What Makes an Outdoor Adventure School Trip to Korea So Special

On any given day, on any given subway line in Korea, you will see someone in their 50s to 70s decked out in full outdoor gear. Their trekking poles neatly collected under one arm, a light cloth hat on their head, quick dry sleeves down their arms – they’re headed out for a hike.  

The Seoul metropolitan area houses 50% of the entire country’s population (about 26 of the 52 million total population). There are 23 different subway lines and over 700 subway stops. However, unlike in Beijing where the subway lines cater to urban areas only, Seoul’s subway lines stretch all the way to the foothills and mountains surrounding the dense metropolis. There are 20 mountains that you can get to via subway and the fully bedecked hikers you spot on the subway are more than likely headed to one of them.  

But it’s not only the retired who frequently seek the outdoors. Though exact numbers are hard to pinpoint, it is estimated by the sports and outdoor industry that over 25% of the entire population of Korea will be participating in sports or outdoor activities. Since that 25% includes all people from age 0 to 100+, it is not an insignificant part of the population. Youth frequently go camping and hiking in Korea. You can often see people in their 20s and 30s carrying a ‘Bluestar’ outdoor camping stove and an icebox up mountains. Once they get up the mountain, it’s time for a barbecue party.  

For the natives of South Korea, exploring the natural surroundings is only logical. They live in Korea and so it makes sense to take advantage of the natural environment there. However, how does the Korean ‘nature scene’ compare to other places in the world?  

Korea is known for its food (think kimchi, Korean barbecue…) and its K-pop music industry (think BTS, Blackpink, Psy etc…), and its K-drama (think Parasite, Squid games etc…), but what about its nature?  

9 Biosphere Reserves in Korea

South Korea, despite covering an area of only just over 100,000 square kilometers, has a total of 9 biosphere reserves. To put it in perspective, China is almost a whopping 10 times larger than South Korea at 10 million square kilometers but only has 32 biosphere reserves. So how come Korea’s eco-tourism is so unknown? Unlike Japan, South Korea is late in the game when it came to tourism investment. In fact, Japan created an official organization working on inbound tourism in 1887! Maybe 100 years later Jeju Island (a UNESCO biosphere reserve) might just become as famous as Mt. Fuji. There are a lot of natural wonders in Korea, but they are unknown, unvisited, and critically un-famous.  

Hiking is Well-established, Safe, and low cost

Most national parks in Korea are extremely cheap to access (about 5 USD or less), and many are free. Despite this, trails are largely litter free and safe. Camping grounds are frequent, and most national parks also have temples and monasteries hidden amongst the peaks. Mountains have long been considered sacred in Korean culture. These traditions predate Taoism and harken back to more primitive religions and beliefs like shamanism and nature worship. Unlike in China, you will most likely never see an escalator on the hike up a mountain – this would be considered sacrilegious and extremely out of place by most.  

Camping, Not glamping, is A Popular Pastime

Glamping has been rising in popularity, however, most Korean prefer a simpler campsite that is more similar to North American camping culture. RV parks (a massively popular camp stay category in China) are very rare, and most campsites are very basic with just some bathrooms and running water. The general vibe is that one head into the mountains for peace, solitude, and an escape from extremely busy city life.  

In conclusion, as a South Korean living and working in China – I wouldn’t say that Korea offers a grander view than Yellow mountain or a more breathtaking hike than along Tiger leaping mountain. Jeju Island doesn’t have orangutans or active volcanoes like Indonesia. But, I would say that experiencing the outdoors in Korea is experiencing its modern culture. The hikes that you can go on aren’t just to follow a historical trail or to visit an ancient temple – rather, they are as much a part of Korea’s modern-day culture as its food, K-drama & K-pop.