I arrived in just 10 minutes by taxi, and I'm surprised there's a mountain this close by. I want to recommend Korea's mountains to my other friends too.
Around 9 a.m. on the 19th, at the Yukmojeong Pass at an elevation of 400 meters on Bukhansan Mountain, Nana Fjor, a 27-year-old from Denmark, caught a breath and said this. A total of 20 foreigners were encountered while hiking Bukhansan Mountain that day. They stopped not only at temples but also in front of pine trees to snap photo after photo.
With the number of foreign tourists at an all-time high, "K-hiking" is also emerging as a tourism course. Not only Namsan, which is close to downtown Seoul, but also Bukhansan Mountain, Seoraksan Mountain, and Jirisan Mountain, the country's famous peaks, are drawing a fast-growing number of foreign visitors.
That day, Harujae Pass on Bukhansan Mountain bustled with foreign hikers. Harujae is located at an elevation of 400 meters, reached by climbing about 30 minutes from the Baegundae Visitor Center for an average adult. Marco D'Amico, 29, from Italy, whom we met there, was wearing a T-shirt printed with "moe," the pure Korean word for mountain.
Rowan, from the United States, was on the way down from Yeongbong at 600 meters above sea level. Rowan said, "There were many rocks on the way to the peak and it wasn't easy," but also said, "The scenery is very beautiful, so I definitely recommend going."
Hearing this, five tourists from the Netherlands set off toward Yeongbong. Elain, 22, said, "Most of the Netherlands is flat, so it's not easy to hike," and noted, "I came to Korea really looking forward to hiking."
Foreigners cited word of mouth as the biggest reason they seek out Korea's mountains. They said they naturally added hiking to their itineraries after seeing videos on social media (SNS) of people climbing mountains during trips to Korea.
The cityscape of Seoul seen from the mountains is considered a must-see tourism element. Charlotte Barton, 25, from the United Kingdom, said, "There are mountains around Scotland, but they aren't this big," and added, "I was especially intrigued that they are close to the city of Seoul, which is why I came."
According to the Seoul Tourism Organization, through June this year, the three Seoul Hiking Tourism Centers (Bukhansan Mountain, Bukaksan, and Gwanaksan Mountain) saw 44,387 visitors, up 25% from a year earlier. Foreigners accounted for 16.5% (7,343 people). As the number of foreign hikers increased, the number of hiking equipment rentals rose more than 50% from last year.
Interest in Korean culture has also grown. Dan Halefun, 25, from the United Kingdom, said, "I came to Bukhansan Mountain because I wanted to see temples," and added, "I looked around Doseonsa at the foot of the mountain, and I want to go higher and look around the other temples as well."
Quite a few foreigners also visit Jirisan Mountain and Seoraksan Mountain, which are far from Seoul. According to the Korea National Park Service, as of last year, the number of foreign visitors to national parks nationwide exceeded 880,000. It more than quintupled in two years.
A hiker surnamed Seo, 64, who recently visited Jirisan Mountain, said, "I was catching my breath and straightening my back on the way to the summit when foreigners next to me clapped to cheer me on," and added, "I've hiked many places in domestic mountains over the past 20 years, but I've never seen this many foreigners like these days."
Foreign hikers are breathing life into commercial districts around mountains. A convenience store near Bukhansan Ui Station in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, at the entrance to a Bukhansan Mountain trail, was crowded with foreigners buying socks, hot packs, and snacks. Store owner Kim Hyo-sun said, "Since spring, the number of foreign customers has visibly increased," and noted, "They buy a lot of drinks and triangle gimbap."
Based on credit card data compiled by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), foreigners are opening their wallets in areas around Jirisan Mountain and Seoraksan Mountain as well. Tourism spending is a figure that encompasses money spent on accommodations, transportation, shopping, food and beverages, and sports and leisure.
In Gurye County, South Jeolla Province, which borders Jirisan Mountain, foreign tourism spending from January to October this year was 1.9781 billion won, up 28.1% from the same period last year. Hadong County, South Gyeongsang Province, also rose 51.8% over the same period. Both outpaced the national foreign tourism spending growth rate (20%).
Inje County, Gangwon Province, which includes Seoraksan Mountain, saw foreign tourism spending reach 6.35473 billion won from January to October this year, nearly 14 times higher than the same period last year. Orna Reshef, 65, an Israeli who traveled to Korea this month, said, "I visited a temple near Seoraksan Mountain, and next time I want to try climbing Seoraksan."