February 2022
The Korea Circumference Trails:
The South Wave Trail, East Wave Trail, West Coast Trail, and the Peace World Trails
Table of contents
Click the links to jump to section.
Summary
Around 2019, Korea started to combine it’s many coastal paths and the various trails going along the DMZ into the massive, unbelievably long Korea Circumference Trail - 코리아 둘레 길. As you might be able to infer from the name, it goes around the entire circumference of Korea.
It can be broken up into four parts:
1.) Name: The Peace World Path – 평화 누리길
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Distance: 550km
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No. of courses: Gyeonggido, 9 + Gangwondo, 20
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Location: North, following the DMZ
2.) Name: The Haeparang Trail (i.e. Coast Wave Trail) – 해파랑길
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Distance: 750km
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No. of courses: 50
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Location: East Coast
3.) Name: The Namparang Trail (South Wave Trail) – 남파랑길
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Distance: 1,470km
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No. of courses: 90
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Location: South Coast
4.) Name: The Seohaerang Trail (West Coast Path) – 서해랑길
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Distance: 1,800km
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No. of courses: 103 (or 110)
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Location: West Coast
Basic tips
Terrain. These trails cover all sorts of terrain from mountain ranges to sandy beaches to city streets. They’re intended to be hiked. Yes, they can also be cycled… mostly. The East Coast and Peace World paths follow roadways of varying quality. But the Namparang Path and likely the West Coast Path, as well, periodically go along mountain ranges and traverse extremely rocky areas. So, at the very least, you’re going to have to have a mountain bike. But keep in mind that many courses can only be hiked.
Speed. When planning your trip, keep in mind that the average person can walk about 4kmh on flat terrain. In the mountains, that number drops to about 0.4kmh. When cycling on flats, speeds average between 15 – 25khm, much slower in the mountains obviously.
Distance. Courses range between 14 to 20km. On flat areas, the average person can walk between 20 – 40km a day or ride 100 – 120km a day. But some of the more mountainous courses can take 5 – 8 hours.
Order. It doesn’t matter what order or what direction you do the courses. But in my opinion, it’s better to go from west to east or north to south, so you have a better chance of a tailwind.
Other trails. Keep in mind that these paths follow and intersect a number of other trails often. In Gimpo, as another example, the Peace World Path intersects the Peace World “Cycling” Path (yes, it’s a little different), the Ara Waterway Bike Path, the Han River Bike Path, the Gyeonggi Province Circumference Trail, and several others. And as mentioned, these trails are amalgamations of hundreds of smaller trails, so you'll often see outdated signs or confusing information as you go.
Navigation
You’ll progress from course to course. In Korean, a “course” is simply known as “코스.” The beginning of each course can be thought of as a checkpoint, although there are no booths or anything like that (except for the Peace World “Cycling” Path).
To navigate, you’ll follow blue and yellow ribbons hanging from trees as well as blue and red arrow-shaped stickers (See image below). If I'm not mistaken, blue arrows point to the first course, i.e. Course 1, and red arrows point to the last course, i.e. Course 90 or whatever. There are also traditional signs once in a while, too. Each trail has its own logo, as well.
In addition to those, you’ll want to use Kakao Map to navigate. Luckily, the Namparang Trail can be searched for in English. Just type “Namparanggil” and then type the course number. All the others, however, need to be searched for in Korean. The one exception is the Gangwondo portion of the Peace World Path; it’s doesn’t show up on Kakao Map yet. Also, GPX navigation files are available for download from the Duri Nubi website... explained below.
Using the App(s)
There are two apps you can use the track your progress and get prizes:
*They're the same app, more or less -- same company. But going forward, I'll just be explaining the All That Stamp App.
Here's how the various trails are listed.
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the South and East Wave Trails are listed in the app under one name, Korea Circumference Trail Stamp Tour - 코리아 둘레길 스탬프투어.
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Peace World Path is listed separately under three different trails: a.) the Gyeonggido Peace World (Walking) Path – 평화 누리길, b.) the Gyeonggido Peace World "Bike" Path – 평화 누리 자전기길, and c.) the Gangwon Peace World Path – 강원도 평화 누리길.
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The West Coast Path likely won't be added until after June 22nd, 2022.
