Source: Seoul Shinmun · 정치

What happened

According to Seoul Shinmun, Democratic Party lawmaker Yeom Tae-young finished a 7-night, 8-day walking pilgrimage along the Namhangang (South Han River) on August 31, covering roughly 130 km from Geumnyongso in Taebaek, Gangwon Province — the river’s source — to Dumulmeori in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where the Namhangang meets the Bukhangang (North Han River).

Yeom co-led the group, which departed August 21 and reached Dumulmeori August 28. In a phone interview, he said protecting rivers and watershed communities means protecting everyday life, pledged to pursue national river parks, and added that next year’s river walking pilgrimage will continue.

The breakdown

The route threads through Gangwon, Chungcheong, and Gyeonggi. Along the way, participants held on-site policy sessions:

• Yeongwol, Gangwon: a meeting on designating a Namhangang national park.
• Chungju, North Chungcheong: a briefing at Chungju Dam on water management during the climate crisis and sustainable use of the Namhangang watershed.
• Yeoju, Gyeonggi: a roundtable on the proposed Walking Travel Path Basic Act, sharing bill progress and on-the-ground complaints from operators of nationwide walking routes.

Several lawmakers joined at points, including former National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik, other Democratic Party members, and Cho Kuk Innovation Party lawmaker Seo Wang-jin. Discussions covered restoring the Namhangang’s natural character and river culture.

Yeom noted that rivers are currently excluded from national-park designation targets, unlike seas, mountains, and cultural heritage, and said he would try to amend the law so rivers can be included. At the August 28 closing ceremony, he said walking the Namhangang meant experiencing “all the twists of modern history” along the water and highlighted the “very important role of Chungju Dam” in reviving the Han River system.

The event continues a tradition Seoul Shinmun traces to 2005, when Woo Won-shik began walks along Korea’s five major rivers — Seomjin, Geum, Han, Nakdong, and Yeongsan. That sequence paused for 12 years before Yeom restarted it last year from the Imjin River.

Why it matters outside Korea

Most foreign visitors see the Han from riverside parks or dinner cruises — not as a multi-province source-to-confluence trek. This pilgrimage reframes the Namhangang as a linked walking corridor with policy stakes: dam operations, national-park boundaries, and a proposed basic law for walking-travel routes that could standardize signage and local cooperation nationwide.

If river segments gain national-park status or walking-path legislation advances, access rules near Chungju and Yeoju could shift over the next few years.

What travelers and expats should watch

• Dumulmeori and upstream day trips: Dumulmeori, where two Han branches merge northeast of Seoul, is already a photography and picnic stop. Seoul Shinmun’s report signals renewed political attention to the full Namhangang corridor — worth tracking if you plan multi-day walks or bike-packing between Gangwon and Gyeonggi.
• Chungju Dam briefings: Yeom tied the walk to Chungju Dam’s role in Han River management. Campers and anglers near Chungju should watch for hearings or access changes if watershed policy tightens.
• Walking-path legislation: the Yeoju roundtable on the Walking Travel Path Basic Act matters for long-distance trail users. If the bill moves, expect clearer rules on route maintenance and commercial walking tours outside Seoul.
• 2027 repeat march: Yeom said the pilgrimage continues next year. Road closures and lodging pressure in river towns could recur each late August — check local notices before booking stays in Taebaek, Yeongwol, Chungju, or Yeoju.

Context

Read this as a legislator-led river walk tied to park and trail lawmaking, not as a new tourist package you can book tomorrow. Core facts: ~130 km / 7 nights 8 days / Taebaek Geumnyongso to Dumulmeori / Aug. 21–28 / national river-park push / Walking Travel Path Basic Act / Chungju Dam emphasis / series restarted from Imjin River last year. Korelay’s frame: whether Korea formalizes long rivers as protected parks and regulated walking networks — affecting how hikers experience the Han system far upstream of Seoul.

Source

Seoul Shinmun: ‘태백 검룡소에서 두물머리까지’…130㎞ 남한강 도보 순례 마친 與염태영 — Korean original; paraphrased for briefing; read the original for full detail.