According to the KNPS press release, gim-bugak (crisp-fried seaweed), rice chips and similar products made in national park model villages, in limited numbers, first come, first served. The quantity and how it is handed out have not been published, and the booking listings do not mention it, so ask the centre when you book.

Which ecotourism-centre programmes can I book now?

As of 2 November, the booking system's Special Programmes menu shows dates and prices for two programmes in the event: Naejangsan's autumn foliage family trip (14–15 November) and Sobaeksan's healing tour (17–18 November). Naejangsan's rooms are full, so it depends on cancellations.

How much does the Sobaeksan healing tour cost?

The listing says KRW 33,000 per person, with lodging, four meals, a snack, the hike and a Buseoksa history talk paid by Yeongju City. The option on the booking screen reads 'programme fee (2 people) KRW 60,000', so confirm the amount with the centre (054-630-5500) before paying.

Is it worth going if I do not read Korean?

The Seoraksan starry-night camp is the programme KNPS describes as for foreign visitors, and it is the one to wait for; it had no dates or booking page as of 2 November. The Naejangsan and Sobaeksan trips are run entirely in Korean and booked through a Korean system that asks for Korean phone verification, so they suit someone travelling with a Korean speaker. The scenery is the same either way, and the centres' rooms can be a good base.

Programme·Korea National Park ServiceOn now

Korea's national park eco-centres: overnight stays with a local gift — November 2026

Kang Shin-wookPublished 2 November 20264 sources checkedEditorial policy 이 글을 한국어로 읽기

KNPS reservation system — ecotourism-centre special programmes (Korean)

The essentials

Dates: 1–30 November 2026 (On now)
Where: Ecotourism centres at Gayasan, Naejangsan, Sobaeksan, Jirisan and Seoraksan national parks
Admission: KRW 33,000 per person at Sobaeksan (Yeongju City covers the rest, per the listing); Naejangsan KRW 120,000 per room plus KRW 21,500 per adult or KRW 15,500 per teenager; others not stated
Booking: Online through the KNPS reservation system (Korean): Reservation → Ecotourism Centre → Special Programmes, booking room and programme together. Sign-up asks for Korean mobile-phone identity verification and we could not confirm a route for non-residents; the customer centre (1670-9201) is the place to ask, and the Seoraksan camp for foreigners has no booking page yet.
Who it is for: Guests on a one-night ecotourism-centre programme (Seoraksan: foreign visitors; Naejangsan: families with children)
Language: Naejangsan and Sobaeksan programmes are run in Korean with Korean-language notices; the Seoraksan stargazing camp is the one KNPS describes as for foreign visitors. The booking system has no English programme pages.
Gift: Local specialities from national park villages (gim-bugak, rice chips and similar), limited stock, first come, first served — stated in the press release only
Contact: KNPS reservations 1670-9201 · Naejangsan centre 063-538-1796 · Sobaeksan centre 054-630-5500

Written up from Korea National Park Service's own announcement of 27 October 2026. Details change — check the official page before you travel.

Throughout November 2026 (1–30 November), the Korea National Park Service is giving a local food gift — gim-bugak (crisp-fried seaweed) and rice chips made in national park villages — first come, first served, to people who join a one-night programme at five of its ecotourism centres: Gayasan, Naejangsan, Sobaeksan, Jirisan and Seoraksan. The Seoraksan programme, a stargazing camp, is the one designed for foreign visitors, but as of 2 November it has no dates, price or booking page yet. The two programmes that can be booked now, at Naejangsan (14–15 November) and Sobaeksan (17–18 November), are run in Korean through a Korean-language booking system.

