Asia > South Korea > Jeongseon
Jeongseon is a mountain county town in Gangwon, wrapped in steep valleys and old mining country. It is best known in Korea for Jeongseon Arirang, a local version of the folk song, and for market days when the town feels much livelier than its size suggests.
The sights are spread through the county, but they add up well. You can ride a rail bike along an old railway corridor, go underground at Hwaam Cave, stand over the valley at Arii Hills Skywalk, and return to town for market food and Arirang performances when the timing works.
Jeongseon is not as easy as a Seoul day trip, and that is part of its appeal. It feels like inland Korea: mountain roads, river bends, market stalls, and attractions that still belong to the valley around them.