By David Mason who sometimes posts over at the Marmot’s Hole has a profile of his efforts to promote Korea’s mountains in the Korea Herald:
David Mason couldn’t understand why Baekdu-daegan had remained overlooked for so long.
After his first visit to Korea in 1982, his “heart got stuck” with the mountain when he first saw it, so four years later he decided to go back.
It is 26 years since Mason returned to Korea in 1986 to bring attention the often ignored mountain range. Recently he was appointed goodwill ambassador for the Korea Forest Service, which promotes Baekdu-daegan at home and abroad.
Now Mason wants to highlight the spiritual and cultural traditions of the mountains. [Korea Herald]
You can read a whole lot more at the link, but Korea’s mountains I think are well appreciated by Koreans who many are avid about hiking in the mountains. However, I would have to say that the international community knows little about the great hiking as well as the cultural history that can be found in Korea’s mountains. I think a lot of that has to reflect on Korea’s brand image as not really being a international tourist destination. I think if Korea’s brand image can change than I think more hikers will be willing to try out Korea’s mountains.
Along with changing the brand image, trails need to be promoted with start and end points that are easy to access for someone who has never been to Korea before. A place I think Korea can learn a lot about promoting and operating its trail system is New Zealand.
2:41 pm on January 29th, 2011 1
Korea is truly an excellent place for hikers. Just pick any mountain and you'll find a trail…Or go off the trails like I do. Wildlife is making a comeback. The last two times I went hiking, I came less than 10 feet from deer. As much wildlife as there is in Canada, it only happens to me once a year there.
3:46 pm on January 29th, 2011 2
GI Korea. Please.
Do nothing to encourage Korea's mountain trails to become infested with greener-than-thou stinkin' hippies yammering endlessly about how much trekking they do…
…especially the Canadian ones who always find a way to work into conversation, "But the Rocky Mountains are in Canada, too."
As for wildlife, Korean mountains need more bears. Not the sweet little Winnie-the-Pooh kind that gets found sprawled out with its gull bladder missing as fast as they can be introduced. Korea needs to import Kodiak or grizzley bears and turn them loose. That will keep the throngs of yahooing and sojo bottle throwing city slickers out of the woods and really allow the wildlife to return.
Tigers would work, too.
4:57 pm on January 29th, 2011 3
#2,
It's not the bears or the tigers that would keep the city slickers out but the traps set to trap said animals by poachers that would.