I explain how to use the app as it pertains to the Peace World Bike Path in a seperate post (Click the link shown). The process for registering and using the app is the same. But below, I'll outline the few differences.
Before you get started
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The app(s) use GPS tracking to log your progress.
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Important! For these trails, it must log that you completed at least 80% of the trail.
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You have to leave the app open while you’re moving. You also have to use data, GPS, and loads of battery life. It asks you to turn off battery saver mode to work properly; this isn’t necessary but does help with accuracy. To be clear, this app will drain your battery like crazy. YOU MUST BRING AN EXTERNAL BATTERY WITH 4 OR 5 CHARGES.
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If the app screws up and doesn’t log your progress, take photos of your trip as you go. You can email the people at All That Stamp, and they can help.
How to get started & check your progress
See the image below with screenshots for each number.
1. First, open the trail you're doing.
2. You'll want to click away any pop-ups. 확인 is "confirm."
3. Next, you'll be brought to the main page for that trail. You can see all your badges (aka stamps), your prizes, the main map, and the progress you've made on each trail in a long list below.
4. Once the app notices that you're on the trail and moving, it'll vibrate and send you a notification that you've started the trail. At this point, all you have to do is leave the app open, and it should work.
5. But for more options, you'll see an icon of a dude walking. Click that dude.
6. By clicking the dude, you'll see a page that shows the map and a pause button. It shows your progress. The course you're doing will be orange; the others, blue. The line might jump around depending on your cell phone reception. Important! If you want more information about the trail, such as a downloadable GPX route or tourist information, click the "i" (information icon) at the top right of the page.
7. The "i" button will take you to the Duri Nubi - 두리누비 sublisting in the app. I'm sure you don't care, but they're a subsidiary of the Korea Tourism Organization and operate the trails (they operate the "Korea Circumference Trail" app listed above). On that page, you can download the GPX navigation and read more information below.
8. You can go back to the main page and see your progress for each course.
9. The app will also send you lots of notifications, for example, when you complete one trail and start another.
And that's it! Just keep walking. Once you've done 80% of the trail, it'll send you a notification that you got the badge and the prize. Read below for more on prizes.
Prizes
Instead of a medal or certificate, the Namparang Trail and the Coast Wave Trail offer a total of 84,500w in various gift cards to places like GS25, Paris Baguette, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, etc. The gift cards gradually get nicer as you accumulate more badges (aka stamps, checkpoints). For example, if you get 1 badge, you get a 1,000w gift card from GS25 Convenience Store. If you hit 250 badges, you get a 30,000w gift card from e-Mart (not sure how you get 250 since there are only 140 checkpoints… maybe you do the trail twice?). Also note that they have a limited supply of gift cards, so once the supply runs out, all you’ll get are bragging rights.
Anyway… to get gift cards for the Namparang and Coast Wave trails, you need to make sure you’re registered in the app; how to do this is explained here: How to use the All That Stamp App. If you don’t do this, you’ll lose the coupons after 30 days.
Then, once you accumulate the correct number of badges, a gift card will be sent to your phone automatically via SMS. It’ll have a barcode which the cashier at the store can scan. You’ll have 60 days to use it. After that, it’ll expire. Note: If you had to email All That Stamp to manually give you a stamp because of technical issues or whatever, you won’t get the gift card.
Just under your collection of stamps, you’ll see a link that says, “선물 모두보기,” which means “See all the gifts.”
If you see 완로 next to the gift, that means you completed / used the coupon. If you see 미감, it means it expired. (See image below).
When you finish a course
When you finish a course, you'll get a badge. You can leave a review of your course as seen below.
Receiving the prize
The very last step! After you've collected the correct number of badges, you'll get a notification letting you know that you can receive a prize. If you press close on the first step, you'll continue to get this notification. So, when you're ready, you'll want to click 선물받기 - receive prize. (Remember, you have be registered in their system to get the prize).
After that, you'll be taken to the main list of your prizes, shown in Image 2. My first prize says, 마감 - expired," which means it expired before I could use it. The second one, however, is bolded and has a red dot over it; that means it's available. I can click on it. Then, as shown in Image 3, I'll get a new notification where I can select 모바일 상품권 받기 - Receive mobile prize. After that, you'll receive an SMS with a coupon. As you can see in Image 5, it's got a barcode which the cashier will scan when you check out. (After you've used it, the gift icon will change to 완료.
