Inje (인제군) is a county in Gangwon province in the far north of South Korea.

Understand

Location of Inje in South Korea

Inje is famous for its beautiful nature. Over ninety percent of the region is formed of mountains or valleys, such as Mt. Seoraksan, Mt. Bangtaesan, Daecheong Peak, and Naerincheon Valley. You can take a trip to several mineral water springs and natural forest resorts. It is also a great place for the various leisure tours, such as rafting, bungee jumping, MTB, paragliding, four wheel biking, or climbing an artificial waterfall!

The northern part of Inje is in the Korean DMZ, and plenty of South Korean military activity in the area. Musk deer and Asiatic black bears can be found in this remote region.

See

• Naerincheon Stream: It takes about three hours to get there by car from Inje city. The 70 kilometer stream starts from Mt. Odaesan National Park, winds around the steep mountains and valleys, and flows into the North Hangang River. It is one of the cleanest streams in Korea. When spring comes, the thick ice of the valleys starts to melt. The Lenok, which is a type of salmon, starts to swim upstream to lay eggs. When you notice scarlet royal azaleas blossom along the stream and the water becomes cobalt blue, you can say summer has come. When fall comes in the valley, red and yellow leaves reflected on the surface of the stream seem to dye the water red and yellow. Winter in the valley has a short temper, so it doesn’t wait until December. You can see white snow sparkling all over the valley in early November. When you see this magnificent sight, you have no choice but to be spellbound.
• Mountain biking is another attractive sport available in Naerincheon. The steep mountains and bumpy roads along the stream encourage you to pedal on your bike harder. The harder you pedal the more spectacular scenes you can see.

Do

• Inje Icefish Festival and Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival (Every mid January~mid February) : The Inje Icefish Festival and the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival, the most popular winter festivals of Gangwon-do, are both held on the white ice fields created by frozen lakes. Catching the smelt and mountain trout that live in pure water is a fun experience for many Koreans. A variety of snow and ice events, such as snow-sledding, an igloo exhibition, and snow sculptures, are also held, but the most exciting experience is walking and running on the thick ice of the frozen lakes!
• Snow Flake Festival (Daegwallyeong /Mt. Taebaeksan/Mt. Seoraksan) (Mid January, for nine days): Winter in Gangwon-do is full of white snow everywhere. Across the mountains in Gangwon-do, visitors can enjoy a wide array of events such as ice sculpture contests, climbing ice covered cliffs, and snow sleds like the old days.
• Inje adventure complex: 90 percent of Inje, where two-thirds of the Seoraksan Mountains are located, is mountainous. This natural environment blessed by heaven was developed with a three-adventure complex, each ideally befitting the natural topography. Visitors can experience the true enjoyment of outdoor sports, as it is equipped with facilities for beginners and the advanced.
• Daemyung Resort Seorak Aqua World. Daemyung Resort Sorak’s most recognizable facility is the 1.6 ac. Hot Spring Theme Park. It has various hot spring baths, including a high-tech bath that provides different massages with different flows of hot spring water, an outdoor bath, a jasmine bath, a pine tree bath (Hinoki bath), and others. Sorak Aqua World also provides special attractions, such as an outdoor recreational pool surrounded by the beauty of Mt. Seoraksan, special barbecue parties in summer season, and Thai massage. (updated Dec 2016)

Sleep

• 1 Coughing of the Stars (별들의 기침), 743-71 Birch Forest Road, Nam-myeon, ☏ +82 507-1420-0455. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Located near a birch forest in Inje County, the Cough of the Stars is a rental house planned and operated by a blueberry farm called Sunshine Farm. It was designed in consideration of the natural environment of a clean area. (updated Dec 2023)
• 2 Where the Sunset stays (노을이 머무는곳), 6231, Naerancheon-ro, Inje-eup, ☏ +82 33-463-9797. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. (updated Dec 2023)

Go next

• The Seoraksan National Park lies between Inje and the east sea.