Hanyang (Seoul) for taking the state examination. It is a natural ecological treasure that serves as the main forest trail section of the pilot route starting from Mangyangjeong at the easternmost point, featuring a colony of Geumgang pine trees and leading to Bulyoung Valley.

With the opening of the pilot section to the public starting from this event, it is expected that Uljin will gain symbolic significance as the easternmost starting point of the East-West Trail and bring vitality to the local community, which has been depressed due to the large-scale forest fire damage last spring.

Additionally, this event provided a meaningful opportunity to encourage and express gratitude for the ESG funding input by companies, which serves as a driving force for public interest projects like this, fostering a win-win relationship with local regions.

East-West Trail Route Map.

Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gyeongbuk Province, said, “Uljin, a treasure trove of forest resources such as Geumgang pine forests and beautiful scenery, is a very valuable place to have the East-West Trail pilot section established first. We hope it will not only become a national forest healing destination but also contribute to revitalizing the local economy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.