Concerns over hiking safety are growing as the experience of a woman who narrowly escaped becoming a victim of a crime while hiking alone spreads online. As similar incidents are shared one after another, there is a heightened sense of caution surrounding hiking, which had previously been considered a relatively safe leisure activity.

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On April 24, a post titled "Don't go hiking alone. Not even in your neighborhood mountain" was rapidly shared on social media platforms. The writer, identified as Ms. A, shared her experience of planning a hike with a friend for dieting purposes, only to end up going alone after her friend canceled.

Ms. A recalled, "It was a small mountain that takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the summit," and added, "As I approached the summit, I saw a man in his 50s coming down. The moment I saw him, I had a feeling that there wouldn't be anyone else at the summit."

"I glanced back as I passed the person, and the man turned around saying 'You came alone' and then ran towards me."

"I ran wildly twisting in different directions on the mountain path, and fearing that screaming would reveal my location, I couldn't even scream and ran crying quietly."

While fleeing from the man, Ms. A said she encountered another hiker who appeared to be a grandfather with his grandchild. She said, "'Help me. A strange man is chasing me,' and they accompanied me down the mountain," emphasizing, "Never hike alone."

As the post spread, many people came forward with similar experiences. One user said, "I also encountered a strange man while descending from Inwangsan, and I felt uneasy, so I turned around to walk away, but the man started following me. When I ran, he ran after me and kept watching me. Even on Inwangsan, which is usually crowded, hiking alone is dangerous." Another user shared, "A stranger approached me during a hike and made inappropriate requests, so I ran away and was able to descend with the help of another hiker."

Hiking trail-related image. Pixabay

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Other comments included, "There are no CCTVs so it's really dangerous," "There's nowhere to run and no one to help," "Even at Jeju Olle Trail, guesthouse owners warn women not to go alone," "I went to Achasan with my younger sibling, but we once had to go down together with a woman who was being chased by a man," "Never go alone, even to a neighborhood mountain," "I've heard that even two women together can be at risk," and "You need to be careful even in broad daylight."

Due to their secluded nature, hiking trails have long been considered vulnerable to crime. In reality, in 2012, a woman in her 40s was murdered on Jeju Olle Trail, and in 2014, a man known as the "Squirrel Flasher" was arrested after targeting women hiking alone for four years, committing indecent acts, robberies, and even sexual assault. In 2015, a woman in her 50s was murdered by a man with intentions of sexual assault while descending alone from Muhaksan in Changwon, Gyeongnam, and in 2023, a woman in her 30s died after being brutally assaulted on Gwanaksan.

The National Fire Agency advises hikers to ▲use designated trails, ▲always hike with at least one companion, and ▲check for mountain location markers and national point numbers to prevent mountain accidents.