In short

From 1 to 30 November 2026 the Korea National Park Service (KNPS) gives a local food gift — gim-bugak (crisp-fried seaweed), rice chips and similar, made in national park villages — to guests on one-night programmes at five of its ecotourism centres, in limited numbers, first come, first served — the gift appears in the press release but not in the booking listings, so ask the centre when you book.
The five centres are Gayasan, Naejangsan, Sobaeksan, Jirisan and Seoraksan; the Seoraksan programme, a stargazing camp, is the one for foreign visitors.
Bookings go through the KNPS reservation system under Ecotourism Centre → Special Programmes. As of 2 November only the Naejangsan (14–15 November) and Sobaeksan (17–18 November) programmes show dates and prices there.
Sobaeksan costs KRW 33,000 per person because Yeongju City pays for the room and most meals (per the listing); Naejangsan charges KRW 120,000 for a six-person room plus KRW 21,500 per adult or KRW 15,500 per teenager.
For a visitor who reads no Korean: the bookable programmes are run in Korean, the booking system has no English programme pages, and the Seoraksan camp for foreigners has not opened for booking yet.

Announced by KNPS on 27 October, 'National Park Ecotourism Month' rewards anyone who spends a night at a national park ecotourism centre in November with a gift of food made in the parks' designated model villages. It is part of KNPS's 'Local ON' scheme, which tries to turn a national park day hike into an overnight trip that spends money in nearby restaurants and villages. The announcement names all five centres, but only some have put dates and prices into the booking system, so this piece starts with what can be booked now.

Naejangsan's Seoraebong rock ridge in morning light above autumn forest — Autumn morning on Seoraebong ridge, Naejangsan (registered October 2025) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

What each of the five centres offers

Every programme in the press release is a one-night, two-day trip with a meal at a local restaurant built into the itinerary. The table pairs each programme with what it involves and whether it was listed in the booking system when we checked on 2 November.

Programmes in ecotourism month (activities from the press release; listing status from the booking system on 2 November)

Gayasan — Seongju stargazing night: Making a constellation mood lamp, a night nature walk · no Gayasan tab under Special Programmes, so no dates or price yet
Naejangsan — autumn foliage family trip: Family nature activities (listening to the forest), woodworking and a foot bath · 14–15 November listed
Sobaeksan — slow-paced Sobaeksan healing tour: Ginseng cooking, a hike through Daldatgol model village, a visit to Buseoksa temple · 17–18 November (8th run) listed
Jirisan — Seomjin River cycling: Cycling along the Seomjin River, history and culture at Hwaeomsa temple · not listed under this name (other programmes only)
Seoraksan — Seoraksan starry-night camp (for foreigners): Guided walk through Baekdam valley and Baekdamsa temple, stargazing, cooking rice in an iron cauldron at Hachu-ri mountain village · no Seoraksan tab under Special Programmes

Naejangsan's autumn foliage trip: who can go, and for how much

The Naejangsan programme is for families with children, six families per run, first come, first served. Day one starts with a 2 pm orientation, then moves to the Jeongeup wood culture centre for woodworking and a foot bath; day two is a morning walk through Naejangsan's autumn colour and a closing chat. Guests must book both a room and the programme, and meals are eaten at local restaurants at your own cost — they are not in the price.

Uhwajeong pavilion at Naejangsan reflected in its pond among red autumn trees — Uhwajeong pavilion and autumn reflections, Naejangsan (foliage on 31 October 2025) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

Naejangsan autumn foliage trip at a glance (from the booking listing)

Dates: Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 November 2026, one night
Who and how many: Families with children, six families per run, first come, first served
Price: Type A room (sleeps up to six) KRW 120,000 + programme KRW 21,500 per adult, KRW 15,500 per teenager (room and programme both required)
Confirmation and cancellation: Confirmed seven days before; no cancellation after that
Left on 2 November: Rooms 0 · programme places: 4 adult, 11 teenager
Contact: Naejangsan Ecotourism Centre operations 063-538-1796

With every room taken, the only way in now is a cancellation. Cancellations tend to appear just before the confirmation date, seven days ahead, so checking the booking system around 7 November is the realistic plan.

