Will Yongso Waterfall in Namhae-gun Stand Out as a Tourist Attraction?

Yongmunsa∼Yongso Waterfall∼Yongso Village
Selected as the 4.7km Course Connecting Them

Yongso Waterfall in Idong-myeon, Namhae-gun, Gyeongnam, which was difficult for the general public to access due to the lack of an approach road, is set to be developed as a tourist resource through the Village Barae-gil Project.

The Village Barae-gil Project is a resident-participation type public contest project applied for by representatives of village residents. It started last year, and currently, Mansumugang Barae-gil in Nam-myeon and Sambyeolcho Barae-gil in Seo-myeon have been established respectively. Unlike existing Barae-gil trails that focus on tourists, Village Barae-gil trails are created as short-distance paths for local residents to walk comfortably.

This year, three Village Barae-gil trails were submitted from Gohyeon, Sangju, and Idong. The Village Barae-gil Selection Committee held on September 25 selected the tentatively named Yongso Waterfall Barae-gil in Idong-myeon, which had the highest resident participation.

The water stream of Yongsopokpo Falls, which will become accessible to everyone through the Maulbaraegil project, flows directly into Aenggang Bay.

The selection of Yongso Waterfall Barae-gil was influenced by the quaint paths connecting the thousand-year-old temple Yongmunsa and Baekryeonam, as well as the incorporation of the long-neglected Seopo Literary Valley Trail. Additionally, the fact that Yongso Waterfall, which previously had no access road, would be developed as a resource through the Barae-gil was a major attraction, according to the selection committee members.

Above all, the active participation of Yongso village residents was crucial. To create an approach road to Yongso Waterfall, it was necessary to pass through rice paddies and fields above and below the waterfall, and the landowners permitted the use of their land to secure the walking path.

Furthermore, village officials, including Chief Kang Young-wook, persuaded residents to allow the Village Barae-gil to pass through village alleys, and this was reflected in the plan, which also moved the judges.

If Yongso Waterfall Barae-gil is selected, Yongso village plans to open a village market utilizing the Village Barae-gil. They are also exploring the possibility of developing the Yongso village irrigation canal, suggested by experts as a potential tourist attraction, into a tourism resource.

The Yongso Waterfall Barae-gil selected this year will undergo detailed route consulting and surface maintenance for about two months and will hold an opening ceremony in late November or early December.

Jo Young-ho, head of the Namhae Tourism and Culture Foundation, said, “Through the Village Barae-gil, various village resources that existing Barae-gil trails could not embrace are resurfacing. If residents unite and propose good courses next year, we will actively develop and widely promote them.”

Meanwhile, the Village Barae-gil, created to encourage residents to walk, also awards a character course completion badge through the Barae-gil app upon full completion. Thanks to this, visits from both residents and tourists have been increasing. The Village Barae-gil trails in Nam-myeon and Seo-myeon, opened last year, have been used by about 3,000 people over the past 10 months.

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