'Namdo Sogeumgang' Wolchulsan Is Now a National Scenic Site [Yeongam & Gangjin]
A rock mountain that pops up out of nowhere in the middle of a plain has just been named a national scenic site. Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City says Wolchulsan, spanning Yeongam and Gangjin, is now designated a national natural heritage 'myeongseung' by the Korea Heritage Service.
A folding screen of rock rising from flat farmland
Wolchulsan is an isolated granite massif that shoots up from the Honam plain. The highest peak, Cheonhwangbong, is 809 m, ringed by Gujeongbong, Sajabong and Janggunbong, which earned it the nickname 'Namdo Sogeumgang'.
The designation singled out granite weathering landforms and rare vegetation that changes with altitude.
The mountain in the Samguk Sagi
The Samguk Sagi lists the mountain as 'Wolnaeak', a site for national rites. Those rites continued through Unified Silla, Goryeo and Joseon.
On Gujeongbong, an 8.6 m seated Buddha is carved into the rock, a national treasure. Nine holes in the summit rock come with legends about wells.
Temples at the foot of the mountain
Muwisa in Gangjin holds the national-treasure Geungnakjeon hall and the Mita triad murals. Dogapsa in Yeongam is tied to a founding legend of the monk Doseon, and Cheonhwangsa is where mountain faith meets Buddhism.
Jeong Yak-yong and other poets and travellers left poems and travel notes about the mountain. It is a bookshelf with a summit.
What changes next
The city says it will draw up a comprehensive preservation and management plan with the Korea Heritage Service, Yeongam and Gangjin, and will develop storytelling-driven cultural tourism linking nearby temples and historic sites.
Religious affairs director Kang Ha-chun called it "the foremost mountain of Honam," where dazzling scenery and more than a thousand years of Buddhist history sit in harmony.
How to plan a visit
The best-known temples at the foot of the mountain are Muwisa (Gangjin) and Dogapsa (Yeongam). Linking the two covers both counties the scenic site spans.
Trail closures and opening hours can change with local conditions, so check with the county office before you set out.
Sources & context
2026-10-18T07:23:11.882Z
Wikitree · report on Wolchulsan's national scenic-site designation (Oct. 18, 2026) ↗Asia Economy · report on the designation (Oct. 17, 2026) ↗Herald Business · report on the designation (Oct. 17, 2026) ↗Photo credit
전남광주통합특별시 제공 (위키트리·아시아경제 보도) · Company press-release image supplied for editorial reportingThe Wolchulsan cloud bridge and rock formations. Photo: courtesy of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City
The national-treasure Maae Yeorae Seated Buddha of Wolchulsan. Photo: courtesy of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City