Drone view over Naejang lake, its campsite and the Naejangsan Ecotourism Centre in late autumn — Drone view of Naejang lake campsite and the ecotourism centre area (November 2023, Naejangsan National Park Office) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

Why the Sobaeksan healing tour costs so little

Yeongju City pays for most of the Sobaeksan Ecotourism Centre's programme. Per the listing, it covers one night's lodging, four meals and a snack, the Sobaeksan hike and a history talk at Buseoksa, leaving guests KRW 33,000 each. The 8th run is Tuesday 17 – Wednesday 18 November, and sign-up closes at 5 pm on Thursday 12 November.

Wooden boardwalk and green ridgeline at the summit of Birobong, Sobaeksan — Summit boardwalk and ridge at Birobong, Sobaeksan (registered June 2021; year taken unknown) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

Day one: meet at the centre at 10 am → ginseng cooking (ginseng liquor, ginseng canapés) → an easy three-hour hike from Choam visitor centre through Daldatgol village to Samga visitor centre → dinner in the centre's canteen
Day two: breakfast, then Buseoksa temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site; lunch at a local restaurant
Around 20 places per run; a run with fewer than 20 may be cancelled.
Bring: toiletries (toothpaste and toothbrush), a cup or tumbler, hiking shoes and poles, personal medicine
Contact: Sobaeksan Ecotourism Centre 054-630-5500

The Sobaeksan price is stated two ways

The listing text says KRW 33,000 per person, but the option you actually select is 'programme fee (2 people) KRW 60,000' — KRW 30,000 a head. Check the amount with the centre before paying. On 2 November, 2 of the 10 options were left.

When do Gayasan, Jirisan and Seoraksan open?

For these three, the press release gives only a programme name and activities; as of 2 November there were no dates, prices, capacities or sign-up dates. The Gayasan programme is on the Seongju side of the park: making a constellation mood lamp and a night walk in the forest.

Autumn-coloured Manmulsang rock ridge at Gayasan with mist drifting over it — Manmulsang ridge in autumn colour and mist, Gayasan (27 October 2017) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

Summit marker stone on Namsanjeilbong peak, Gayasan, among bare rock — Summit marker on Namsanjeilbong, Gayasan (registered 20 October 2026) — a peak on the Haeinsa (Hapcheon) side, which may not be where the Seongju programme runs Photo: Korea National Park Service (photo: park interpreter Min Jeong-seon) · KOGL Type 1

Jirisan's announced programme is a bike ride along the Seomjin River with a visit to Hwaeomsa temple in Gurye. The Jirisan tab of the booking system does list a 7–8 November trip, 'Jirisan walking club (8th run)', built around a Baemsagol valley trek and an evening walk at Hwaeomsa, but its name and content differ from the cycling programme in the press release, so we could not confirm it counts for the gift.

Sea of cloud below Nogodan on Jirisan at dawn — 'Sea of cloud at Nogodan', one of Jirisan's ten views (Jirisan National Park Office) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

Autumn riverside path along the Seomjin River at Agyang, Hadong, with silver grasses — Seomjin River trail at Agyang, Hadong, with autumn silver grass (November 2015) — not the programme's cycling route itself — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

Seoraksan's 'starry-night camp' is open only to foreign visitors. It was described as a guided walk through Baekdam valley and Baekdamsa temple, an evening of stargazing, and cooking rice in an iron cauldron at Hachu-ri, a mountain village in Inje. A programme for foreigners may well have its own sign-up channel, but the only route KNPS has named is the booking system, and no Seoraksan listing had appeared there by 2 November.

Clear water running between autumn trees in Baekdam valley, Seoraksan — Baekdam valley in autumn colour (October 2019) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (photo: Kim Ji-ho) · KOGL Type 1

Drone view of Baekdamsa temple halls and Baekdam valley surrounded by green forest — Drone view of Baekdamsa temple and Baekdam valley (taken September 2025, in summer green) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (photo: Hwang Seong-hun) · KOGL Type 1

How to book an ecotourism-month programme

Log in to the KNPS reservation system (reservation.knps.or.kr, Korean).
Go to Reservation → Ecotourism Centre → Special Programmes and choose the centre's tab.
Pick a run and add both the room and the number of programme places — booking only one of the two can get the booking cancelled.
Pay under My Page → My Reservations; the booking is confirmed only once paid.

