Yeongju Dam and Yeongju Lake Emerge as Major Local Tourist Attractions

Yeongju City to Promote Diverse Experience and Relaxation Spots

Buseoksa Temple, Sosu Seowon, and Museom Village have long been the representative tourist attractions of Yeongju, and now the area around Yeongju Dam is emerging as a new regional hotspot.

Yeongju City (Mayor Park Namseo) plans to develop the area surrounding Yeongju Dam, completed in 2023, as a tourism resource, transforming it into a multipurpose dam that not only serves flood control functions but also provides tourism opportunities.

To achieve this, the city established the "Yeongjuho Development Division" through an organizational restructuring in July, mobilizing all administrative resources to systematically develop Yeongju Dam and make Yeongjuho one of Korea's leading tourist destinations.

Earlier, in January, the city initiated a development plan for the area around Yeongju Dam to create a unified and systematic tourism infrastructure. This plan aims to develop tourism resources that encompass lifestyle, culture, leisure sports, and recreation, taking into account the topography, spatial characteristics, and operational efficiency of the Yeongjuho area, and is being implemented step by step.

As Yeongju Dam, with its scenic ring road, Yongmaru Park, and Yeongjuho Camping Site, is gradually gaining a reputation as a beautiful dam with stunning landscapes, the city plans to attract more visitors by developing a variety of tourism facilities.

First, by 2027, the city will create the Yeongju Dam Waterfront Ecological Resource Complex, establishing a regular trekking trail that connects Heart Island and Yongmaru 1 Park, allowing visitors to enjoy trekking amidst beautiful waterside scenery.

In addition, the city will promote the development of a complex resort area essential for tourism. This project is expected to be included in the Gyeongsangbuk-do Regional Development Plan. The city plans to secure public land and attract private investment to develop sites for resorts and food and beverage complexes by 2029.

Furthermore, by 2029, the city will create an illumination park and a digital art convergence experience complex that harmonizes with the natural landscape, utilizing the dragon-shaped features of Yeongjuho in the Yongmaru 1 and 2 Park areas, creating an attractive nighttime landscape.

Additionally, a 600-meter circular pedestrian bridge connecting Yongmaru Park and Yeongjuho Auto Camping Site, currently under construction, is scheduled for completion in 2028. Once completed, both local residents and tourists will be able to enjoy the open views of Yeongjuho up close.

The city also plans to transform the 700,000m³ "Heart Island" located in Yongmaru 1 Park into a unique themed attraction exclusive to Yeongjuho. In August, an initial briefing session was held to gather ideas reflecting the latest trends, and the city is collecting various opinions to implement related projects.

Yeongju City, traditionally known as a tourist city with natural and historical-cultural resources such as Sobaeksan Mountain and UNESCO World Heritage sites Buseoksa Temple and Sosu Seowon, is now transforming into an active leisure city by creating adventure attractions for dynamic sports experiences.

Following the creation of a scenic ring road, the city plans to install a 1.6km zip wire (zip line) at Yongdu Tower and Yongmi Tower, which offer panoramic views of Yeongjuho in the Geumgwang-ri area of Pyeongeun-myeon, and to establish paragliding facilities in the Gangdong-ri area of Pyeongeun-myeon, thus meeting the demand for experiential activity facilities.

Near the currently operating experiential tourism facility, Yeongju Adventure Castle, the city will add an aerial net adventure facility using nets by the first half of 2026. This project aims to address the previous limitation that only upper elementary students and older could use the facility, transforming it into a family-friendly attraction that even young children and lower elementary students can enjoy, making it a new hotspot.

The Yeongjuho Auto Camping Site, which has been popular even before the dam's completion, is now loved as the largest family camping site in Gyeongbuk, with 129 camping sites and 28 caravans, including eight newly built animal-shaped caravans.

To enhance the experience for campers and tourists, the city is installing night lighting from Yongdu Bridge (suspension bridge) to Yongmi Bridge (arch bridge) and operating Yonghyeol Waterfall, offering coolness in summer and the majestic sight of an ice waterfall in winter, thus continuously attracting visitors through ongoing management and development.

The area where Yeongju Dam is located, Yonghyeol-ri in Pyeongeun-myeon, is said to be where a dragon descended and entered, and Yeongju City is developing related tourism industries inspired by this legend.

Downstream from Yeongju Dam, the traditional water-turning village Museom Village is located along Naeseongcheon Stream, making the area highly connected to other tourism resources and raising expectations that it will become a year-round tourist destination that revitalizes the local economy.

Mayor Park Namseo of Yeongju stated, "Yeongjuho will become a new future growth engine responsible for Yeongju's next 100 years and bring groundbreaking development to the city. We will accelerate the development of Yeongjuho," adding, "We will do our best to enhance Yeongju's tourism competitiveness and make it a new landmark."