The Korea Times
For most of the year, the pine-scented silence of Korea’s royal burial grounds remains undisturbed, a sanctuary for the spirits of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and the centuries-old ecosystems that guard them. But on Friday, the heavy gates to these secluded landscapes swung open, marking the start of a brief seasonal window where the public can traverse the inner sanctums of South Korea’s UNESCO-listed heritage. The Korea Heritage Service announced the reopening of nine specialized forest trails surrounding the royal tombs, a 19-kilometer network of paths stretching across the capital and surrounding Gyeonggi Province. From now through June 30, visitors can walk through wooded corridors in Seoul, Guri and Namyangju that are typically cordoned off to protect their ecological and historical integrity. The program, which launched in 2019, seeks to balance growing public demand for immersive nature retreats and contemplative spaces with the strict preservation requirements of these sovereign sites. At Donggureung in Guri, the largest cluster of royal tombs in the country, hikers can
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