The World According to Cosmos

Besides traveling to the US National Park, I have been to the following Korean National Park IBOLD)

Here is a list of some of the national parks in South Korea, along with their names in both English and Korean:

1. Jirisan National Park (지리산국립공원)
2. Bukhansan National Park (북한산국립공원)
3. Seoraksan National Park (설악산국립공원)
4. Hallasan National Park (한라산국립공원)
5. Dadohaehaesang National Park (다도해해상국립공원)
6. Gyeongju National Park (경주국립공원)
7. Hallyeohaesang National Park (한려해상국립공원)
8. Juwangsan National Park (주왕산국립공원)
9. Odaesan National Park (오대산국립공원)
10. Sobaeksan National Park (소백산국립공원)
11. Songnisan National Park (속리산국립공원)
12. Taebaeksan National Park (태백산국립공원)
13. Byeonsanbando National Park (변산반도국립공원)
14. Chiaksan National Park (치악산국립공원)
15. Deogyusan National Park (덕유산국립공원)
16. Gayasan National Park (가야산국립공원)
17. Jirisan National Park (지리산국립공원)
18. Mudeungsan National Park (무등산국립공원)
19. Naejangsan National Park (내장산국립공원)
20. Woraksan National Park (월악산국립공원)
21. Wolchulsan National Park (월출산국립공원)

These parks offer a variety of landscapes, from mountains to coastal areas, and are great for hiking, sightseeing, and enjoying nature¹²³.

There are also a lot of provincial parks in Korea as well.  One of the most famous one is Manisan located on Gangwha Island about 90 minutes from Seoul which is reputed homeland of Korea. the founder of Korea Tan jun was a bear who wanted to become human and woke up from her hibernation to become the founding mother of the Korean race.

Co-PIlot provides background info:

Certainly! The legendary founder of Korea is Dangun Wanggeom (단군왕검), often referred to as Dangun or Tangun. He is considered the founder of Gojoseon (고조선), the first Korean kingdom, which is said to have been established in 2333 BCE¹².

The Legend of Dangun

According to Korean mythology, Dangun’s story begins with his grandfather, Hwanin (환인), the “Lord of Heaven.” Hwanin’s son, Hwanung (환웅), desired to live on Earth among the valleys and mountains. Hwanin permitted this and sent Hwanung to Earth with 3,000 followers, including the gods of wind, rain, and clouds¹².

Hwanung settled on Mt. Taebaek (태백산) and established a city called Sinsi (신시), or “City of God.” He taught humans various arts, medicine, and agriculture, and instituted laws and moral codes¹².

The Bear and the Tiger

The legend also involves a bear and a tiger who prayed to Hwanung to become human. Hwanung gave them 20 cloves of garlic and a bundle of mugwort, instructing them to eat only this sacred food and remain out of the sunlight for 100 days. The tiger gave up, but the bear persevered and was transformed into a woman named Ungnyeo (웅녀)¹².

Ungnyeo longed for a child and prayed under a divine birch tree. Hwanung, moved by her prayers, took her as his wife, and soon she gave birth to Dangun Wanggeom¹².

Founding of Gojoseon

Dangun ascended to the throne, built the walled city of Asadal (아사달), and founded the kingdom of Gojoseon. This kingdom is considered the first Korean state and played a significant role in the development of Korean culture and civilization¹².

Cultural Significance

Dangun’s founding of Gojoseon is celebrated in South Korea on Gaecheonjeol (개천절), or National Foundation Day, which is observed on October 3rd each year².

1worldhistory.org2en.wikipedia.org3thekrazemag.com

Due to the rapid urbanization of Korea, the Korean countryside has become depopulated. The Korean Government has rapidly expanded both the national parks and the national forest lands in Korea.  With the decline in rural population, there has been a big increase in wildlife. Deer have made a big comeback, and there are bears in the mountains and wild boars.  There is one Tiger preserve in Chitosan which has restricted entry to protect the tigers. There are feral cats everywhere, and wild dogs in the mountains as well. Hiking in the more isolated mountains is dangerous as well, as wild boars will attack humans, and there are criminal elements who hide out in the mountains preying on hikers.

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