Hot, humid and Maemi’s 매미– summer in Korea

The summer months in the Far East are known for heat, heavy rain, and therefore very high humidity. It’s not exactly the ideal time to travel. And certainly not hiking season. Nevertheless, I have been drawn to South Korea repeatedly in the summer months for years. This time, my passion for hiking took me to the city wall of Seoul, which stretches over around 17 km and four mountains.

With around 22 million inhabitants, the Seoul metropolitan area is one of the world’s largest urban regions. With such a vibrant city, who thinks of green belts, local recreation or even hiking? In this article, I would like to take you on a hike along the northern part of the old fortress wall of the capital of South Korea.

City wall

Before we set off, a few facts about the city wall. It was first built at the end of the 14th century to protect the city of Seoul from invaders, marking and defending the city’s borders during the Joseon period. The fortress wall stretches for around 18.6 kilometers and runs across the four inner mountains Baegaksan, Inwangsan, Namsan, and Naksan5 of the South Korean capital. The city wall was largely damaged or destroyed during the Japanese colonial period – the first half of the 20th century (1910-1945). It has been extensively restored in recent years, although the restoration work has not yet been completed.

Arrival and Start

It’s a Saturday morning and we make our way to the city wall. We board the small green cross-tier bus, which takes us to the nearest subway station in just a few minutes. There we get on the subway line 4 towards Seoul Station. After a few stops, we reach Hansung station surrounded by locals who are out shopping, among other things. Once there, we leave the underground via the previously arranged exit and stand in the middle of Seoul in the Seongbuk district at a road junction with 8 lanes in each of the four directions. Nevertheless, we reach our starting point at Hyehwamun Gate in just a few minutes on foot. It is 9 o’clock in the morning and the thermometer has already reached 30° Celsius with a humidity of around 85%.

The first few meters after the gate lead us along the city wall until it is hidden behind a massive construction site barrier. Immediately afterward, we enter a small, quiet quarter – with houses that have no more than a handful of storeys – where we also pass a school building with a modern sports field and, a little later, a small church. We continue to follow the candelabras marked with stickers of the city wall walk and pay attention to the metal plates embedded in the asphalt, which have outlined the city wall route. Crossing a road on a small hill brings us back to the city wall and the entrance to the green belt.

Baegaksan

Under shady trees, we walk along the wall again and gain the first meters of altitude via a stone staircase in the ascent toward Baegaksan. We meet our first two older local hikers, equipped with headgear, T-shirts and arm warmers, rucksacks, shorts, and trekking shoes.

Accompanied by the loud chirping of the maemi 매미 (Korean cicadas Sseureurami 쓰르라미, in a colloquial language they are called maemi) we soon find the first small park with fitness stations on the left. If you’ve ever been to Korea or Seoul, you’ll certainly have noticed the countless publicly accessible fitness stations that are set up all over the city, including in the forests. On this morning, the fitness equipment, sports courts for badminton and other sports, as well as playful opportunities to determine your body depth between bamboo poles mounted at different distances, for example, are in heavy use. On the badminton court, we see a group of older Koreans enjoying a picnic together before or after their sporting activity. We wouldn’t be in Korea if there weren’t also facilities such as a shoe blower to blow the sand off the shoes or a fan at chest height to cool down.

After this interlude, we climb further up along the magnificent city wall towards Baegaksan. Across the wall, we are repeatedly presented with a fantastic view of the capital. The Lotte World Tower with its 555 meters is also clearly visible in the distance. Taking repeated breaks to drink, we reach the Sukjeongmun Gate in the middle of the forest. Here we meet some elderly men chatting animatedly and see another group of locals a little further back, looking to cool off in the forest on these hot days. Continuing along the city wall, we approach the eastern information center.

As Baegaksan is located directly behind the Blue House (Cheongwadae 청와대) – the former seat of government of the president – you had to register until recently. Once past the now-disused checkpoint, we march on toward the summit along the hiking trail covered in a carpet of rice leaves. Accompanied by the chirping of cicadas and in the shade of the trees, as well as occasional encounters with young and old Koreans, well protected from the sun and well equipped, we reach Baegaksan after around two and a half hours, at 342 meters above sea level marks the highest point of the city wall.

The descent to Changuimun Gate leads us mainly down an artificial staircase along the city wall, with a handrail on the side of the staircase facing away from the city wall. The countless steps soon make themselves felt in the leg muscles. However, the physical exertions are compensated for by the wonderful view of the Inwangsan opposite and the fortress wall winding its way up through the lush greenery. After a good half-hour descent, we pass the eastern information center and immediately afterward reach our interim destination at Changuimun Gate.

In the meantime, it is early afternoon on this midsummer’s day and both the temperature and humidity have risen further. The water consumption is enormous, and the opportunity is taken to replenish the water supply for the upcoming Inwangsan.

Inwangsan

After saying goodbye to my companion, I march on towards Inwangsan. At the junction of Inwangsan, I discovered the Inwangsan Mountain Trail, which was previously unknown to me. Without further ado, I decided to climb the summit via the mountain trail on the backside. The trail, with its earthy, sandy paths, the typical steps that the Koreans elegantly lay in the terrain to overcome natural obstacles, and the carpets made of rice leaves that cover the hiking trails, is cleverly laid in the Inwangsan forest. The route is slightly hilly and is almost exclusively in the shade, which I appreciate on a day like this. Again and again, I pass places with equipment for physical activity or simply to take a break. I also notice the numerous toilets along the trail. A short detour, about halfway along the trail, takes me to a viewing platform from where I can once again catch a glimpse of the South Korean capital stretching out to the horizon.

A little later, I reach a small gorge where some locals linger and bathe their feet in the remaining rivulets to cool off. Soon afterward, the mountain trail intersects with the ascent to Inwangsan.

I soon touch the old fortress wall again and then continue along the stony steps alongside the wall. Again and again, with a view up to the green-clad Inwangsan and the city wall winding its way up through this greenery, I hike on towards the summit, exposed to the blazing sun. With the temperature now at 35°C and humidity at around 95%, I’m reaching my limits. So it’s hardly surprising that I’m one of the only people on this climb at this time – early afternoon. Taking frequent breaks, seeking shade under the trees, and drinking lots of water, I reach the summit of Inwangsan after about half an hour along the fortress wall. After a short break, I take the descent to the Changuimun Gate under my feet.

On the descent from Baegaksan, I saw Inwangsan with the city wall and now, from Inwangsan, my gaze is directed towards Baegaksan with the city wall. This completes the circle and after around three-quarters of an hour’s descent from Inwangsan, my six-hour tour ends at Changuimun Gate.

It was not to be the last time I would go hiking in South Korea. When planning the season, however, I will definitely prefer the fall.