The gift is limited and first come, first served, so earlier runs may stand a better chance, but KNPS has not said how many there are or how they are handed out. Runs are cancelled below a minimum (fewer than 8 at Naejangsan, 20 at Sobaeksan), and Naejangsan bookings cannot be cancelled in the final seven days.

Snow-covered Seoraksan Ecotourism Centre buildings with wintry slopes behind — Seoraksan Ecotourism Centre under snow (year taken unknown) — a landscape reference photo, not a picture of the programme Photo: Korea National Park Service · KOGL Type 1

Getting there, and what to expect without Korean

Each centre sits at the edge of its park, outside Seoul. For Sobaeksan, the centre is in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang, reached by KTX-Eum train from Cheongnyangni to Punggi or Yeongju; the programme meets at the centre at 10 am, so plan on the first trains or a night nearby. Naejangsan's centre is near Naejang lake in Jeongeup, North Jeolla; Jeongeup has KTX trains from Yongsan, then a local bus or taxi to the park. Jirisan's listed trip offers a 9 am pickup at Namwon Station for KTX travellers. The Seoraksan centre is on the Inje side of the park, near the Baekdam entrance. On the day, the Naejangsan and Sobaeksan programmes are led in Korean, and their notices, schedules and safety briefings are in Korean only. The booking system's programme pages are Korean, and joining as a member asks for Korean mobile-phone identity verification; we could not confirm a workaround for non-residents, so call the KNPS reservation centre (1670-9201) before planning around a place. The Seoraksan starry-night camp, built for foreign visitors, is the one to watch: when its listing appears it should say how foreigners sign up.

Frequently asked questions

Q. When is National Park Ecotourism Month?: 1 to 30 November 2026. During the month, KNPS gives guests on one-night programmes at the Gayasan, Naejangsan, Sobaeksan, Jirisan and Seoraksan ecotourism centres a local food gift from national park villages, first come, first served.
Q. What is the gift?: According to the KNPS press release, gim-bugak (crisp-fried seaweed), rice chips and similar products made in national park model villages, in limited numbers, first come, first served. The quantity and how it is handed out have not been published, and the booking listings do not mention it, so ask the centre when you book.
Q. Which ecotourism-centre programmes can I book now?: As of 2 November, the booking system's Special Programmes menu shows dates and prices for two programmes in the event: Naejangsan's autumn foliage family trip (14–15 November) and Sobaeksan's healing tour (17–18 November). Naejangsan's rooms are full, so it depends on cancellations.
Q. How much does the Sobaeksan healing tour cost?: The listing says KRW 33,000 per person, with lodging, four meals, a snack, the hike and a Buseoksa history talk paid by Yeongju City. The option on the booking screen reads 'programme fee (2 people) KRW 60,000', so confirm the amount with the centre (054-630-5500) before paying.
Q. Is it worth going if I do not read Korean?: The Seoraksan starry-night camp is the programme KNPS describes as for foreign visitors, and it is the one to wait for; it had no dates or booking page as of 2 November. The Naejangsan and Sobaeksan trips are run entirely in Korean and booked through a Korean system that asks for Korean phone verification, so they suit someone travelling with a Korean speaker. The scenery is the same either way, and the centres' rooms can be a good base.

Editor's note · Kang Shin-wook

For visitors planning a night inside a Korean national park in November: which of the five announced programmes can actually be booked, which are still unannounced, and what stands between a non-Korean speaker and a place. Park-by-park visiting basics are on Korea National Park Service; other open bookings are on Booking & sign-up.

Sources

Official notice (Korean)

Written in our own words from the sources above, never copied from them, and every date and price checked against at least two pages. The originals are in Korean. Spotted a mistake? Ask for a correction.