Gapyeong Yeoninsan Provincial Park Reborn as a Clean Rest Area... 2,000 Tons of Trash Collected

A panoramic view of Chuwoldam in Yongchu Valley, Yeoninsan Provincial Park, Gapyeong

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gapyeong's 'Yeoninsan Provincial Park,' a premier park in the Seoul metropolitan area that embraces Yongchu Valley, has been reborn as a clean resting space for residents after removing decades-old accumulated trash.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 27th that it recently completed the 'Yeoninsan Provincial Park Yongchu Valley Environmental Restoration Project,' which has been underway since 2018. Yeoninsan (戀人山) was originally a nameless mountain, but in 1999, Gapyeong County held a contest to name it, choosing a name meaning 'a place where love is fulfilled.' It is famous not only for Yongchu Valley but also for about a 2km azalea tunnel and a colony of Eulreji wildflowers along Jangsu Ridge.

The province designated this area as a provincial park in 2005 and has been directly managing it since 2018.

In particular, Yeoninsan Provincial Park is a popular summer destination in the metropolitan area, attracting about one million visitors annually. However, it had suffered from the accumulation of trash left by visitors. Moreover, there was a need to handle waste generated from the cleanup of illegal structures that had proliferated around Yongchu Valley for natural restoration.

Accordingly, since starting direct operation and management of Yeoninsan Provincial Park in 2018, the province has promoted environmental restoration projects to preserve the natural ecosystem and cultural landscape.

So far, the province has mobilized its own personnel and equipment to collect about 2,000 tons of waste not only from major hiking trails, valleys, and forest roads but also from illegally dumped waste within the forest.

This year, to provide visitors with a pleasant hiking environment, the province is creating rest areas at the summit, Yongchu Waterfall, and Musongam, as well as installing wooden stairs and repairing safety ropes on steep slopes.

A provincial official stated, "We will continue to develop Yeoninsan Provincial Park, where nature and people coexist with stories, into the best green attraction in the metropolitan area." He emphasized, "To this end, we will communicate and cooperate with the Ministry of Environment, Gapyeong County, local residents, and visitors to gather ideas and strive to develop various programs."