Last week, I visited Cheorwon, Gangwon-do, a place where spring lingers the longest.

Cheorwon is a place where many of the old features remain intact, probably because it is near the border with North Korea. In the 1 Night 2 Days program, the drone shots of Cheorwon Plain were truly spectacular. Cheorwon appears to have a lot of sights to see besides the plain.

Summary of Cheorwon
Cheorwon is a county located in the westernmost part of Gangwon-do, where the historical traces of the division of North and South Korea remain. It was once a major transportation hub in Gangwon-do, but it was greatly declined due to the Korean War. Currently, Cheorwon County is known as a national security tourism area and has various historical sites and tourist attractions.

Cheorwon County Office website
The Cheorwon County Office website provides various information and services. (Go directly)
The main contents include information on administrative services, communication and participation bulletin boards, and family sites.

Major tourist attractions in Cheorwon
There are major tourist attractions such as Goseokjeong, the 2nd Tunnel of Aggression, the Workers' Party Headquarters, Sambuyeon Waterfall, and the Cheorwon Peace Observation Post.
These places have traces of war, making them good places for security education and historical exploration.
Additionally, more detailed information can be found on the Cheorwon County Office website (homepage).

It seems that Cheorwon is being introduced recently as a tourist destination with a variety of attractions, including columnar jointed structures, rather than just a place for security education.

The concept of this 1 Night 2 Days trip was Gungye.

Cheorwon is also famous as the capital of Taebong Kingdom, founded by Gungye. Let's learn about Gungye, then?

Gungye
Gungye was a ruler of the Later Goguryeo period, who was active during the Later Three Kingdoms period. He established his power in Songak and founded Later Goguryeo. He went on to establish Taebong Kingdom. During his reign, he had a large influence, controlling about 2/3 of the entire country. However, in his later years, he pursued a totalitarian political system based on the belief in the Maitreya Buddha and was eventually overthrown and met a tragic end at the hands of Wang Geon.

The Life of Gungye
Birth and monastic life: Gungye was born as an illegitimate son of the Silla royal family and became a monk in his teens. He gained power while living as a monk.
Founding of Later Goguryeo and Taebong Kingdom: In 901, he founded Later Goguryeo, changed the name to Majin in 904, and changed it to Taebong in 911.
Expansion of power nationwide: Gungye's power was so large that it controlled about 2/3 of the entire country.
Totalitarian politics based on the belief in the Maitreya Buddha and decline: In his later years, he pursued totalitarian politics based on the belief in the Maitreya Buddha. He was overthrown in a coup d'état in June 918 and was killed.

Relationship between Gungye and Wang Geon
Gungye and Wang Geon were opposing rulers during the Later Three Kingdoms period.
Wang Geon, who opposed Gungye's totalitarian politics based on the belief in the Maitreya Buddha, overthrew Gungye and founded Goryeo.

The 1 Night 2 Days members played a game, with the winner becoming Gungye and the rest of the members assisting Gungye in the second and third games at famous places in Cheorwon. The final concept of the show was for Kim Jong-min, who became Gungye, to choose three people to do rice transplanting in Cheorwon Plain.

But Cheorwon really has a lot to see.

First, Goseokjeong!

Goseokjeong

Goseokjeong is a pavilion located in Jangheung-ri, Dongsong-eup, Cheorwon-gun. It is a pavilion built on the middle reaches of the Hantan River during the reign of King Jinpyeong of Silla. It was designated as Monument No. 8 of Gangwon-do on December 16, 1971.

Features of Goseokjeong

Goseokjeong is built on a 15m high granite rock, offering a beautiful view of the Hantan River. This area is designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, showcasing various geological features.

Visiting and experiencing Goseokjeong
Around Goseokjeong, there is an experience program where you can ride a small boat and see the cliffs up close. The Cheorwon Tourism Information Center also provides information on various tourist attractions, culture, and food in Cheorwon.

And a boat tour of Goseokjeong with the members.

Goseokjeong Boat Tour
Around Goseokjeong, there is an experience program where you can ride a small boat and cruise the Hantan River. This small boat cruise is a popular tourist activity where you can get up close to the beautiful natural scenery of Goseokjeong.

The price of the small boat cruise is relatively inexpensive at 5,000 won for adults and 3,000 won for children. The boat operating time is not fixed, and it departs as soon as there are enough people. Around 11 people can board a boat. The boat has a roof, allowing you to cruise regardless of the weather.

