[One Day 10,000 Steps] The Versatile Charm of Chiaksan Dullegil... Over 2,000 People Completed the Trail in 2 Years

Chiaksan, designated as South Korea's 16th national park in 1984, covers an area of 176㎢. Centered around its main peak, Birobong (1,288m), the park borders Hoengseong County to the east and Wonju City to the west. Chiaksan is renowned for its rugged terrain and steep valleys nestled between high peaks over 1,000 meters, such as Namdaebong to the south and Maehwasan to the north, making it famous for its outstanding and challenging mountain landscape. The Chiaksan Dullegil trail began its first phase opening on April 2019 with courses 1 to 3 covering 33.2㎞, followed by the second phase in May 2021 adding courses 4 to 11 with 106.0㎞, creating a total of 11 courses spanning 139.2㎞.

The Chiaksan Dullegil courses connect existing pleasant walking paths, avoiding heavily trafficked roads and paved paths as much as possible, and maximizing walking on comfortable dirt trails, forest paths, waterways, and village roads. For the convenience of hikers, each course is equipped with course guide signs, guide ribbons, and stamp certification stations, along with course maps, passports, and a dedicated website. According to Wonju City and the Korea Walking Association, more than 2,000 people have officially completed the entire 140㎞ trail since its opening. The 1,000th completer, on June 16 last year, just one year after the opening, was Mr. Moon Gi-cheon, a resident of Wonju, who has completed the trail seven times since its opening.

Won Gang-su, Mayor of Wonju City (right), is taking a commemorative photo with Heo Jin-hee, the 2000th participant of the Chiaksan Dullegil Trail.
[Photo by Wonju City]

Just over two years after the opening, last month, Ms. Heo Jin-hee, also a resident of Wonju, became the 2,000th completer. Ms. Heo is active as a social media supporter for Wonju City and as a guide for the Chiaksan Dullegil bus. From June 17 to 23, she walked an average of 20㎞ per day, covering the full 140㎞ in seven days. She said, "This is a birthday gift I will never forget; I am so happy." After her, 10 more people completed the trail by July 5. Among them, Mr. Kim Nam-seok completed it an impressive 34 times, and Mr. Moon Gi-cheon 32 times. Mr. Jeong Ik-su completed the trail four times between February 4 and June 27, taking ample time.

The Hall of Fame of Chiaksan Dullegil Trail

Analysis of the 2,000 completers by Wonju City shows 1,036 men and 964 women. The largest age group is people in their 60s with 828, followed by 707 in their 50s, and 232 in their 40s. By region, Wonju leads with 1,136 completers, followed by Gyeonggi Province with 300, Seoul with 297, and others with 267. Given that 43.2% of completers reside outside Wonju, the city evaluates Chiaksan Dullegil as having established itself as a nationwide walking destination. Within two years of opening, Chiaksan Dullegil has attracted 730,000 visitors.

For visitor convenience, Wonju City operates the Dullegil bus connecting Chiaksan Dullegil and tourist sites every Saturday until November. The Dullegil bus consists of four routes. Starting the first week of each month, the bus takes visitors on a walk through the spectacular pine and nut pine forest paths along Gukhyeongsa Temple and Dongakdan. The second week offers a barefoot experience along the Ungok Solbaram forest trail. The third week follows the footsteps of Danjong and Kim Satgat along the Ssari-chi Old Road, and the fourth week walks through the nut pine forest where King Taejong Yi Bang-won met teacher Ungok. The fare is 5,000 KRW, and up to three hours of volunteer time is credited for environmental cleanup activities. Wonju City also operates a circular city tour bus allowing free movement among major tourist sites for 5,000 KRW per day, and a themed city tour bus with cultural guides offering four different themes to enjoy the attractions.