Yeongyang-gun to Develop as a Global Forest Recreation Tourist Destination
The deep mountain slopes of Jukpari, Subi-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do are filled with pure white birch trees. This birch forest area is a national forest, and it has been 30 years since the Korea Forest Service planted trees with a diameter of 30cm over an area of about 141.8 hectares in 1993.
The Korea Forest Service has created and opened a forest trail in a 30.6-hectare area of relatively gentle terrain within this birch grove, making it the largest birch forest in Korea.
The Yeongyang Birch Forest consists of birch trees that were artificially planted in 1993, forming a vast forest of 30 hectares. With its beautiful landscape of white trunks and green leaves, the Korea Forest Service selected this site in June 2020 as one of the five “Premium National Forests,” recognized for their outstanding ecological value and suitability for forest tourism.
The Yeongyang Birch Forest preserves its pristine, untouched nature, making it a favorite trekking destination among hiking enthusiasts and photographers. The scenery, filled with white trunks and lush greenery, feels as if winter and summer coexist, creating a mysterious atmosphere. Simply walking through the birch forest is a healing experience, and those weary from daily life can relieve both physical and mental fatigue here.
The Jukpari Birch Forest in Yeongyang was once a hidden gem. Recently, as it has become more widely known, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and the Korea Forest Service have been working to transform this birch forest into Korea’s top forest recreation and tourism destination. It has been described as a wellness forest tourism site and an untact travel spot. In summer, the sound of flowing streams and the greenery along the trail to the birch forest help visitors forget the heat.
From the parking lot at the Subi-myeon Jukpari Birch Forest to the entrance of the birch forest, there is a gentle 4.8km forest road, with a stream running alongside, making it a wonderful trekking course. The walk takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and currently, Yeongyang-gun operates free electric vehicles for tourists’ convenience.
The electric vehicles do not operate on Mondays. On weekdays, they run every hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. directly to the birch forest. On Saturdays and holidays, they operate every 30 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., covering only 3km, so visitors must walk the remaining 1.8km, which takes about 34 minutes. For the return trip, the last departure is at 4:30 p.m. on all days.
The flower language of the birch tree is “I am waiting for you.” The bark of the birch peels off white and thin like paper, sometimes used as business cards, and serves as a romantic messenger for lovers to exchange messages of affection. With its pure white appearance, the birch tree symbolizes purity and elegance. This forest is a true gem among Yeongyang’s tourist resources. Yeongyang-gun has shown strong determination to develop the area into a representative forest recreation and tourism destination through regional demand-tailored support projects and agreements to vitalize the birch forest area.
Since the first forest trail was established in the 30-hectare birch grove in 2019, the area is now managed as two courses, each about 1.5km long. In addition to the forest road, a 1.43km trail was created along the stream at the entrance. An additional 1.53km trail is being developed, and a Birch Forest Information Center has been built at the parking lot. Starting this year, a forest interpreter has been assigned to assist visitors.
A mobile communication base station was opened in the Yeongyang Birch Forest in 2023, providing communication services. Infrastructure such as a visitor center and parking lot are being constructed as part of the Healing Hub project. The parking lot is already complete, and the visitor center is in its final stages, scheduled to open in September this year.
Additionally, by the end of 2024, a new 1.7km Healing Nuri-gil (forest trail) will be created, allowing visitors to bypass the village road from the parking lot’s forest trail information center. To promote stay-type eco-tourism, an eco-village featuring the Dalbit Center (with accommodation and educational facilities) and the Sky Garden for ecological exploration is planned for completion by 2025. There are also plans to complete a wellness spa town combining healing and relaxation by 2026.
Oh Dochang, the governor of Yeongyang-gun, emphasized, “The Yeongyang Birch Forest is a gift of nature that will thoroughly heal bodies and minds worn out by daily life.” He added, “We expect to lay the foundation for revitalizing mountain villages by utilizing national forests with excellent ecological landscapes and to create new tourism demand by developing outstanding forest tourism resources.”
Governor Oh and Yeongyang-gun officials are currently focusing their efforts on opening tunnels and improving road alignments to enhance visitor accessibility.
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