Mungyeong makes a comeback

I spent my first two years in Korea in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbukdo (North Gyeongsang province).  When I was there, the place had seen better days.  Businesses were closing and the area was slowing losing its young people to the big cities.

The local economy had depended mainly on coal mining, but by the mid '90s lower demand for coal had shut the mines down.  Coal mining might not be the best way for a community to make money.  It often pollutes streams and the work is dangerous (my wife's father lost a leg in the mines).  However, when the mines closed it looked like Mungyeong would slowly die.

Now it seems that Mungyeong is turning things around: 

Mungyeong has transformed itself into a tourist attraction by promoting its newly cleaned-up environment....

According to the Mungyeong city office, a total of 3 million tourists visited last year, five times more than the number of visitors in 1999 just before the development plan started. Since the opening of the central inland freeway, the number of tourists from Seoul and other metropolitan areas has been increasing.
"When the mines were closed, I worried about how to make a living, but I don't worry about it now thanks to the tourists," said Lee Mu-ja, a restaurant owner.

Read the rest for details of how Mungyeong turned things around.

One note about that highway.  Yes, it made it easier for more tourist to go to Mungyeong.  I used to take the bus through high passes and let me tell you; it is not called the Mungyeong barrier for nothing.  On the other hand, the highway rammed strait through Jinnam, arguably one of the most beautiful places in Mungyeong.  I was luckily enough to see the area before the highway was built.  It's a real shame they couldn't have found another way to open the area up.  (Click on the picture for a larger image

BTW, another, much more famous, IKK blogger also spent some time in Mungyeong.  I won't name him here (large rodent) but I'm confident that he would back my claim on the beauty of Jinnam.  The whole county is very nice and I would recommend that foreigners in the Seoul area make an attempt to escape the city and see the 'real Korea.'  You can find out more at the Mungyeong City home page.

Comments

[steve]

You need to get your standard of natural beauty recalibrated. Looks a wide spot in a river.

[Andy (AKA: The Yangban)]

Steve,

I knew that wasn't the best picture of the place.

Wide spots in a river can be especially lovely. Jinnam has (had) cliffs overhanging a meandering river with an old mountain fortress and jeongja overlooking it. I've been there more than a few times and it is nice.

It's not southern Oregon, but it is pretty.

[oranckay]

".. newly cleaned-up environment...."

Well, sometimes anything is better than economic recession. But "newly cleaned-up environment" when there will be tourists arriving and littering up the place and parking on the sidewalks? At least the neon sign industry is going to see some good times.

When a given locale gets noticed by the tourism industry in Korea it tends to get ruined. Check this Hani eddie:

More than a few tourist spots have been ruined after people flocked to them en masse. It did not take long for Jeongdongjin to turn into a motel colony from a secluded fishing village known for its sunrise. The road through the waters, the "Moses' miracle" at Jin island's Hoedong-ri, was contaminated because of the crowds passing through. Haenam's Ttangkkeut saw its outstanding natural beauty significantly damaged when they built a huge observation tower on the top of the mountain there. The reason people all swarm to the same few places like that is because movement in a northerly direction is blocked and there is little natural diversity, and because Korea lacks a culture of tourism on the one hand and there is sensationalistic media coverage of certain places on the other.

You see it happen time and time again. Gyeongju is a wee bit better off because there are building restrictions downtown, which keeps that area looking nice and quaint with few ugly tall buildings, but the residents there hate those restrictions because they'd like to mow things down and build 10 floor love hotels.

Frankly I don't know Mun'gyeong at all. I remember that I've been there but don't remember much. I can only hope it doesn't get ruined for you and your fond memories.

[michael j wilson]

I lived in Mungyong for almost 4 years teaching ESL and the county really is a beautiful place to visit. I like the idea of Mungyeong-up becoming a "meditation city" because there are several highly revered zen (korean son) temples in the area. I hope they don't become too touristy though because I the monks and nuns need their quiet time.