Yeonin Mountain Provincial Park's Yongchu Valley Trail Fully Opens on 11th After Flood Recovery

Yeonin Mountain Provincial Park in Gyeonggi Province has completed restoration work on the Yongchu Valley trail, which was damaged by heavy downpours in July last year, and will open the entire 9.2km trail section starting on the 11th.

The province had previously closed the trail due to the loss of trekking paths including the Sorit Road section and Premium Valley Road, as well as associated facilities from the heavy rains.

Gyeonggi Province began construction in April of this year. In this restoration project, to prevent recurrence of landslides and ensure visitor safety, the province reduced the gradient of damaged slopes and applied a 'slot-stacking' method that securely fixes natural stones, thereby enhancing facility safety compared to before the flood damage.

For the embankment facilities protecting the valley edges, construction methods using nearby natural stones were applied. Stones were connected with wire to minimize movement, and concrete was used only behind the stones to withstand concentrated heavy rainfall. Emphasis was also placed on maximizing the preservation of the existing landscape of Yongchu Valley through the use of natural stones.

The National Forestry Cooperative Association, which undertook the construction, conducted the project based on experience from disaster recovery including the restoration of Seoul's Umyeon Mountain landslide.

Prior to the opening of the trail, safety inspections and environmental maintenance were also carried out. Staff from Yeonin Mountain Provincial Park directly accessed the valley and collected approximately 7 tons of debris including wire and concrete left from the flood damage.

Visitors wishing to use the Yongchu Valley trail can depart from the trail information center, pass through Sorit Road, and follow the course leading to the endpoint of Premium Valley Road. The journey from the trail information center to the entrance at Joongsan-ri takes approximately one hour, and from there to the endpoint of Premium Valley Road takes approximately one hour and 30 minutes, totaling approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes (9.2km) one way.

Lee Tae-seon, director of the Garden and Forest Industry Division at Gyeonggi Province, said, "We have restored Yeonin Mountain Provincial Park, a retreat for residents, to be even safer than before the flood damage, and have reopened the entire trail section. Going forward, we will continuously inspect facilities and maintain a safe trekking environment so that residents can visit with confidence."