Haeparang-gil, Namparang-gil,
Now it's the West Sea Road!

2014 East Coast Haeparang Road,
2018 Love for the Nation DMZ National Trek 155 miles,
Following the 1,470km Namparang Trail along the southern coast in 2020
1,800km solo trek along the West Sea Coastal Trail

The Seohaerangil Trail is a trekking course that runs from Land's End Tower in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, to Ganghwa, Incheon.
The journey from the westernmost point of the Korean Peninsula to Ganghwa Island, where history and the sea intertwine, is a whopping 1,800 km long, meaning to walk with the sea (waves) of the west.
Including the Haeparang Trail on the East Coast and the Pyeonghwa Nuri Trail in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the Korea Trail will be completed with a total length of nearly 4,500 km.
It is nearly six times longer than the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain (800 km).

Therefore, this book, consisting of two volumes, contains the Jeolla-do section corresponding to courses 1 to 55 in Volume 1, and the Chungcheong-do, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon sections corresponding to courses 56 to 103 in Volume 2.
The author, a hiker, has previously walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, as well as the Alps, Himalayas, Rocky Mountains, and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as trekking courses around the world, including the Korean Peninsula Trail from Marado Island at the southernmost point to the Goseong Unification Observatory at the northernmost point, the Baekdudaegan Trail, the Haeparang Trail, the DMZ, and the Namparang Trail.
By completing this Seohaerangil trek, I have successfully completed the Korea Dulle-gil Trail for the first time.

However, as befitting an author who calls himself a ‘traveler on the road,’ the content of the book is not limited to a simple travelogue.
At Dalmagodo, the story of Bodhidharma is told, and at Uldolmok and Jeollawoosuyeong, the travelogue “Nanjung Ilgi” is brought out, coloring the trip with songs and stories.
As you follow the author's lead, the stories of our history and the beautiful landscapes it contains unfold vividly.
This book, which contains the final journey of the Korea Trail, will serve as a guidebook for walking enthusiasts to read before leaving, and for general readers, it will serve as a humanities travel essay that allows us to glimpse the charm and excitement of this land that we were unaware of.

At 10:34, the second course begins at the Songji-myeon office.
Course 2 is a section that follows the Land's End Coastal Road, overlooking the azure sea and the simple fishing village scenery of the southern provinces with small fishing boats coming and going, and walking along mountain paths, field paths, and village paths to reach the Yeongteo Bus Stop.

I walk along a country road.
Haenam-gun (海南郡), where the West Sea Road begins, is the southernmost part of the Korean Peninsula, consisting of the Hwawon Peninsula, Sani Peninsula, and Haenam Peninsula in the southern part of Jeollanam-do Province, and is home to the village of Land's End.
In the Dongguk Yeoji Seungram, the southernmost point of the entire map of Korea is recorded as Haenam-hyeon, the southernmost point of the country, and reaches Onsong-bu, North Hamgyong Province, to the north.
--- p.35

Today is the day you were born into this world and started your first day, today is the first day of the rest of your life, today is the youngest day of the rest of your life, today is the last day of your life and the oldest day of your life.
The spring of life has passed and the summer has gone.
Looking from the fall of life to the winter.
I humbly observe and reflect on life's depth.
There is time to revive in spring and summer.
Take on challenges without fear of failure, and even if you fail, that failure becomes the foundation for greater success.
But being frustrated and wandering during the harvest season only adds to the pain.
--- p.110

We begin the 17th course in front of the Yeongam Campus of Sehan University in Sanho-ri, Samho-eup, a bustling and noisy place where people and cars live.
Course 17 is the section that passes through Nabuldo National Tourist Site, Yeongsanjae Hanok Hotel, Jeollanam-do Agricultural Museum, Yeongsan River Estuary Weir, and Yeongsan Lake, and ends at Mokpo Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries in Okam-dong, Mokpo-si.

As you pass Dongam Bridge and Suro Bridge along the stream connecting Yeongam Lake and Yeongsan Lake, Yeongsan Lake comes into view.
Looking to the right, the ridge of Wolchulsan Mountain proudly shows off its majesty.
--- p.177

Finally, we enter Jido-eup, Sinan-gun, the border point between Muan-gun and Sinan-gun.
The land bridge connecting Haeje-myeon and Jido-eup is not a bridge but a breakwater.
Is Jindo, which is connected to the mainland, an island or a mainland?
An island is a landmass completely surrounded by water.
Depending on their distribution, they are divided into islands, archipelagos, archipelagos, and solitary islands, and depending on the cause of their formation, they are divided into land islands and sea islands.

The name Shinan County appeared in 1969.
It was part of Muan County, but was separated in 1969 and became Sinan County.
There are many beaches with spectacular views of silvery white sand, wide tidal flats, and lush pine trees, making them perfect summer vacation spots. The variety of seafood available, including skate and octopus, makes them a perfect destination for travelers who enjoy culinary delights.
--- p.260

The large, old zelkova trees, nearly 500 years old, boast their majesty.
I think of the words from the Imje-rok: “Become a large tree and provide cool shade to the people of the world.”
A tree that was beautiful when it was alive is still beautiful when it is dead.
Old trees cannot be transplanted, but seedlings can be transplanted.
Am I an old tree or a sapling?
Several years have passed and several days have passed that were given to me.
Where am I in my world?

fast.
Time really flies.
Every year, every month, every week, every day, every hour goes by faster and faster.
As we age, time feels like it passes quickly because there are fewer memorable moments, stimuli, and experiences to remember.
The law of diminishing marginal utility also applies to human history.
They say we live to be 100 years old, but doesn't that feel shorter than the 70-year lifespan of people in the past?
--- p.383

Pass the Daehangri shell mound and head towards the beach.
The Saemangeum Seawall appears in the distance.
As you walk from the coast to the forest path and then back to the white sand beach, the Saemangeum Seawall gets closer and closer.
We walk along the Saemangeum Seawall, the starting point of the Saemangeum Reclamation Project, the largest construction project since Dangun, which divides the sea.
The Saemangeum Seawall, spread out under the vast blue sea and blue sky, is a picture-perfect sight.
The windmills of the wind turbines at the Saemangeum Promotion Center wave in greeting.

The Saemangeum Seawall is 33km long, making it the longest seawall in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The name 'Saemangeum' is a new word created by changing the word 'Geumman', which has been called the 'Geumman Plain' since ancient times for the Gimje and Mangyeong Plains, to 'Manggeum' and adding 'Sae', which means new.
It contains the meaning of re-cultivating fertile lands such as Man-gyeong and Gimje Plain, which have been famous for fertile lands for a long time.

--- p.489