Korea's representative walking tour course
The author's travelogue that gave birth to the Haeparang Trail

Even before COVID-19, walking tours had become a healing travel trend for many people.
According to a 2021 survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the walking tour course with the highest satisfaction rating was Haeparang Trail.
The Haeparang Trail is a trail course that follows the East Sea coast, starting from Oryukdo Island in Busan and ending at the Unification Observatory in Goseong.
With 50 courses and a total length of 750 km, this trail is the longest walking trail in Korea. Since its opening in 2019, it has received a warm response, leading to the creation of the 'Korean Trail'.
The name 'Haeparang-gil' means 'a path to walk while listening to the sound of waves and the rising sun and blue sea', and was announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2010.

However, before the Haeparang Trail was named, there was already someone who walked that path.
The author is Shin Jeong-il, a cultural historian and pioneer of walking travel.
He is the representative of the non-profit organization 'Walking Our Land', and has pioneered and explored paths that no one has walked before, and has written numerous books on this subject.
He, who has walked 'regardless of world trends', planned a project called [East Sea Trail: Walking along the East Sea] in 2007 and completed the journey in 2008 with the 'Walking Our Land' group.
I proposed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to create the longest walking trail in Korea, and the Haeparang Trail was announced the following year.
Let's go on a walking tour with "Haeparang-gil Humanities Journey," in which he vividly tells stories of our culture and history as he walks along the East Sea coast.
You will find satisfaction in walking your own path at your own pace, and you will be able to go on a journey to find yourself by focusing on your inner self.

No matter how much the newspaper king looked out at the East Sea, the dragon did not appear, so he fell asleep, exhausted from waiting.
At that moment, he suddenly heard a sound of the heavens and the earth shaking, and when he woke up, he saw that the surroundings were covered in fog, and a large dragon emerged from Yongbawi Rock and ascended into the sky. At that time, the 12 islands known as the bases of the Japanese pirates also disappeared without a trace.
After that, they say they built a building and called it Igyeondae.
--- p.061, from “Chapter 1, The First Section of the Sea Wave Road”

At the time, a rumor was circulating among the locals that if the lighthouse was turned on, a tiger would shake its tail and knock over the lighthouse, turning the surrounding area into a sea of ​​fire.
After the lighthouse construction began, some people started moving.
When a Japanese lighthouse keeper was stationed here at Homi-deung, an incident occurred two months later when an unknown assailant broke into the yard at night and killed the lighthouse keeper and his family. People said that this was a divine punishment for lighting the lighthouse.
--- p.082, from “Chapter 1, The First Section of the Sea Wave Road”

Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, people from nearby villages climb this mountain to welcome the moon.
There was a popular belief that if the moon rose over the rice cake and rice cake peaks on that day, there would be a good harvest, but if the moon rose over the bamboo peaks, there would be a bad harvest. So, people would look at the rising moon to predict whether the harvest would be good or bad that year.
To the south of the backyard is Okrangbong Peak (玉郞峯), where immortals are said to have played.
--- p.167, from “Chapter 2, The Second Section of the Sea Wave Road”

On the east coast of Chuwam, there is a candlestick rock that juts out like a candlestick.
On New Year's Day and weekends, it is crowded with large crowds who gather to watch the rising sun. Since some time ago, it has become the background for the national anthem, which announces the start of broadcasts, and is also called the 'National Anthem Rock'.
--- p.196, from “Chapter 3, The Third Section of the Sea Wave Road”

Yeongrang Lake in Sajin-ri, which is about 30 li in circumference, has many oddly shaped rocks along the lakeshore, and there is an old pavilion site on a small peak rising in the middle of the lake.
The scenery here was so beautiful that when four Hwarangs, who were on their way to a martial arts competition during the Silla Dynasty, passed by this lake, Hwarang Yeongrang was so captivated by the lake's scenery that he forgot to even participate in the competition.
--- p.263, from “Chapter 4, The Fourth Section of the Sea Wave Road”

Our journey, which began with our two feet on Dalmaji Hill in Haeundae, Busan, and continued while looking out over the East Sea flowing through the southernmost part of the country, was halted by the 38th parallel.
And as if groping in a dream, I opened the path of my heart and traced the East Sea route north of the 38th parallel, reaching Nokdun Island, the northernmost point of the country.
If you follow the Russian coast from Noktundo Island, which is now part of Russia, you will reach Europe, and the road leads from Europe to Cape Town in Africa.
Perhaps the East Sea Trail, which begins along our country's coastal road, will become the world's longest long-distance walking trail.

--- p.309, from “Chapter 4, The Fourth Section of the Sea Wave Road”