More than a beautiful valley
In Deoksan-myeon, Jecheon, Yonghagugok (용하구곡) names nine scenic bends of a mountain valley. Names such as Cheongbyeokdae, Seonmidae, Suryongdam and Hwallaedam evoke rocky pools and running water. Yet the inscriptions left on these rocks point to another story: a scholar's anxiety about the future of his country.
Words carved in 1898
According to Jecheon City's official interpretation, the scholar Park Se-hwa, known by the pen name Uidang, chose phrases from Zhu Xi's poem on the Nine Bends of Wuyi Mountain and inscribed them at Yonghagugok in 1898. The city interprets them in the context of late-Joseon upheaval and his hope for national renewal. The valley is therefore a cultural landscape as well as a natural one.
Three names to remember
Cheongbyeokdae, the first bend, suggests blue-green cliffs; Suryongdam, the fifth, names a deep pool; and Hwallaedam, the eighth, refers to lively flowing water. In the city's interpretation, the associated phrases speak to troubled times and a wish for restoration. The landscape can be appreciated as a written record of an era, even without treating the nine locations as a hiking itinerary.
Important access restriction
The Jecheon City tourism page checked on November 4, 2026, says that visiting is currently unavailable and entry is restricted under nature-restoration management. Older suggested routes still displayed there do not override that notice. Neither a reopening date nor permitted individual sections or a verified trailhead could be established. Do not enter the restricted valley; ask Woraksan National Park Office at 043-653-3250 before planning travel.
The address given is the broad Worak-ri and Eoksu-ri area of Deoksan-myeon, not a precise authorized entrance. For now, this is a story about Korean history, not a recommendation to enter a closed trail.