10 Most Beautiful Coastal Walks in South Korea | Mister Korean

# Dadohaehaesang National Park (다도해해상국립공원): What to Know Before You Go

Jump to: Quick facts • What this park is • Key areas and islands • Yeosu & Geumodo section • History you can actually place on a map • What changes often

—

## Quick facts

– Name: Dadohaehaesang National Park (다도해해상국립공원)
– Type: A marine national park spread across coastal waters and islands in Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla), South Korea
– Established: December 23, 1981 (listed as South Korea’s 14th national park in Korea Tourism Organization content) – Imagine Your Korea
– Your provided access point (Yeosu area): 446-1 Geumo-ro, Nam-myeon, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea (coordinates 34.5309022, 127.7662618)
– Scale (high level): Described as the nation’s largest national park, encompassing nearly 1,700 islands in Korea Tourism Organization content – Imagine Your Korea
– Governing body (commonly cited): Korea National Park Service (KNPS)

> Accuracy note: Different reputable references publish different area figures for the park (see What changes often).

—

## What this park is

Dadohaehaesang is a national park built around the idea that South Korea’s southwest coastline isn’t one “place” so much as an archipelago system: islands, channels, cliffs, and ria-style coastlines spread across multiple counties and one city in Jeollanam-do.

A major reason trip-planning can feel confusing is that the park is described in districts/sections rather than as a single continuous landmass. One Korean encyclopedia reference describes the park as extending roughly from Hongdo (Sinan County) in the west to Dolsan-eup (Yeosu) in the east, and includes areas as far south as Geomundo (Yeosu).

—

## Key areas and islands

Korea Tourism Organization content highlights several islands frequently referenced as major draws within the park’s footprint, including Hongdo, Heuksando, Geomundo, and Baekdo. – Imagine Your Korea

A Korean encyclopedia reference breaks the park into eight districts, naming:
– Heuksan–Hongdo District
– Bigeum–Dochodo District
– Jodo District
– Soan–Cheongsan District
– Palyeongsan District (noted as added via incorporation of a provincial park area in 2011)
– Narodo District
– Geumodo District
– Geomun–Baekdo District

That same source characterizes the broader coastal setting as a ria coastline with many islands and bays, and explicitly references notable islands such as Hongdo, Heuksando, and Baekdo for dramatic coastal rock scenery.

—

## Yeosu & Geumodo section

Your provided address and city (Yeosu) aligns with what multiple sources describe as the park’s eastern extent including the Geumodo area.

### Geumodo Island (금오도) in brief
Korea Tourism Organization content describes Geumodo Island as:
– Part of the Dadohaehaesang National Park area – Imagine Your Korea
– Shaped “like a big terrapin” (as described in the tourism text) – Imagine Your Korea
– Historically associated (in the same tourism text) with dense forest, wild ginseng, and restricted deer hunting during the Joseon period – Imagine Your Korea
– Listed with an address of Nam-myeon, Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do and “Fees: Free” in that entry – Imagine Your Korea

### Bireong-gil (비렁길) and what the name means
A Korean government policy-briefing article explains that “Bireong” (비렁) is a dialect word meaning “cliff”, and describes Geumodo’s Bireong-gil as a walking path following the island’s outer cliff edges. Policy Briefing

A Yeosu tourism page (English) describes Bireonggil Road as:
– Divided into 5 courses
– 18.5 km total
– About 8 hours 30 minutes for the full route

(Those figures are useful for scale, but always treat course condition and time estimates as variable.)

—

## History you can actually place on a map

Korea Tourism Organization content frames this coastline as historically connected to maritime activity and conflict, including:
– A link to the Silla-era maritime figure Jang Bogo (described as establishing a maritime world) – Imagine Your Korea
– The area’s role as a trading path during the Goryeo dynasty (as described in the tourism text) – Imagine Your Korea
– References to the Imjin War (1592–1598) and Admiral Yi Sun-sin defeating invading forces, with historical sites remaining in many places – Imagine Your Korea

These references matter for travelers because they explain why many “views” in this park aren’t just landscape lookouts—they’re often tied to shipping lanes, island settlements, and strategic waterways.

—

## What changes often

If you want this post to stay evergreen (and factually safe), these are the items to re-check close to travel dates:

### 1) Park “area” figures
Reputable sources do not agree on a single number:
– Korea Tourism Organization content cites 2,344 ㎢ – Imagine Your Korea
– A Korean encyclopedia entry cites 2,266.221 ㎢ total, and also provides land/sea breakdown percentages and figures
– English Wikipedia cites 2,321.5 km² (and includes a land/sea split)

Why this matters: If you quote a single area number without context, it can become outdated or contested. When publishing, it’s safer to state the park is “~2,300 km²” and cite your chosen authority, or present the range with citations.

### 2) Weather-related closures and access conditions
Korea Tourism Organization content for the park explicitly notes that it can be subject to abrupt closure due to adverse weather conditions. – Imagine Your Korea

### 3) Section-level logistics
Because this park is district-based and island-based, the “right” transport and entry points depend on which district you’re visiting (e.g., Yeosu/Geumodo vs. Wando section). The most stable planning reference points in the sources above are:
– Official tourism entries (Korea Tourism Organization pages) – Imagine Your Korea
– Local-government / government briefing articles explaining named routes and terminology Policy Briefing

—

## Accessibility and inclusivity note

Dadohaehaesang is not one uniform site: it’s a network of islands and coastal routes. Accessibility (terrain, transport, facilities) will vary by district and by island. For a reliable baseline, start with the official tourism entries’ section-specific “basic info” and contact points. – Imagine Your Korea