The Korea National Park Service plans to install additional bear alert bells in Jirisan National Park by July to help prevent encounters between hikers and Asiatic black bears, officials said Thursday.
The KNPS, affiliated with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, installed 10 bells last year and plans to add 12 more this year.
“The alert bells are a basic measure to safely protect the habitat of Asiatic black bears while allowing visitors to use the national park with peace of mind,” said KNPS Chair Joo Dae-young.
The bells are designed to let hikers alert bears to their presence, reducing the risk of sudden encounters and related accidents.
They are being installed along high-altitude sections of Jirisan, including the main ridge trail, where major bear habitats overlap with hiking routes.
Ten bells have been installed along the roughly 9.9-kilometer ridge section from Yeonhacheon to Seseok Shelter via Byeoksoryeong, while 12 more will be placed along the full section between Nogodan and Cheonwangbong, at intervals of about one kilometer.
The project is supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Since 2025, WWF has worked with the KNPS to provide funding for projects aimed at preventing damage and safety accidents involving Asiatic black bears, with this year’s support focused on installing the bells.
Asiatic black bears, known in Korean as "bandalgaseumgom," are designated as a first-class endangered wild species. They are recognized by the distinctive crescent-shaped white marking on their chest.
The KNPS also urged visitors to use legally designated trails and hike in groups of two or more rather than alone, as Asiatic black bears are entering their active season, including mating. It also warned visitors not to feed bears or approach them to take photos.
mjcha@heraldcorp.com
