Saejae (Joryeong) Pass
A most incredible hike! Saejae Pass, in Mungyeongsaejae Provincial Park, might be the biggest land battle of the Imjin War that never happened. The pass crosses the rugged mountainous border from Gyeongsang into Chungcheong Provinces at an altitude of about 618 meters (approximately 2,000 ft). Saejae’s defenses consisted of three successive walls with corresponding gates at narrow points along the 7 kilometer long pass. A small defending force might have bottled up or at least greatly delayed a much larger attacking force had one arrived in time. Yet the king’s orders to man those walls somehow went unheeded. General Sin Rip, with an army 8,000 strong just north in Chungju, intended to fill the void and take that valuable terrain, denying it to Japanese General Konishi Yukinaga, but he relied upon General Yi Il to delay the enemy long enough to make that move. Yi Il’s sudden appearance on foot after fleeing the slaughter at Sangju convinced Sin Rip that he didn’t have time to march the 20 or so kilometers to the pass and so he decided to defend where he was, at Chungju. Fortifications at Saejae were originally constructed during Korea’s extended Three Kingdoms Period, but were strengthened in the manner now preserved both during and after the Imjin War (1592-98). The gates and walls were renovated throughout the 1970s. Mungyeong Saejae has become one of our favorite spots in Korea and so we promised ourselves a third trip in the fall. The explosive color scheme in some of the pictures below reflect that latest visit.
The scenery here is truly imposing! All the more so, probably, if you’re not familiar with the terrain. The royal road from Busan to Seoul made navigation easier, but I doubt the Japanese troops expected to find such fortifications so high up in the mountains guarding the pass. I imagine their surprise was all the greater at finding those defensive works unmanned.
The first gate of Saejae Pass, the wall stretches across the narrow valley with a fortified gate allowing access along the royal road. The banners hanging from the walls reflect our arrival days after the region’s big festival honoring local artisans. The pictures to the right are potters, ceramists, and other artists from the area.
Our second trip to Mungyeong Saejae came at a better time as the banners were gone, offering a more unobstructed view of the first gate.
The wall to the left side as you approach the first gate runs right into a cliff, with a portal allowing the fast moving stream—actually the headwaters of the Naktong River of Korean War fame—to pass through the wall. The other portal there is a modern convention to allow maintenance and other vehicles to pass through.
The wall to the right climbs right up the steep slope, ending out of sight somewhere up the heavily forested mountain.
Water flows from another stream through a gate on the right side as well. The management of water here is incredible—necessary due to the heavy rains in the summer that could undermine the stoutest of fortifications—but it served a secondary purpose as well, greatly complicating any direct assault on the gate.
A note of interest, between the first and second gates lies an entire open set used to film Joseon Era television shows and movies. It’s quite extensive but, with a long hike ahead of us and more places to visit afterward, we put it on our list of things to do the next time we’re in town. Upon making our “next” trip, we decided to stop by…and boy, was it worth it!
The short bridge crossing over to the open set was beautifully decorated with the most vibrant red flowers, nicely setting off the local scenery.
One end of the open set features a palace area, behind a replica of Gwanghamun Gate in Seoul.
The set is rendered in such a way as to cover the full spectrum of early Korean society, with wealthier, ceramic tiled homes near the palace, and thatch-roofed dwellings nearer the city wall and gate.
Entrance to the palace area. It’s amazing, now that we’ve been there, how often we see this set in the background of our favorite historical dramas! Certainly adds an element of personal interest.
HIGHLY recommend a visit in the fall, late October being the apple harvesting season and the most vivid of autumn foliage!
A little farther on we found the remains of a fortified guest house, of sorts. Since the royal road was THE designated government-controlled route from Seoul to Busan, this was a place for travelling officials to rest.
Inside the walls of the government guest house. Looked to be foundation stones for two fairly large buildings.
Speaking of the royal road, the stretch between the first and third gates of Saejae are said to be the best preserved of the Joseon Government’s once extensive system of roads and highways.
Oh…and the scenery alongside the road is simply breathtaking!!
Farther north we came upon a lovely pavilion alongside the road. The sign there indicated this was the point at which government officials—changing out from one billet to another—would meet and officially turn over their responsibilities to their successors.
And did I mention the scenery?!?
Finally, only a mile or so in, we reached the second gate of Saejae Pass. Thanks to the constant stopping to take pictures (over 300!!) it took us over an hour, well short of our usual blistering hiking pace! Since the third gate lay another 5 kilometers beyond this one (and our car was parked back at the first gate) we turned around here and drove around to the third. That said, this stretch is said to be the most magnificent, all but necessitating a follow-on trip almost exactly a year later. On our second visit we stayed the night nearby, got up early, and hiked the entire pass…and back! Was an incredible experience and—well—we will probably do it again sometime.
Rear of the second gate, showing off the usual Korean-style double staircases providing access to the parapet.
The wall here runs along a stream and then disappears up the steep and heavily wooded slope.
Believe it or not, this barely trickling brook is actually the headwater of the mighty Naktong River.
After hiking 9.5 km uphill, we were glad to finally see Saejae’s Third Gate!
The third gate of Saejae Pass faces north, leaving the entire distance between there and the southern First Gate as a sort of sanseong or mountain fortress where the side walls are made up of steep natural cliffs.
The walls here, as elsewhere in Saejae, span the narrow pass and quickly turn into elevated stairs heading up the side of the mountain on both sides.
There’s a lovely rest area just outside the Third Gate, and memorials to the incalculable number of students who passed that way over a millennium to take the Civil Service exam in Seoul.
Looking back south along the road toward Saejae Pass from atop the Third Gate.
From the Third Gate you get a greater sense for the ruggedness of the local terrain. That’s Mount Joryeong, which lent its name to the pass itself.
And in case I didn’t mention it…the scenery was absolutely incredible!!