Comments on: Places in Korea: Soyo Mountain

By: WILL

WILL — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:11:53 +0000

NICE MOUNTAIN, GREAT VIEW BUT WATCH YOUR FOOTING. MY DAUGHTER VISITED A WEEK AGO THOUGHT IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. SHE FELL AND BROKE HER ANKLE. SHE WANTS TO RETURN ONCE HEALED AND WILL VISIT HERE AGAIN.

By: Mellena

Mellena — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:42:56 +0000

Mellenia Was My best friend we went there for a fiield trip and it was flabagastaring-Fun!!! Hey Mellenia

By: Mellenia

Mellenia — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:41:02 +0000

Iam 8 years old and i went there for a field trip it was flabagasta

By: Hallis Mailen

Hallis Mailen — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:05:26 +0000

I was stationed at Camp Castle just below Soyosan and T'ong 'Du Cheon from April 1981 til my exit from the Army in June 1982. I spent many a days and nights meditating,enjoying the hikes and the local people up in Soyosan Village. I even met a buddhist priest at the summit who offered to teach me how to meditate and do proper breathing at a time whewn I had just lost 4 of my friends in my company at Camp Castle to a brutal cold blooded shooting at Ingram Range, Camp Casey JUne 5th, 1981. I was one of the 4 or 5 witnesses who testified throughout my tour, but it messed me up so much inside that to this day I still suffer from PTSD and anxiety related disorders.

It was the spiritual awakening I had while meditating on the steps of the temple where the Buddhist Priest Wonhyo often sat that led me to leave the military and seek out a life as a pacifist; one that that is difficult because of my disorder. I would have to say the experience was one of my most beautiful in my life.

Currently, I am living in Madison, Wisconsin and trying to get my Associate's Degree in Design. Hopefully I will land me a job that will afford me a trip back to Soyosan. I see the communities have changed a lot in 30 years. One of my best friends was Mr Park who took pictures at Camp Castle and sold them to the GIS, and also Kimmy an elderly gentleman who worked on the compound as a houseboy, and catered to my every need. He was a very gentle soul. I also miss Kim Yeung Jeun who was the KATUSA that shared a bunk in my room. We often called him AJ Peabody because with his glasses on, he looked like Mr Peabody the dog professor in cartoons, and he drove a 5 ton truck like AJ Foyt around mountain passes…

By: bob s

bob s — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:24:33 +0000

Spent 78-79 at Hovey. My bud Dave West and I backpacked up Soyo San one weekend in the fall and camped out on the summit. During the night (after a couple bottles of Jin Ro) the sirens went off in the valley and we watched our unit scramble and head out to the staging area (watched their headlights moving around). In the wee hours of the morning, they headed back to camp and we grabbed some sleep.

Walked the ridge the next day and then down to the Shrine/Cave. We had dinner their at a little restaurant next to the shrine…great meal. It was getting late so we grabbed a cab to head back to camp. True to form, the driver barrelled down the hill at 60 mph, people scattering to the left and right on the road. A ride I'll never forget.

By: Richyrich03867

Richyrich03867 — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:29:13 +0000

I used to visit Soyosan all the time, occasionally while on MP duty we would drive up in the jeep to check out the girls LOL. A friend of mine spent a day up there with some locals that killed a dog and made kaegogi out of him for dinner, he had the pictures to prove it yikes

By: Tony Rozycki

Tony Rozycki — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:12:08 +0000

see previous comment

By: Tony Rozycki

Tony Rozycki — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:30:28 +0000

I was stationed at Camps Casey & Hovey in 1972 & have great memories & some precious slides and made plenty of friends – GI's & Koreans. I did a lot of exploring in TDC, Seoul, Inchon & Cheju Do, but for some reason never climbed the big Mountain at Camp Casey.

I'm a lawyer & worked in JAG as a Spec 4 & have a master's degree in geography, but the geography of Camp Casey & the surrounding area remains a fascinating mystery to me. I never found any clear maps of the area & assumed that was intentional for reasons of military security.

By: GI Korea

GI Korea — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:26:15 +0000

It is a nice walk up the mountain and you get some great views of the surrounding area. I definitely recommend it if you are back in the area. I hope you enjoyed your visit back to Korea.

By: James Hollis

James Hollis — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:15:50 +0000

I was at Camp Casey in May of this year (2008). I was only there for a few hours and I was unaware you could climb up the Mountain.If I ever go back I will try to hike up the trail. Your pictures are very nice. I was at this location back in 1954 with 7th Div.