Through the Goseokjeong boat tour, we learned that there are many rocks shaped like animals around Goseokjeong. If you refer to the photos below, you will be able to find them more easily when you take a boat tour later.

Im Ggeok-jeong's hiding place rock: A towering rock in the middle of the Hantan River, known as a hiding place where Im Ggeok-jeong hid from the royal troops.

Goseokam: A huge rock about 10 meters high in the middle of the Hantan River creates a spectacular view. It is said that King Jinpyeong of Silla visited this place.

Rocks shaped like animals: There are said to be several rocks around Goseokjeong that resemble animals. These bizarre rocks make the beautiful scenery of Goseokjeong even more prominent.

Cheorwon's famous rock: Goseokjeong is one of the Eight Views of Cheorwon and is considered one of the most famous scenic spots in Cheorwon. A huge rock, 10 meters high, stands tall, and clear water flows around it, boasting a beautiful view.

Besides the tourist attractions introduced in 1 Night 2 Days, there are the Nine Views of Cheorwon.

Nine Views of Cheorwon
Cheorwon is famous for its beautiful natural scenery, and the Nine Views of Cheorwon are among the most representative attractions. The Nine Views of Cheorwon are as follows:

First View, Goseokjeong: I already introduced this above, didn't I?

Second View, Sambuyeon Waterfall: A majestic three-tier waterfall located in the middle of Myeongseongsan Mountain (870m) in the granite area.
Third View, Jiktang Waterfall: Jiktang Waterfall is called Korea's Niagara Falls, and is the third of the Nine Views of Cheorwon. Its majestic appearance is impressive.
Fourth View, Maewoldaebong Waterfall: A 30-meter high waterfall creates a spectacular sight.
Fifth View, Sundam Valley: It boasts a beautiful scenery where a clear valley and lush forest blend together.
Sixth View, Soisan Jaesongpyeong: Soisan Mountain, where the scenery changes depending on the direction you look. The view from the top of Soisan Mountain is very beautiful. The ecological forest trail and the minefield flower road, which reminiscent of the GOP, are a circumnavigation trail that expresses the history and hope of our divided country, attracting many tourists.
Seventh View, Yongyang Swamp: A protected area for migratory birds. It was created to convey the symbolic message of the DMZ, where war, peace, and ecology coexist.
Eighth View, Songdaeso Columnar Jointed Structures: Impressive majestic columnar jointed structures.
Ninth View, Dawn at Hak Reservoir: In 2013, an ecological trail was created in the Hak Reservoir area. It is a special place where you can capture the dawn and starry sky of the Hak Reservoir.

Sambuyeon Waterfall

A three-tier waterfall with a width of about 1m and a height of about 20m.
A waterfall formed when granite that intruded during the Cretaceous period exposed to the surface.
Traces of the waterfall retreating three times, changing directions, can be observed, which is due to the joint structure of the granite.
There is a pot-shaped cauldron at the bottom of the waterfall.
Surrounded by clear water and lush forests, it boasts a beautiful scenery.

Origin of Sambuyeon Waterfall
It is said that Samyeon Kim Chang-heop lived in seclusion here during the reign of King Sukjong of Joseon, and it came to be called "Sambuyeon".
Sambuyeon Waterfall is one of the most famous attractions among the Nine Views of Cheorwon, where you can enjoy the majestic waterfall and the beautiful natural scenery.

Cheorwon Columnar Jointed Structures
Cheorwon is a DMZ area where nature and people become one. Cheorwon Columnar Jointed Structures, one of the major tourist attractions, are located around the Hantan River.

Cheorwon Hantan River Columnar Jointed Structures Trail

A premium trekking course connecting magnificent cliffs, a suspension bridge, and a trail, at the highest level in Korea.
It is about 4.2 km long and takes 2 hours and 7 minutes one way. A shuttle bus runs on weekends.
The admission fee is 10,000 won per adult, but you are given a Cheorwon County gift certificate worth 5,000 won, making the actual admission fee 5,000 won.

UNESCO Global Geopark

Cheorwon is designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, making it a place of great geological value.
Cheorwon Columnar Jointed Structures are a premium trekking course connecting magnificent cliffs, a suspension bridge, and a trail, at the highest level in Korea. Cheorwon is also a DMZ area where nature and people become one, with various tourist attractions such as the Nine Views of Cheorwon and the UNESCO Global Geopark.