[One Day 10,000 Characters] Uljin~Taean 849km East-West Trail... First Departure 'Woori Financial Road'

On June 1st, at the opening ceremony of the 'Woori Financial Road,' a pilot section of the 'Dongseo Trail,' Son Byeong-bok, Uljin County Governor (fourth from the left), Lee Dal-hee, Deputy Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do for Economic Affairs (fifth from the left), Nam Seong-hyeon, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service (sixth from the left), Lee Won-deok, President of Woori Bank (seventh from the left), Jeon Beom-gwon, Chairman of the Korea Mountaineering & Trekking Center (eighth from the left), and related officials are posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Korea Forest Service

The East-West Trail, which crosses the Korean Peninsula, is a large-scale national project with a total length of 849 km, connecting the Uljin Geumgang Pine Forest at the eastern end, passing through the Songnisan Dulle-gil and Naepo Cultural Forest Trail, and reaching the Anmyeon Pine Forest in Taean at the western end. Of the 849 km, 123 km (15%) are national forests, and 726 km (85%) are public and private forests. The Korea Forest Service is responsible for the national forests, while local governments must manage the public and private forests.

Accordingly, the Korea Forest Service, five provinces and cities including Daejeon, Sejong, Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk, private sectors, the Korea Hiking and Trekking Support Center, and 21 local governments are jointly developing the East-West Trail as the first long-distance backpacking trail in Korea. The public and private sectors have been working on the project since 2022, aiming to open the entire route by 2026. The trail is divided into 55 sections, with an average length of 15 km per section, which is a distance an average person can walk in a day. Each section is designed so that there is a mountain village at both the start and end points, allowing trail users to eat, sleep, and rest in these mountain villages. In addition to forest paths, plans include establishing 90 hub villages and 43 campsites.

On June 1st, attendees of the opening ceremony for the 'Woori Financial Road,' a pilot section of the 'East-West Trail,' are walking along the pilot section. [Photo by Korea Forest Service]

On June 1st, an opening ceremony for the East-West Trail was held at Hantijae in Geumgangsong-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, with participation from the Korea Forest Service, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Woori Financial Group, Uljin residents, and forestry organizations. Hantijae, where the ceremony took place, is the starting point of the East-West Trail and corresponds to section 55 (20 km) in Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province. With 800 million KRW from Woori Financial Group’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) fund, the first section was completed and named the ‘Woori Financial Trail.’

The opened section runs from Mangyangjeong to Jeonchi Village Campsite (Hawon-ri 72), and the section from Jeonchi Village Campsite to Jungsom Village is scheduled to open by December. This section starts at Mangyangjeong and passes through Namsago Historic Site, Chanmulnaegi, and Bulyoung Valley, offering experiences of diverse ecological, historical, and cultural values of the forest. The most pleasant walking section is from Hantijae to Amisa. This area suffered extensive damage from the Uljin-Samcheok wildfire last year, the longest wildfire in history, but is also famous for the joint efforts of the public and private sectors to protect the pine forest. Caution is advised as stepping stones may be submerged during typhoons or heavy rains, so it is recommended to check conditions beforehand. Some parts of the 55 sections pass along roads, so safety precautions are necessary. Certain areas, such as the summit of Hantijae, have no mobile phone reception.

Once completed, the East-West Trail will be the first forest trail connecting east and west from the middle of the southern Korean Peninsula, serving as a communication channel between the Gyeongbuk and Chungcheong regions. By discovering and utilizing various ecological, environmental, historical, and cultural resources along the trail, it will also contribute to revitalizing the local economy. In particular, residents of the hub mountain villages will be able to sell forest and agricultural products to trail users, which is expected to invigorate the villages.

Lim Jong-ryong, Chairman of Woori Financial Group, said, "This year marks the 50th anniversary of national reforestation, and I hope that the first section of the East-West Trail project will provide hope as a space for healing and recovery for residents affected by wildfires and also help the local economy." He added, "We will actively support the East-West Trail, which has ecological, historical, cultural, and tourism value, to become a forest trail enjoyed by people worldwide."

Nam Sung-hyun, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, said, "The creation of the East-West Trail pilot section will revitalize the Uljin area and help increase income for mountain village residents," adding, "We will make the East-West Trail a world-class trail visited by both domestic and foreign tourists."