The Peace World “Cycling” Path on the other hand, offers a certificate and a few small gifts like a bag, a pin, and a travel cup (Click here to learn about that). And I don’t believe that the Peace World (Walking) Path or the Gangwondo portion offer prizes.
1.) The Peace World Path
평화 누리길
Note: Much of the Peace World Path runs semi-parallel to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the border between North and South Korea. Once in a while, you’ll be required to pass through military checkpoints, mainly in Gimpo. Be sure to bring ID. Sometimes they’ll give you a badge you must wear and will tell you that you must leave the area within a designated amount of time. In rare circumstances, such as rising tensions between the North and South, they might close off a security checkpoint and force you to detour. FYI, this isn’t exactly the safest place in the world, so go at your own risk.
As mentioned, the Peace World Path is made up of two parts, a.) Gyeonggido and b.) Gangwondo.
a.) Gyeonggido. First, there’s the western part that covers the northern border of the Gyeonggi Province; it’s simply known as the Peace World Path – 평화 누리길, i.e. (Walking Path). It runs parallel to the Peace World “Bike” Path – 평화 누리 자전거길. (I write about the Peace World Bike Path in detail in a seperate post. Click the link shown.)
You can think of both of them as one trail, but the Peace World (Walking) Path is technically for hikers, and it goes off onto little side quests once in a while. It’s primarily marked with yellow and blue ribbons, blue and red arrow-shaped stickers, and logos of a dove in a circle. The bike path’s signage uses signs and markers painted on the road which are almost identical to the walking path's. To tell them apart, note the signs that have the word “bicycle – 자전거” and those that don’t.
Also note that both trails run parallel to the Gyeonggi Circumference Trail – 경기도 둘레길 and other trails which have similar signage, too.
Additionally, I believe that the app won’t log your progress for both trails at the same time. You have to pick one, open it, and it’ll start. I recommend doing the bike path because the walking path doesn’t seem to offer a prize.
Getting started. The Gyeonggido portion of the Peace World Path starts at the Ganghwa Island Peace Observatory – 강화도 평화 전망대 (Kakao Map link: http://kko.to/Nh1p5fiSK), which looks out on North Korea. It’s one of the coolest places in Korea. Please read my post about cycling Ganghwa Island to learn how best to get there. But essentially, you head to Incheon and catch a city bus up to Ganghwa Village.
b.) Gangwondo. The second part of the overall Peace World Path runs through the Gangwon Province. In Korean, it’s known as the 강원도 평화 누리길. The trail passes through through ski country, mountain valleys, and several war memorials and is extremely, extremely isolated until it reaches the East Coast. However, it follows a roadway almost the entire way, so it can be cycled. (Click here to view the map).
It has the same signage as the Gyeonggi portion of the trail.
Getting started. It starts at Icicle Cave - 연고드름 which is where the Gyeonggi trail ends. To get to this location, you’ll want to hop on the Seoul Metro and head up to Dobongsan Station – 도봉산역 on Line 1. Just outside the station is the Yeoncheon G2001 Bus which runs north every 30 – 60 minutes from 0430 to 2230 (Kakao map link: http://kko.to/XjE6-XpfB). Get on it. Ride north. And get off at Shintanri Station – 신탄리역, which isn’t a working station. Then, you’ll head 3.7 kilometers north to get to Icicle Cave.
From Icicle Cave, the trail moves east, hits the coast, and goes north until it reaches the Goseong Unification Observatory (Access Area). Read below to learn how to get there.
2.) The Haeparang Trail
(Coast Wave Trail)
해파랑길
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Distance: 750km
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No. of courses: 50
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Location: East Coast
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Map: Click here.
The Coast Wave Trail covers the entirety of the East Coast, north to south. It starts at the Goseong Unification Observatory (Access Area) – 고성 통일 전망대 (출입신고소), where the Gangwondo Peace World Trail and the Gangwondo East Coast Bike Path both end (Kakao Map link: http://kko.to/S59-rRhwq).
