Jeongeup Naejangsan Special Tourist Zone

Naejangsan Special Tourist Zone in Jeongeup is the official tourism precinct around Naejangsan National Park — Korea's most celebrated autumn-foliage mountain. The park's name literally translates as "the inner storehouse," referring to the eight peaks that ring a hidden valley like the walls of a treasure chest, an evocative traditional framing that captures the way the ridgeline visually encloses the foliage bowl at the center. From late October through mid-November the maple, oak, and beech forest turns brilliant scarlet and gold, drawing some of the year's largest crowds in Korean tourism — the peak weekend visitor counts approach a hundred thousand per day. A monorail-supported cable car eases the climb from the lower temple Naejangsa to the upper ridge, which cuts the summit access from a 2-hour hike to about 15 minutes plus a short walk. Outside foliage season the park is also strong for spring cherry blossoms (early to mid-April) and summer mountain stream walks. Plan a full day. Access: about 3.5 hours from Seoul by car via the Honam Expressway, or via KTX to Jeongeup Station (2 hours) plus a local bus. Reservations for cable-car peak-time slots are essential during peak foliage weekends; even parking near the entrance is challenging without an early arrival.