Osaengnyeong (Hangyeryeong) Pass (오색령(한계령))

This 1,004 m-high pass connects Seo-myeon of Yangyang-gun and Buk-myeon and Girin-myeon of Inje-gun, at the border between Naeseorak and Namseorak. The people of Yangyang know the pass as Osaengnyeong, while in Inje it is known as Hangyeryeong. Yi Jung-hwan, a late Joseon period scholar and the author of the geographical text Taengniji (On Selecting a Village), counted Osaengnyeong Pass as the first and the foremost of the six famous passes in Gangwon-do. Indeed, Osaengnyeong Pass was the route through which essential supplies were transported from Yangyang (in Yeongdong) to Inje (in Yeongseo region), and the rough pass taken by the people of Yangyang on the way to Seoul. Its presence in the folklore of the region can be seen in the popular song Hangyeryeong, which speaks to the difficulties of those who had to climb the pass. Hangyeryeong Road was opened in 1981, and today’s National Road No. 44 is famous for being a driving course through the beauty of Seoraksan Mountain. This is also the starting point of the shortest route to Daecheongbong Peak, the highest peak in Seoraksan Mountain, and the trail to the summit of Jeombongsan Mountain.