"Cool and Free Parking"... Hallasan National Park Becomes a Sanctuary for Illegal Car Camping

Five Cases of Illegal Camping Detected from Last Month to Recently
Some Even Lie on the Roadside to Watch Constellations

Hallasan National Park is suffering from illegal camping activities as it has become known as a popular spot for so-called 'chabak' (car camping). From last month until recently, five cases of illegal camping were detected within Hallasan National Park. On the 19th, numerous posts sharing experiences related to car camping at Hallasan appeared on online communities, describing it as a good place for chabak in Jeju.

Campers parked in the parking lot within Hallasan National Park at night last month.
[Photo by Reader]

Some netizens shared reviews saying, "Recently, banners prohibiting chabak have been increasing," but also noted, "Parking is free, the parking lot is spacious, and there are restrooms, making it ideal for long-term car camping." One netizen posted on their SNS account, "There is a large free parking lot at the entrance of Eorimok, and last summer I commuted while staying in my car for an extended period. There are restrooms, and the high altitude makes it cool."

In fact, the temperature in the mountainous and mid-mountain areas of Hallasan is about 10 degrees Celsius lower than the coastal areas, making it cooler. As the number of people staying overnight in their cars at Hallasan parking lots increased, the park management's enforcement team conducted surprise inspections at dawn and found cases of people bringing camping equipment such as tents to stay overnight or using burners to cook meals. The management office requests that suspected chabak campers move their vehicles before enforcement, but it has been observed that campers in RVs move when advised but return to the same spot after some time.

A management official pointed out, "Besides illegal camping, recently there have been cases where many people spread mats and lie down on the roadside within the national park at night to stargaze, which poses a safety risk."

The management office plans to intensify crackdowns on violations of the Natural Parks Act, such as illegal camping and nighttime hiking, using drones and other means in the future. Camping activities, including in parking lots, are prohibited in Hallasan National Park under Article 27 of the Natural Parks Act. If caught camping illegally, fines of 200,000 KRW for the first offense, 300,000 KRW for the second, and 500,000 KRW for the third will be imposed.