Gwanaksan, one of Seoul’s most popular mountains, is reeling from severe littering after going viral as a lucky landmark among young Koreans, according to online communities Monday.
A recent post on Threads has sparked public outrage after showing a puddle near the summit of Gwanaksan stained red with ramen broth and littered with ice cream wrappers, tissues and other trash.
“The hikers who left the mess should be made to pay for the damage,” one user wrote. “This is a drinking spot for birds, cats and other wildlife. Acts that harm nature should be punished severely,” another commented.
Gwanaksan has seen a surge in visitors since February, after a fortune teller said on a television program that “climbing Gwanaksan when things aren’t going well can open up positive energy."
A total of 5,217 people visited the Gwanaksan branch of the Seoul Hiking Tourism Center that month, up 9.6 percent from 4,848 a year earlier, according to data from the Seoul Tourism Organization.
Gwanaksan's buzz is also evident online. The number of Instagram posts tagged with “Gwanaksan” has surpassed 322,000, and searches for the mountain on Naver reached 94,300 in March, up 3.5 times from 27,300 in the same month last year, according to keyword analysis platform Black Kiwi.
As crowds surged over the weekend following the first official observance of Labor Day as a public holiday, the Gwanak District Office issued multiple safety alerts urging hikers to be cautious.
Some climbers have voiced disappointment that hiking's purpose has been diluted.
“Some young people don’t seem to come for luck, but for social media photos. It’s good that more people are visiting, but the mountain has lost some of its tranquility. Whenever I see trash scattered around, I feel embarrassed by the lack of civic awareness,” said Son Sung-won, a 44-year-old resident of Gwanak-gu.
Beyond litter, vandalism is emerging as another growing concern for officials managing Gwanaksan.
Earlier last month, Madangbawi, a well-known rock along the mountain’s hiking trail, was defaced with graffiti reading “No luck from Gwanaksan for you.” Seven workers from the Gwanak District Office spent about 90 minutes scrubbing it off, and authorities have asked police to track down the person responsible, news reports said.
Gwanaksan has been an urban natural park managed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 1968. Under the Parks and Green Spaces Act, those who damage park facilities can face fines of up to 3 million won ($2,037).
cjh@heraldcorp.com
