Jinju – The Fortress City

Jinju is a city roughly in the centre of the south of Korea. It is home to an impressive fortress which played an important role during the Imjin War, the Japanese invasion of Korea during the late 1500s. As such, there are a lot of interesting historical sites to explore, and Jirisan Mountain is not too far away if you want to escape into nature.

Jinjuseong Fortress

Jinjuseong Fortress is the main attraction in Jinju. This fortress was first constructed in the 14^th century and is now open for the public to explore. I recommend entering through the eastern Chokseongmun Gate and working your way west through the fortress.

You can walk along the fortress walls overlooking the Nam River and see the many gates, pavilions, shrines and temples within the fortress. I think the northern Gongbungmun Gate is the most impressive. You’ll also find the Jinju National Museum and Hoguksa Temple within the fortress.

When I visited the fortress in early May it was host to the Nongae Festival. Nongae was a woman of local legend who is believed to have sacrificed herself to pull the drunk Japanese general into the Nam River during the Imjin War. During the festival entry to the fortress is free. The fortress was lit up with many lanterns, and there were stalls with activities for kids while others were selling crafts and food. Close to the northern gate there was also a stage with a variety of performers including traditional musicians and dancers. Check the festival website – https://nongaefestival.kr/ – for the dates.

Jinju National Museum

Jinju National Museum is located within Jinjuseong Fortress and only costs 2,000 won to enter. The museum focuses on the Imjin War, the Japanese invasion of Korea during the late 16^th century. It’s an interesting museum and not too large, so it’s worth checking out while you’re visiting the fortress.

Hoguksa Temple

Also located within Jinjuseong Fortress is the Buddhist Hoguksa Temple. If you’re following the fortress walls round to the south then you can’t miss it. It’s another spot worth checking out while exploring the fortress.

Jungang market

Jungang Market, or central market, is within walking distance of Jinjuseong Fortress. Here you can find lots of local food to try as well as a huge variety of goods for sale. The market is also covered so if the weather turns bad you can explore here out of the rain.

Seongnyu Park

Seongnyu Park is a small park overlooking the Nam River. The park features an artificial waterfall and a pavilion at the top where you can get a good view over the river and city.

Gajwasan Bamboo Forest

Gajwasan is a park not far from Seongnyu Park. Gajwasan is much larger however, and features an impressive bamboo forest. Walking through it makes you feel like you’ve entered Jurassic Park. It’s worth exploring if you’ve got some extra time in Jinju.

Jirisan Mountain

If you’re planning to hike Jirisan, the highest mountain on mainland South Korea, then Jinju makes for an excellent base to begin your journey. From Jinju Bus Terminal you can buy a ticket on the day of your journey and the machines at the bus terminal are easy to use. You want to take the bus to Jungsanri at the foot of the mountain, a journey that takes around one hour. Once you arrive you can find the ticket machine for the return trip located next to the CU convenience store. It’s probably a good idea to buy your return ticket before you begin hiking in case they’re sold out later in the day.

Unfortunately when I went there was very heavy rain that lasted all day. It rained so much that the Nam River back in Jinju was overflowing and the paths along the riverbanks became inaccessible. I couldn’t even see Jirisan behind the thick cloud, so I decided it was best to just return to Jinju. I tried to visit later in the year but again the weather forecast wasn’t looking great so I cancelled. That means I haven’t got much information to share on hiking Jirisan but I plan to hike it in the future and update this page. Maybe third time lucky…