Jeonnam Province Restricts Access to Nature Park Trails for Preemptive Wildfire Response

Four Mountainous National Parks and Four Provincial Parks Designated

Jeollanam-do recently announced that it will restrict access to provincial park trails during the wildfire caution period, as large-scale wildfires that have broken out in various regions nationwide, including Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Ulsan, are spreading to surrounding areas due to dry air and strong winds, resulting in a sharp increase in casualties and property damage.

The wildfire caution period will last until the 15th of next month. In Jeollanam-do, there are four mountainous national parks and four provincial parks designated among natural parks. The national parks are Jirisan, Naejangsan, Wolchulsan, and Mudeungsan, and the provincial parks are Jogyesan, Cheongwansan, Duryunsan, and Bulgapsan. In accordance with the designation of the spring wildfire caution period, this restriction will apply to 27 sections of provincial park trails, totaling 57.4 km.

For Cheongwansan Provincial Park, access to all trails will be completely restricted, while only parts of the main trails in Jogyesan, Duryunsan, and Bulgapsan Provincial Parks will be restricted. Details can be checked through popup notifications on the websites of each park management office.

The Ministry of Environment and the Korea National Park Service expanded the number of restricted national park trail sections from 137 to 227 as of March 31. The real-time status of national park trail restrictions can be checked on the Korea National Park Service website.

Jeollanam-do also plans to expand the designation of restricted entry and closed hiking trail sections to up to 30% of all mountains outside of provincial park areas until the wildfire risk is resolved.

Park Jongpil, Director of the Environment and Forestry Bureau of Jeollanam-do, requested, "As the wildfire disaster alert has been raised to a serious level, we ask for your active cooperation in preventing wildfires by refraining from using national and provincial park trails, even if it causes inconvenience."