NadeJirisan: Korea's First National Park지리산: 한국 최초의 국립공원
Korea's very first national park is also where wild bears roam again — meet the sacred mountain that started it all.
Jirisan is where Korea's national park system began. In December 1967, this massive mountain range in the southern part of the country became National Park No. 1, and it remains the largest terrestrial national park in Korea, sprawling across three provinces. Its highest point, Cheonwangbong Peak, rises 1,915 meters — the tallest summit on the mainland of South Korea (within South Korea, only Hallasan on Jeju Island is higher).
Why Jirisan first? For centuries Koreans regarded it as one of the country's three sacred mountains, a place where hermits, monks, and scholars retreated from the world. Great Buddhist temples like Hwaeomsa took root on its slopes over a thousand years ago. Unlike Korea's sharper granite peaks, Jirisan is a broad, deep, forested massif — locals describe it as a mountain that 'embraces' people.
Today Jirisan is also the stage for Korea's most celebrated wildlife comeback. Since 2004, the national park service has been restoring the Asiatic black bear (called 'moon bear' for the white crescent on its chest), releasing bears into the wild and building the population back to dozens of animals. Hikers follow food-storage rules and stick to marked trails, and the ridgeline trek from Nogodan to Cheonwangbong — with nights in mountain shelters — is considered a rite of passage for Korean hikers.
지리산은 한국 국립공원 제도의 출발점이다. 1967년 12월, 남부 내륙에 넓게 펼쳐진 이 산줄기가 대한민국 국립공원 1호로 지정됐고, 지금도 3개 도에 걸친 국내 최대 육상 국립공원이다. 최고봉 천왕봉은 해발 1,915m로 남한 내륙(본토)에서 가장 높다(남한에서는 제주 한라산만이 더 높다).
왜 지리산이 처음이었을까. 지리산은 예로부터 한국의 삼신산 중 하나로 꼽히며 수행자와 승려, 선비들이 세상을 피해 깃들던 산이었다. 화엄사 같은 대사찰이 천 년 넘게 산자락에 자리 잡아 왔다. 날카로운 화강암 바위산이 많은 한국 명산들과 달리 지리산은 넓고 깊은 흙산·숲산이라, '사람을 품어주는 산'이라는 표현이 자주 따라붙는다.
오늘날 지리산은 한국에서 가장 유명한 야생동물 복원의 무대이기도 하다. 2004년부터 국립공원공단이 반달가슴곰(가슴의 흰 초승달 무늬 때문에 'moon bear'로 불린다) 복원 사업을 진행해 야생 개체수를 수십 마리 규모로 되살렸다. 탐방객은 지정 탐방로를 지키고 음식물 관리 수칙을 따르며, 노고단에서 천왕봉까지 대피소에서 자며 걷는 종주는 한국 등산인들 사이에서 일종의 통과의례로 여겨진다.
If you go가신다면
Getting there.가는 법. For the Gurye side (Hwaeomsa, Nogodan): intercity bus from Seoul Nambu Terminal to Gurye (about 3h) or train to Guryegu Station, then local bus to Hwaeomsa. For Cheonwangbong: bus to Jinju, then local bus to Jungsan-ri trailhead. Hadong side is reachable by bus from Busan or Jinju.
Tips.팁. Mountain shelters (daepiso) on the ridge trail must be reserved in advance on the KNPS reservation site — they fill up fast in autumn. Never leave food out (bear country rules) and stay on marked trails; some sections close seasonally for wildlife protection. Summit sunrise from Cheonwangbong is a Korean bucket-list item, so expect crowds on weekends.
Best time.가기 좋은 때. Mid-to-late October for autumn foliage; May for royal azalea blooms on the high ridges.
Places in this story이야기 속 장소
- Cheonwangbong Peak via Jungsan-ri (Sancheong)
- Hwaeomsa Temple (Gurye)
- Nogodan Peak (Gurye)
- Ssanggyesa Temple & Hwagae Valley (Hadong)
Sources (4)출처 (4)
- Jirisan was designated Korea's first national park in December 1967 and is the largest terrestrial national park in the country. — Korea National Park Service / VisitKorea (english.visitkorea.or.kr)
- Cheonwangbong Peak (1,915 m) is the highest summit on the mainland of South Korea. — Korea National Park Service; VisitKorea Jirisan National Park page
- The Asiatic black bear restoration project has been running in Jirisan since 2004, releasing bears and rebuilding a wild population of dozens of animals. — Korea National Park Service (KNPS) Species Restoration Center; national-parks.org Jirisan page
- Major Buddhist temples such as Hwaeomsa have stood on Jirisan's slopes for over a millennium. — VisitKorea (Hwaeomsa Temple, Gurye)
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나들이는 이 이야기 속 장소들을 지도에 담았습니다. 진짜 가는 법, 현지 맥락, 그리고 당신의 언어로 돌아오는 답변까지.