Longing That Flows Along the Seomjingang River

Ogjeongho Lake, in the upper reaches of the Seomjingang River, is a picturesque drive course that has previously been selected as a recommended scenic route. After circling Ogjeongho Lake and taking in Seomjingang Dam, walk on foot through villages living simply along the Seomjingang River's course. This route passes Jinmoe Village, the hometown of poet Kim Yong-taek, and continues on foot to the remote village of Gudam, where the sound of water and birdsong rings louder than human voices.

Along the way

1. 1

   Ogjeongho Lake

   옥정호

   Ogjeongho Lake is a vast artificial lake created by the construction of the Seomjingang Multipurpose Dam. Its watershed area is 763km2, its water surface area 26.3km2, and its total storage capacity reaches 430 million tons, making it a multipurpose dam that irrigates the Honam Plain and turns it into a grain belt. Ogjeongho Lake is connected to Obongsan, Guksabong, and Hoemunsan mountains, through which the Honam Ridge of the Noryeong Mountains passes. Obongsan and Guksabong mountains seem to embrace the lake with open arms, and Ogjeongho's Bunge Island, which looks different in each season, is a top destination for photographers. MoreLess

   

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2. 2

   Gudam Village

   구담마을

   Kim Yong-taek, known as the poet of the Seomjingang River, once named the stretch of water flowing through Cheondam and Gudam in Imsil on toward Janggumok as the most beautiful bend along the river's 500-ri course. Proving this, films have been shot here as well. It is the place where a film's protagonist secretly meets a childhood friend to plot together, the spot where a valley could be seen beneath a great poplar tree, the place where a mother took in laundry from American soldiers to wash in the river while her child splashed nearby, and the stone-walled stream scenery - all of these scenes were filmed in Gudam Village. MoreLess

   

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3. 3

   Lunch (Ilsongjeong Garden)

   점심식사(일송정가든)

   Because it uses native Korean chicken, the meat is chewy and the broth is thick with almost no oil. All the various kimchi and vegetable side dishes are either grown by the restaurant itself or sourced naturally from the surrounding area. Nearby attractions include the Seomjingang River, Ogjeongho Lake, and Saseondae.MoreLess

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4. 4

   Seomjingang Dam

   섬진강댐

   The Seomjingang River flows past Saseondae in Imsil and into Unam-myeon, where it merges into a vast lake. The reason a flowing river turned into this huge lake is the Seomjingang Dam, which crosses the upper Seomjingang River between Yongsu-ri, Gangjin-myeon, Imsil-gun, and Jongseong-ri, Sannae-myeon, Jeongeup-si. This is the only place where the Seomjingang's waters are blocked by a dam. Seomjingang Dam supplies agricultural water to the lower Dongjingang River and the Gyehwado reclaimed land, and helps ease the power shortage in the Honam region. It is a concrete gravity dam completed in December 1965. MoreLess

   

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5. 5

   Gudam Village

   구담마을

   Kim Yong-taek, known as the poet of the Seomjingang River, once named the stretch of water flowing through Cheondam and Gudam in Imsil on toward Janggumok as the most beautiful bend along the river's 500-ri course. Proving this, films have been shot here as well. It is the place where a film's protagonist secretly meets a childhood friend to plot together, the spot where a valley could be seen beneath a great poplar tree, the place where a mother took in laundry from American soldiers to wash in the river while her child splashed nearby, and the stone-walled stream scenery - all of these scenes were filmed in Gudam Village.MoreLess

   

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6. 6

   Lunch (Ilsongjeong Garden)

   점심식사(일송정가든)

   Because it uses native Korean chicken, the meat is chewy and the broth is thick with almost no oil. All the various kimchi and vegetable side dishes are either grown by the restaurant itself or sourced naturally from the surrounding area. Nearby attractions include the Seomjingang River, Ogjeongho Lake, and Saseondae. MoreLess

   ReviewsSaveDirections