A memorable trip to Mungyeong Saejae

A memorable trip to Mungyeong Saejae

 

By Lee Hyon-soo

 

While sojourning in Korea, my wife and I took a day trip to Mungyeong Saejae in late autumn with a friend and his wife. We finally set foot on that famous mountain pass where countless footprints must have crossed over time.

 

The KTX-Eum train we boarded at Pangyo Station in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, ran for an hour and a half before arriving at Yeonpung Station in North Chungcheong Province. The scenery outside the window was steeped in the fullness of autumn. The rice in the fields bowed their heads, and the mountains piled layer upon layer in the distance spread out like a beautiful landscape painting in the light mist. When we stepped out of Yeonpung Station, fresh air seeped deep into our lungs.

 

Mungyeong Saejae, said to be so high that even birds struggle to fly over it, is a mountain pass, with its highest point at 642 meters above sea level. It crosses the Baekdu Mountain Range in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province. Long ago, people from the Gyeongsang region who wished to travel to Hanyang (present-day Seoul) had no choice but to walk the entire way. Along their journey, they had to climb the roughly 6.5-kilometer uphill path of Joryeong-gil and cross Mungyeong Saejae.

 

In consideration of our advanced age, we went to Yeonpung to walk the Joryeong-gil in reverse. From Yeonpung Station, we rode a bus uphill for about 20 minutes, then got off at the entrance to the Mount Joryeong hiking trail. After a half-hour walk, we reached Joryeonggwan, the Third Gate, located at the crest of Mungyeong Saejae. From this gate, we walked downhill toward the Second Gate, Jogokgwan, and then further to the First Gate, Juheulgwan.

 

The broad walkway of Joryeong-gil that we followed cuts through a lush forest. It was created by straightening and widening an old, narrow, twisting trail. Fallen leaves lay thick upon the ocher path, and with every step, the rustling sounded like the breath of autumn. A gentle breeze brushed our cheeks, carrying with it the faint scent of pine.

 

As we walked through the forest, dyed in autumn colors and filled with the breath of history, I thought of the people who had once crossed Mungyeong Saejae long ago—young scholars setting out to take the state examination, dreaming of successful careers as government officials, as well as peddlers carrying heavy loads on their way to market. Walking the very path, I felt deep compassion for those who had endured harsh, long journeys on foot.

 

Along the roadside stood several stone monuments engraved with poems about Mungyeong Saejae. We paused to read the verses left behind by learned scholars of old, savoring the scenery and sentiments they must have experienced.

 

By the time we reached Juheulgwan, the First Gate on level ground, the sky was already tilting westward. The red-tinted mountainsides shimmered in the evening sunlight.

 

Indeed, Mungyeong Saejae is steeped in history and blessed with natural beauty. The memory of exploring it will stay with me for many years to come.

 

Note: This article was published in The Korea Times on December 22, 2025.