Jirisan
Overview
Jirisan (智異山) is a representative mountain of South Korea, spanning Gurye County in Jeollanam-do, Namwon City in Jeollabuk-do, and Hadong County, Sancheong County, and Hamyang County in Gyeongsangnam-do. Its main peak is Cheonwangbong (천왕봉) at 1,915 m above sea level, making it the second-highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula mainland after Hallasan. It was designated South Korea's first national park on December 29, 1967, and since ancient times has been revered as a sacred mountain (靈山) at the southern end of the Baekdudaegan and as the "Mother Mountain."
Main Content
Topography and Scale
With Cheonwangbong (1,915 m) as its apex, Jirisan forms a vast mountain massif in which some 20 peaks—including Banyabong (반야봉, 1,732 m), Nogodan (노고단, 1,507 m), Samsinbong, and Jeseokbong—run east to west across roughly 40 km. The ridge extending south from the highest peak continues toward Hadong, while the western slopes drop steeply into the Seomjin River basin at Gurye. Geologically, it consists mainly of Precambrian gneiss and granite gneiss, and long erosion has produced both deep valleys and gentle high-level planation surfaces. Valleys where old-growth forest remains, such as Chilseon Valley, Baemsagol, Piagol, and Hansin Valley, are well known.
Ecosystem
Jirisan is regarded as a treasure trove of the Korean Peninsula's temperate forests. Vegetation zones are clearly divided by elevation: hornbeam and Mongolian oak communities in the lowlands, and Mongolian oak, Korean fir, and Japanese yew communities in the highlands. In particular, the Korean fir communities growing in the subalpine zone are concentrated worldwide in the Jirisan region and are called "living fossils." Endangered species such as the Asiatic black bear, Eurasian otter, long-tailed goral, Siberian flying squirrel, and Steller's sea eagle inhabit the area, and in 2015 the Jirisan area was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
History and Culture
Jirisan has been an object of faith since the Three Kingdoms period. Records tell that King Jinheung of Silla erected a monument (sunsubi), and after Unified Silla, major temples such as Hwaeomsa, Ssanggyesa, Yeongoksa, and Silsangsa were established on its slopes, making it a center of Buddhist culture. During the Joseon dynasty, it was also a cradle of Confucianism and Silhak: there is a legend that Yi Seong-gye prayed on Jirisan, Jeong Do-jeon wrote the Jirisan Yuramgi (Record of a Tour of Jirisan), and Nammyeong Jo Sik and his disciples lived in seclusion there. During the Japanese colonial period it was a stage for partisan activity, and during the Korean War the Jirisan communist guerrilla suppression operations took place, so the mountain experienced the turbulence of modern and contemporary history. The cultural landscapes of the foothill areas—Hadong's wild tea fields, Gurye's sansuyu (cornelian cherry) blossoms, and Namwon's Chunhyang Festival—are also closely connected to Jirisan.
Climbing and Visiting
The representative traverse course is the roughly 25.5 km section from Nogodan to Cheonwangbong, which takes two nights and three days. The "Hwadae traverse" linking Cheonwangbong, Jungbong, Banyabong, and Nogodan is also famous. The Jirisan Dulle-gil, opened in 2004, was established as a total of 21 sections covering about 290 km connecting five cities and counties, and has become a representative walking-tour route.
Recent Trends
As of 2024–2025, Jirisan National Park is focusing on responding to climate change and managing visitor demand. As high winter temperatures and spring droughts recur, mass die-off of Korean firs in the highlands has accelerated, and the Korea National Park Service is expanding Korean fir conservation and restoration projects and the operation of a seed bank. The Asiatic black bear restoration project was assessed as having entered a stable phase, with the population increasing to about 80 individuals as of 2024, but managing conflicts with humans remains a task. In key sections such as Cheonwangbong and Seseokpyeongjeon, an advance reservation system and trail restrictions have been strengthened, and crackdowns on night and unauthorized hiking have been expanded. In addition, discussion of installing a cable car on Jirisan has reignited amid tension between revitalizing the local economy and concerns about damage to nature; in 2024, local governments in the Jirisan area formed a linked tourism consultative body and are pursuing integrated branding that bundles the Dulle-gil, wild tea, and healing programs. Meanwhile, as the value of Jirisan as a forest carbon sink gains prominence, a joint survey by the Korea Forest Service and the Ministry of Environment is under way.
Related Topics
- [[National Park]]
- [[Baekdudaegan]]
- [[UNESCO Biosphere Reserve]]
- [[Asiatic black bear]]
- [[Jirisan Dulle-gil]]