Foreigners are flocking to Korea's national parks, but with adventure comes risk

On the slopes of Baegundae, the highest peak in Mount Bukhan in northern Seoul, the queue of climbers grinds to a halt on a spring day in early May. A young woman grips onto the steel rail running up the steep rocky slab.

Tears roll down her cheeks, her breath is hasty — she tries to compose herself. Hikers descending in the other direction offer words of encouragement, and she manages a panicked chuckle before pressing on.

Getting into the mountains is extremely easy in Korea. Trails are accessible by public transport and well-maintained. This is a major factor drawing troves of foreign visitors to Korea's national parks. However, that accessibility can be dangerous, leading beginner-level hikers to take on dicey routes that require experience and correct gear.

The last hour of climbing Baegundae is not for the faint of heart. In multiple sections, the lanky steel rail is the only thing keeping climbers from slipping down a dome of rock that quickly goes vertical.

 The young woman's fear was completely justified. The month of May made it clear that the mountains are unpredictable.

An 11-year-old boy was found dead from a fatal fall after going missing in Mount Juwang, North Gyeongsang, on May 12.

Two hikers suffered falls of five and seven meters in Mount Seorak over Buddha’s Birthday weekend, with a third hiker collapsing from cardiac arrest.

Danger in numbers

The heights aren't the main problem — it’s the sheer number of climbers that flock to the mountains on a sunny weekend or public holiday. Take Mount Bukhan on Children's Day, a public holiday. Being just an hour away from central Seoul by bus, it was crawling with people. 

The same goes for Mount Gwanak in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, which has become even more popular due to the recent belief that reaching its peak brings good luck. 

Mount Seorak in Gangwon to the east near the coastal city of Sokcho is also highly popular and just a three-hour bus ride away. 

The steep, narrow stairs of Mount Bukhan, built into the mountainside, combined with the number of people climbing them, mean that only one person must lose their footing for the rest to fall like dominoes.

 There’s also the grueling wait in the queue for the summit, where hikers are exposed to baking hot sun on the exposed ridgeline, vulnerable to dehydration or heat stroke.

The same goes for other peaks and parks in Korea.

At Mount Gwanak, there are tamer options for reaching its apex, Yeonjudae, than Mount Bukhan, but there’s also no one to stop you from traversing its razor-sharp ridge, which lacks protective rails.

While some climbers carefully navigated Yeonjudae’s rocky spine, three boys in baggy jeans, blasting K-rap, leaped from rock to rock, overtaking the cautious climbers at the peril of everyone, themselves most of all.

Visitors to the parks have increased dramatically. Over 2 million foreigners visited Korean national parks in 2025, a 131 percent increase from 2024, when 885,000 foreign visitors were recorded. There were 123 incidents in the parks in 2025 — 10 fatalities and 113 injuries.

It hasn’t let up in 2026. 

At Mount Seorak, crowds of hikers surged through the gates at the crack of dawn to get a taste of the mountains after the 73-day spring closure.

Approximately 16,000 walked the mountain that day.  

Korean National Park Service spokesperson Choi Seung-hwan said there are risks associated with increased visitor numbers, but rescue and safety measures have been stepped up to address them.

There were 22 cases of illegal or disorderly behavior, including entering unauthorized trails, bivouacking and illegally dumping trash over that opening May weekend.

Few checks and balances

Climbers raced to Seoraksan as early as 2 a.m. to miss the crowds and catch the sunrise.

Ascending Daecheongbong, the park’s highest mountain, from the Sokcho-facing side offers a different set of challenges. At 2 a.m. in the pitch black, it’s easy for your sleep-deprived brain to wander into the bush thinking it’s the track.

Ascending the mountainside, this writer presumed that rangers would look climbers up and down to assess their ability to reach the top. There were none, as far as he could tell.

The only warnings were about the risk of cardiac arrest for older climbers and that the track got steeper near the end.

It’s a 10 to 14-hour day from Sinheung Temple, with most of those hours dedicated to ascending ragged stone staircases that seemingly go on forever.

“I don’t know how much further I can go,” an American hiker said as they plodded up the stairs. “My friends are still way behind me.” Most were on their way down as she continued up.

It’s a test of fitness and stamina, and as the altitude increases, temperatures drop. If you get stuck in the dark, the dangers are immense.

Concerns have been raised about the increase in the number of climbers in the parks — and whether they are fully aware of the risks they are taking or of their own abilities.

Choi said the most common cause of injury or death was when hikers went down unofficial trails — paths created by hikers themselves with neither the consent nor involvement of park authorities.

“We install safety facilities on trails,” Choi said, “but a lot of people leave the trails and use unofficial paths instead.”

Rental gear rollout

A gear rental service that has operated at in Mount Bukhan since 2021 will roll out nationwide, with a particular focus on Mount Seorak, where many accidents occur.

This service is focused on foreign visitors, whose numbers entering the park are increasing, and who aren’t necessarily equipped with all the gear locals have.

Safety backpacks — including hiking boots and trekking poles — will be available for rent, and AI-based multilingual guidance services will be provided.

Equipment rental services have been operational in 20 national parks since May, and AI guidance systems are expected to go online in November or December this year.

There will also be new ranger-led tour programs for foreign visitors, creating an environment in which they can experience national parks more conveniently.

Hikers can make a few basic preparations to keep themselves safe. Telling a friend or family member how long you plan to be away is important, along with a cutoff time for when they should contact the authorities if they haven't heard from you.

A windproof and rainproof jacket is great for shielding the body from the wet and the chill that comes when the wind picks up. A thermal undershirt is incredibly light, takes up little room and provides a base layer of warmth. 

A fully charged flashlight and a battery pack are also recommended in case the sun starts to set during your walk. Keeping your wits about you while hiking in a new environment is difficult enough during the day, especially as a foreigner, let alone at night.

The Korea National Park Service also plans to strengthen online promotion through English-language YouTube Shorts and other channels, and to expand tourism products linked to national parks to increase demand and raise visitors' awareness of the risks. 

Mountains are beautiful, but danger is inevitable on the hiking trail. "It's the outdoors," says Choi, "we all know that there are safety risks."