In case you’ve never been to the access area before, it’s not the actual observatory but a place where people buy tickets and then drive up to the observatory. You can’t walk or ride your bike to the observatory. Cars only. That’s because it goes past a serious military checkpoint.
Getting started. To get to access area, you’ll need to take a bus to Daejin Intercity Bus Terminal - 대진시외버스터미널, which is 4.5km south of the checkpoint (Kakao Map link: http://kko.to/n3HDO916m). It’s a super rural place where they hand-write tickets. But it’s just a few minutes from the beach. It’s a small regional bus terminal, so to get there, you’ll either have to take a bus from East Seoul Bus Terminal or from another terminal in the Gangwon Province, such as Gangneung.
Going south, the path runs parallel to the Gangwondo East Coast Bike Path and then the Gyeongbuk East Coast Bike Path, which are a part of the Grand Slam / Cross-Country cycling network. The East Coast Paths are well documented. You can read more about them in my book on the Grand Slam: Korea’s Ultimate Bike Touring Adventure.
But to summarize: It’s a steep mountain climb on a roadway, a descent into a small fishing village, a long stunning beach, and then the process will repeat.
The trail continues south all the way to Busan’s Oryukdo Sunrise Park. Read below on how to get there.
3.) The Namparang Path
(South Wave Path)
남파랑길
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Distance: 1,470km
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No. of courses: 90
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Location: South Coast
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Map: Click here.
The Namparang Path covers Korea’s South Coast. It starts at Busan’s Oryukdo Sunrise Park - 오륙도 해마지 공원, one of the prettiest places in all of Korea (Kakao Map link: http://kko.to/65nvOiJgG).
Getting started. To get there, you’ll need to first head to Busan, Korea’s second largest city. Then, you’ll want to take a subway to Kyungsung Univ.Pukyong NAT'L Univ. Station - 경성대.부경대역, which is on the Green Line. Then, you’ll want to head to the park.
The name of the park refers to an island a good distance south of the mainland which requires a yacht ride to visit. There are yachting tours in the area if you’re so inclined.
From there, the path moves west. It twists and turns a great deal and heads up into the mountains often.
The trail goes through the Dodohae Haesang National Marine Park – 다도해해상국립공원 several times. The park essentially stretches across the entire South Coast in seven giant pockets.
The trail also passes through other parks once in a while. IMPORTANT! This is annoying, but once in a while, you might have to pay a small admission fee to walk through some of these places, just 3,000w or so.
It finishes at the most westerly and southerly point on the Korean Peninsula in a small fishing village called Land’s End - 땅끝 (Kakao Map link: http://kko.to/24CMB6CuH) Read the next section to learn how best to get there.
4.) Seohaerang Trail
(West Coast Path)
서해랑길
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Distance: 1,800km
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No. of courses: 103 (or 110)
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Location: West Coast
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Map: Click here.
Finally, there’s the West Coast Path. It’s set to be opened in March 2022. It starts at Land’s End – 땅끝 in the southwest and finishes at the Ganghwa Island Unification Observatory - 강화 평화 전망대 in Incheon.
Getting started. To get to Land’s End, you’ll first need to head to Gwangju – 광주, Mokpo – 목포, or another good-sized city in the South Jeolla Province. And then you need to transfer down to 땅끝 (Kakao Map link: http://kko.to/24CMB6CuH). This place is so isolated, there are no direct buses to Seoul. But it does have a nice tower which offers beautiful views of the coast.
I’ve researched where the checkpoints will likely be, but since the trail technically hasn’t opened yet, they might change locations. After the trail is opened, I’ll update the map… unless I’m feeling lazy.
Finishing up. From there, the trail circles back up the Ganghwa Island Peace Observatory – 강화도 평화 전망대 (Kakao Map link: http://kko.to/Nh1p5fiSK), where the Peace World Path starts. Amazing!
And that’s it for this post! I hope you can get out there and enjoy these amazing trails. And if you like the content I’m putting up, please take a look at the books and artwork I’ve made which you can see in my store! Have a great day!
For more great content, considering ordering one of my cycling books and getting a copy of my giant map, "Korea’s Cycling and Long-Distance Hiking Paths." Click the images to learn more!
