JEJU — Baengnokdam, the highest spring in South Korea, is opening to the public for the first time — and overwhelming interest has led officials to expand the program’s capacity more than 25-fold.
Located 1,660 meters (5,446 feet) above sea level at the summit of Mount Halla, Baengnokdam’s waters travel underground through Sanjitmul in Donghong-dong, Seogwipo, eventually reaching the sea via Jeongbang Waterfall.
The visitation program is part of the second season of the “2025 Jeju National Heritage Visit Year,” an initiative hosted by the Korea Heritage Service and organized by Jeju Province.
Originally, the Jeju World Natural Heritage Center had planned to admit just 50 visitors per day for two days — a total of 100 people. But when reservations opened on June 2, all 2,630 applicants who registered within about one minute received confirmation messages, a response 26 times the original cap.
Initially, cancellation notices were sent to those who exceeded the limit. However, following internal discussions, the center decided to honor all confirmed reservations by extending the event's schedule.
Under the revised plan, the program will run from July 7 to 24, excluding Sundays. On weekdays, up to 200 participants will be admitted each day in four groups of 50. On Saturdays, one group of 50 will be allowed.
“Many people were disappointed when their reservations were canceled because Baengnokdam, near Witse Oreum and the Namnyeok junction at 1,655 meters, has never been open to the public before,” an official from the Jeju World Natural Heritage Center said.
To address concerns over potential environmental damage, the center clarified that the newly accessible route is only a short detour — about 10 to 20 meters (33 to 66 feet) — from the existing Namnyeok trail, posing minimal ecological risk.
Visitors will also encounter a rare Korean fir tree along the path. This 6.5-meter (21-foot) evergreen, estimated to be 72 years old, is a native conifer endemic to Korea and typically found in high-altitude zones of Mount Halla, Mount Jiri, and Mount Deogyu. A symbol of Mount Halla’s ecosystem, the Korean fir is now classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
First introduced overseas in the 1920s as a potential Christmas tree, the Korean fir attracted global attention and led to the development of more than 90 hybrid varieties. Despite its popularity, the original species faces threats from climate change and habitat loss.
Sayart / ReaA JUNG queen7203@gmail.com
