If you are planning a walk on Seoul's Baegaksan (also called Bugaksan), distinguish the inauguration from public access. The Korea Heritage Service announced on 14 October 2026 that the new southwest-side trail is scheduled to open to the public at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, 17 October 2026. A ceremony is planned near Changui-mun Gate at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, 16 October. The ceremony is not a promise that independent hikers can traverse the full new section a day early. This article is a pre-opening guide, not an account of a completed visit.
Which 1.32 km is new?
The agency's original release describes the setting; the attached Korean HWPX, Annex 1 gives the precise order:
Dolgorae Rest Area (돌고래쉼터) → Cheong Wa Dae Viewpoint Junction (청와대전망대갈림길) → Manse-dongbang (만세동방) → 1·21 Incident Pine Tree (1·21사태소나무).
That chain—not a round trip, a summit hike or the approach from Changui-mun—is the new 1.32 km section. The announcement places Dolgorae Rest Area at the first rest stop on the way from Changui-mun towards the summit. The ceremony's schedule separately estimates about 350 m between Changui-mun and Dolgorae; it does not redefine the new section's starting point. No hiking time, gradient, wheelchair-accessibility rating or return route for the new section was specified in the attachment. The announcement says four new scenic rest stops have been created, but it does not provide a stop-by-stop accessible route.
The name Cheong Wa Dae Viewpoint Junction denotes a trail junction. It does not by itself grant admission to the former presidential compound. Manse-dongbang is described as a spring with an inscribed rock; the release does not verify whether its water is safe to drink.
Free access and 24 hours: read both carefully
Annex 1 lists free use, travel on designated trails, and 24-hour operation after the announced opening. These are the terms of the new-section announcement, not proof that the route will have lighting, staff or unrestricted access under all weather and security conditions. The Korea Heritage Agency's existing Baegaksan precautions say there is no trail lighting and advise against hiking at night; they also advise avoiding extreme weather, using public transport because there is no dedicated parking, and observing the marked trail, resting and photography rules. That general page does not yet establish a new-section-specific opening-day notice. Follow signs and any temporary restrictions on site.
A 2024 notice about the older trail operation says ordinary Baegaksan routes have operated on a self-guided basis without a separate entry application since 2023, but explicitly excepts the Cheong Wa Dae–Bugaksan connection, which follows separate Cheong Wa Dae arrangements. Neither that older notice nor the new press release establishes that every gate connecting the new path is always open. The new attachment does not state a separate booking or ID requirement; an omission is not a blanket guarantee about every entrance.
Before travelling, check the Korea Heritage Service announcement, local weather and any on-site closure notice. If you use the operator's older route guide, do not apply its roughly two-hour existing-city-wall walk to this newly announced 1.32 km segment. On the first day, do not assume admission before 9:00 a.m.
About the Author
Life Mokcha's editors compared the release's body with its Korean Annex 1 and separated the new trail announcement from older general visitor rules. No opening-day entrance check or on-site route test has been made.
The short Korean Naver summary is linked here after its public release.
References
- Korea Heritage Service, original announcement (Korean), 14 October 2026
- Release attachment, including Annexes 1 and 2 (Korean HWPX)
- Korea Heritage Agency, existing trail operating-hours guide (Korean)
- Korea Heritage Agency, existing trail precautions (Korean)
- Korea Heritage Agency, older self-guided-entry notice and Cheong Wa Dae exception (Korean)
