Today I visited Inwangsan and Bukaksan again. They are very small mountains in the northern part of Seoul. I visited there a couple of months ago for the first time in January with a local meetup climbing group. This time, the hike was much easier. I guess my hiking exercise is paying off.

Bukaksan, which is also called Baekaksan, is near Kyungbok Palace and the Korean Blue House (the presidential house). The trail running over the mountain takes you up along the city fortress walls. Since you pass very closely by the presidential house, visitors must sign in. They should present their passport, or if they are a resident of Korea, their residency or alien registration card. After filling out a short form, you’ll get an ID card on a lanyard to wear, and you are set to explore the fortress.

The trail is not that difficult from the hiking perspective. Be prepared though for lots of stairs!

Unfortunately, this past week, the air quality has been particularly bad. Last time I was here, I was able to get a nice view of the city of Seoul, but this time, the view was obscured by pollution. The pollution is mainly caused by “fine dust” and other particulate matter, which is particularly hazardous to one’s health. This time, I brought a face mask, which I wore for a large part of the hike, although it was difficult to wear it the whole time - hiking and face masks don’t really go together that well…..

On the way down, you can see the so-called “January 21 Incident Pine Tree.” As you can see from the sign, in January 1968, some North Korean spies infiltrated South Korea, and there was an exchange of fire. Bullet holes from the attack are marked on this pine tree. Due to this attack, the Seoul City Wall was actually closed to the public for a long period, and it was re-opened in 2007.