Jeongipumsong Pine Tree

In the middle of the road to Beopjusa Temple on Songnisan, a great pine leans its branches on iron props. Jeongipumsong is famous for a legend that a Joseon king gave it the second senior rank, the grade of a government minister. Estimated to be about 600 years old and protected as a Natural Monument, it has become a symbol of Songnisan, and almost everyone heading to Beopjusa stops here.

The tree that became a minister

The story goes like this. In 1464, King Sejo was travelling to Beopjusa when his palanquin had to pass beneath this pine. Its drooping branches threatened to catch the palanquin, and when the king said "the palanquin will get caught", the tree lifted its branches by itself and let the procession through. Another version says the king sheltered from a sudden downpour under its canopy on the way back. Sejo rewarded the tree's loyalty with the rank of jeong-ipum, roughly a cabinet minister today, and that is where its name comes from.

It is only a legend, but it captures the spirit of a time built around service to the throne, so the tree is valued for its cultural meaning as well as its age and size. It was designated a Natural Monument in 1962 and given its current official name, Songni Jeongipumsong Pine Tree in Boeun, in 2008.

Jeongipumsong in numbers

• It is about 15 m tall (some sources give 14.5 m), with a girth of about 4.5 m at chest height (some sources give 4.77 m).
• Its branches reach about 10.3 m east, 9.6 m west and 10 m north.
• The canopy covers some 1,158 m².

Damage and care

The pine was once known for its neat, symmetrical crown, shaped like an open umbrella or a bamboo hat. In the early 1980s a huge insect net had to be put over it to fight pine needle gall midges, and in 1993 a storm broke off a large western branch and changed its outline. Wind and snow have taken more branches since, and several props now hold up its limbs. A protective fence keeps visitors at a distance.

Seedlings and grafts from the tree have been planted across the country. About 6 km away in Seowon-ri stands another old pine known as Jeongbuinsong, the "minister's wife", and ceremonies have been held to pollinate the two trees as if marrying them.

Nearby

The pine stands at the gateway to Songnisan National Park, so it is easy to carry on to the mountain and the temple.

• Beopjusa: about 3 km further in, Songnisan's main temple and one of the seven "Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea" on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was King Sejo's destination on that famous journey.
• Songnisan lotus fields: about 200 m from the tree, worth a detour in the summer lotus season.
• Mountain-vegetable bibimbap street: a row of restaurants about 1.4 km away, good for a lunch of wild greens and rice.
• Jeongbuinsong: the "wife" pine in Seowon-ri, about 6 km away. Many visitors seek out both trees.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: open at all times with no admission fee; parking and toilets are available.
• Photos: the lawn outside the fence gives the best view of the whole tree. On clear mornings you can frame it with the hills behind.
• Time needed: 15–30 minutes for the tree. Most people combine it with Beopjusa, Songnisan National Park and the mountain-vegetable bibimbap street for a full day.
• Getting there: the address is 99 Beopjusa-ro, Songnisan-myeon, Boeun. It sits on the approach to Beopjusa, so buses and cars heading for the temple pass right by.
• Phone: Boeun County tourism office +82 43-540-3394.