Yeongwol is a quiet, mountainous county threaded by the Dong River, better known in Korea as the place a teenage king was exiled and died than as a resort town.
History
Yeongwol's defining historical episode is the exile of King Danjong, the sixth king of Joseon, who was forced to abdicate by his uncle Sejo and banished here in 1457 at age 16. He was killed later that year, and his tomb, Jangneung, was built on the site — it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009 as part of the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. Beyond the Danjong story, the county's economy historically ran on agriculture and mining; Sangdong-eup once held one of the world's largest tungsten deposits, which at times accounted for more than half of South Korea's tungsten exports, though mining has since declined sharply.
Highlights
- Jangneung Royal Tomb, King Danjong's UNESCO-listed tomb, with a museum on his exile and death.
- Byeolmaro Observatory, a public astronomical observatory on Bongnaesan Mountain with 11 telescopes, including the country's largest at 80cm across.
- Donggang River, one of Korea's best-known rafting rivers, with routes running roughly April through November past limestone cliffs and pine groves.
- Gossi Cave, a limestone cave system typical of the region's karst geology.
- Cheongnyeongpo, a pine grove on a bend of the river where Danjong lived before his death, reachable only by boat or a narrow land route.
Food
Yeongwol's mountain terrain makes it known for wild mountain vegetables (sanchae) — foraged greens served as banchan or mixed into rice, a specialty played up at local restaurants using homemade pastes rather than artificial seasoning.
Getting there
Direct buses run from Seoul's Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Yeongwol Intercity Bus Terminal, taking about 2.5 hours. Trains from Cheongnyangni Station in Seoul also reach Yeongwol on the Taebaek Line.
How long
A day trip covers Jangneung and a couple of other sights, but an overnight lets you add a Donggang rafting run and an evening at Byeolmaro Observatory, which only makes sense after dark.
More: Yeongwol tourism guide.