From Geochang's Deogyusan Wild Ginseng to Hongdo and Byeongpungdo Dining Tables... Journey Through Korea 5-Day Special

Journey Through Korea: Mountain or Island?

- Will it be the mountains colored by autumn, or the islands filled with abundance? Between the mountains and the islands, where shall we depart?

The seasons are changing their clothes. It is autumn, a season when all mountains and islands are colored vibrantly and become abundant. Those who have settled in the mountains and the sea harvest their fruits, while those who gaze upon this beautiful scenery contemplate between two paths. Will they head to the mountains, wearing diverse seasonal clothes? Or to the islands, where blue sea waves roll? Following these beautiful colors crafted by nature, let us set out on an autumn journey to the mountains and the islands.

* Broadcast Schedule: Weekdays at 9:35 PM, September 28, 2026 – October 2, 2026, EBS1

Part 1. My Treasure Mountain, Deogyusan Mountain - September 28 (Monday)

In the foothills of Deogyusan Mountain in Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, there is a humble earthen house nestled in the mountains. Seo Jae-seok has lived in these mountains for about 33 years.

He says the mountain is a treasure mountain that gives him all sorts of treasures. If you climb the steep slopes of the mountain, you will find wild ginseng, a precious fruit that has undergone 20 years of patience, filling the ground.

As autumn begins to ripen, he harvests wild pears, which have met a bountiful harvest alongside his good friends, and fills jars with wild pear liquor, making a romantic promise with a pinky swear. He says they must open the wild pear liquor on the day the first snow falls.

For his friends who are about to harvest soon, Seo Jae-seok and his wife have prepared wild ginseng chicken soup, visiting Seo Jae-seok's treasure mountain to replenish the physical strength weakened by the sweat shed throughout the summer.

Part 2. The Red Island in the Far Sea, Hongdo Island – September 29 (Tuesday)

If you ride a high-speed boat for two and a half hours from Mokpo Port, red rock cliffs rise in the middle of the sea. This is "Hongdo Island," where the entire island is designated as a natural monument.

Passing through a massive arched rock hole leads to Nammun Rock, where passing through brings the luck of a full catch. Together with the village head, Park Jeong-seon, they fish for seasonal yellowtail, catching luck along with the fish.

From the haenyeo (female divers) stalls where they sell freshly caught seafood with generous hospitality, the journey leads to a guesthouse. It is a special night with an island dining table that breaks the legs of the table, featuring conch steamed by haenyeo Lee Ok-hee, as well as mussel seaweed soup and braised Japanese sea bass with soybean paste and sweet potato shoots.

The production team captures through their lens the unchanging colors of the island, as if time has bypassed it, and the warmth of the people met on that path.

Part 3. For a Lifetime, Byeongpungdo Island - September 30 (Wednesday)

An island where cockscomb flowers bloom in full glory when autumn arrives, Byeongpungdo Island is home to village head Cho Yong-mun, a third-generation island native, and his wife Kim Young-rye, who followed her husband to the island 39 years ago.

Byeongpungdo Island consists of six islands connected by five stone paths (nodut-gil), and these islands contain 12 places of prayer, each with its own character. For this reason, it is called the Santiago of Korea, the Seomtiago Pilgrimage Trail, and the couple sets out along the stone paths, holding hands tightly.

The husband is a fisherman, and the wife is a farmer! Yong-mun, a fisherman who harvests seaweed in the winter, helps his wife with her farming work in the chili pepper field ahead of the harvest during this season of rest. Kim Young-rye diligently tends the fields, from bellflower roots to corn. She calls it a small vegetable garden, but its scale is quite significant.

A special treasure trove of Kim Young-rye's has opened for the production team visiting from the mainland. She prepares a full Byeongpungdo island dining table, ranging from braised Japanese sea bass to stir-fried long-arm octopus filled with the flavor of fire.

The couple, who have built their lives in Byeongpungdo, say that the reason they are happy today is that they are each other's best companions.

Part 4. Look Grandly, Gamaksan Mountain – October 1 (Thursday)

At the summit of Gamaksan Mountain in Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, at an altitude of 900m, it is the season when the peak is dyed with purple aster flowers. Behind this magnificent wave of flowers lies the hard work of the villagers living at the foot of Gamaksan Mountain.

Many people's efforts went into creating this massive achievement by manually planting chrysanthemums on the mountain peak that was once like a wasteland. Among them, Cheongyeon Village is a small mountain village where only 14 households live, but they live together strongly, centered around the reliable village head, Woo Hoon-ja.

October is the busiest time of the year for Cheongyeon Village. The sweet scent of ripe grapes spreads through the village, and red apples have bloomed widely like a flower garden. Additionally, they carefully prepare for the Cheongyeon Village autumn festival by gathering together to taste apple bibimbap filled with crunchy apples, tofu kimchi, and seafood scallion pancakes.

As Gamaksan Mountain blooms in purple and becomes magnificent in autumn, there are the people of Cheongyeon Village who live relying on that mountain.

Part 5. Sogeumsan Mountain and Chiaksan Mountain - October 2 (Friday)

In Wonju, Gangwon State, the beginning of October is bustling with the footsteps of mountain climbers gathered from all over the country.

First, after crossing the bottom of Sogeumsan Mountain, which is called the Zhangjiajie of Korea, via a transparent cable car, one can admire the breathtaking scenery while looking down at the world from the mountain, including the dizzying height of the suspension bridge, the cliffside walkways (jando), and the undulating bridge.

Meanwhile, there is also a special bus departing from Wonju Station. The trekking bus operated by the city is a bus that runs free every Saturday until November to help people climb the autumn mountains without inconvenience in transportation.

The journey begins in earnest at Chiaksan Mountain. One breathes in the autumn energy on the forest paths and satisfies hunger with a meal of golden potato pancakes and barley rice. The trekking bus concludes its day-long journey while walking along the Hwangjangmok Forest Trail following the foothills of the thousand-year-old Guryongsa Temple.

Meet Sogeumsan Mountain and Chiaksan Mountain embraced by Wonju, a special tourist course for those who love mountains.

* Related photos can be found on the EBS institutional website (about.ebs.co.kr) - Cyber PR Office - Highlights, on the corresponding broadcast dates.

◆ At a Glance

· Publishing Institution: EBS

· Category: Journey Through Korea

· Distribution: September 27

Source: EBS Press Release

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