Yeongwol 'Taehwasan Scenic Forest' Selected as Forest of the Month

A panoramic view of Taehwasan Scenic Forest in Yeongwol. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Taehwasan Scenic Forest has been selected as this month's recommended national forest premium forest.

According to the Korea Forest Service on the 18th, Taehwasan Scenic Forest is located on the border of Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon-do and Danyang-gun, Chungbuk.

This forest is listed among the 100 famous mountains due to historical sites such as the old mountain fortress site and Gossi Cave.

At the end of the ridge extending northwest from the mountain summit, the Namhan River flows, and the site of 'Taehwasanseong' remains in a location overlooking Yeongwol-eup.

Taehwasanseong is presumed to have been an earthen fortress from the Three Kingdoms period, serving to monitor enemy movements with a panoramic view of nearby Gyejoksan and Yeongwol town. Currently, it is known as a famous spot for viewing the forest scenery harmonized with the Namhan River.

At the foot of Taehwasan lies Gossi Cave, a natural monument (No. 219). The name 'Gossi Cave' originates from a family with the surname Go who took refuge there during the Imjin War.

This cave holds various speleothems preserving 400 million years of mystery, offering diverse sights and greatly aiding geological research and ecological learning.

Meanwhile, the Korea Forest Service also provides non-face-to-face forest interpretation using information boards (QR codes) at major points along the Taehwasan Scenic Forest hiking trail.

Visitors to the forest can scan the forest QR code with their smartphones to watch forest interpretation videos of the respective locations.

Joo Yong-won, Director of National Forest Management at the Korea Forest Service, said, “Taehwasan Scenic Forest has gentle ridges and mild terrain, making it suitable for hiking with family,” and added, “We recommend enjoying an autumn forest trip at Taehwasan along with the non-face-to-face forest interpretation.”