I arrived in Seoul, South Korea in May 1985 to establish the Management and Manpower Office at the USA Corps of Engineers  (FED) compound (40 Euljiro-dong) located near Dongdaemun (East Gate) market area.  I departed Korea during December 1991.

I am an experienced mountaineer, mountain climbing, and proficient with ice climbing, having trained in Europe during my time there from 1980-1985, when employed by the Corps of Engineers in Frankfurt, [West] Germany.  I was anticipating what Korea had to offer to continue my mountaineering experience.  Upon enquiry, Mr. Yi, a Korean national employed at FED, was recommended as someone who enjoyed short climbs on weekends. Seem above, he introduced me to mountain adventures close to Seoul.  I would later expand on this experience to include mountain adventures throughout the entire country.

Some of my mountaineering experiences in South Korea were acquired in the following regions:

• Chiaksan.
• Namsan.
• Taebaek Mountains (snow camping).
• Seoraksan.
• Dobongsan.
• Namhansan.
• Cheonhwangsan.

National Parks of Korea

Background Information:  National parks of Korea are considered as ‘the areas that represent the natural ecosystem and cultural scenes of the Republic of Korea’. They’re designated and managed by the government of the Republic of Korea in order to protect the areas and ensure sustainable use.

Jirisan Mountain was the first to be designated as a national park in 1967. Since then, a total of 22 areas have been designated as a national park. 6.7% of the Republic of Korea is protected as national parks.

The Korea National Park Service was established in 1987 to enable professional management of national parks. Its vision is to become a ‘world class professional park management organization that protects nature and ensures customer satisfaction’. It’s in charge of managing 21 national parks, excluding Hallasan National Park.

Note:  This is only a small glimpse of my hiking/climbing experience in South Korea.  There is more to come!