Jinyangho Lake Park

Follow the Namgang River west from central Jinju and you reach Jinyangho, the large lake created by the Namgang Dam. The hillside overlooking the water is Jinyangho Lake Park, where a three-storey observatory, a flight of 365 steps and an old zoo are tucked into the woods. Come for the view of the water winding between ridges that rise like islands, and for sunsets over the mountains towards Jirisan.

A lake made by the Namgang Dam

Jinyangho is a man-made lake formed where the Namgang and Deokcheon rivers meet, behind the Namgang Dam. Work on the dam first began in 1936, under Japanese rule, then stopped and restarted several times before it was finally completed in 1969. Later reinforcement turned it into a multi-purpose dam holding about 310 million m³, and the lake is now Jinju's main source of drinking water. Its name comes from Jinyang, the old name of Jinju, and the lakeside hills were designated an urban nature park in 1981.

What to see

• Jinyangho Observatory: a three-storey lookout at the highest point of the park, opened in 2003. Open on all sides, it looks out over ridges floating like islands in the lake and, on clear days, the Jirisan range. It was also a filming location for the tvN drama Designated Survivor: 60 Days.
• The One-Year Stairs: 365 steps, one for each day of the year, leading down from the octagonal pavilion towards the old boat landing. They were built and donated to the city by a group of young Jinju business owners.
• Uyakjeong: a traditional-style pavilion built and donated in 1974 by a Korean resident of Japan who came from Jinju.
• Jinyangho Zoo: it began with nine peacocks donated by Nagasaki Prefecture in 1974 and officially opened in 1986. The facilities are ageing, and the city is planning to move the zoo to a new site.
• Jinyangho Mulbitgil: walking trails follow the lakeshore, so you can take a short stroll or a longer hike.

The view from the observatory

From the observatory, ridges large and small overlap in the middle of the lake like islands, which is why Jinyangho is sometimes compared to a sea dotted with islands. Beyond the water to the west, the ridges of Jirisan fold one behind another, and because the sun sets in that direction, the view is at its best around sunset. A good plan is the zoo and forest paths in the morning, then the observatory in the late afternoon to watch the sun go down over the lake. The One-Year Stairs are fairly steep, so if your knees are not up to it, stay around the observatory.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 60–90 minutes for the observatory, the stairs and the pavilions; 2–3 hours if you add the zoo.
• Fees and opening: the park and observatory are open at all times and free. Since 2022 the zoo has been closed on Mondays, and its hours are shorter in winter. Check zoo fees and relocation news on the Jinju City park website.
• Best time: cherry blossom season in spring and autumn colours; on clear evenings the sunset from the observatory is the highlight.
• Getting there: the park is about 5 km from Jinju Intercity Bus Terminal and about 8 km from Jinju KTX Station, so take a city bus or taxi. There is parking inside the park.
• Take care: the Namgang Dam is a designated national security facility, so flying drones and photographing the dam without permission is prohibited.
• Combine it with: Jinju Fortress, about 4 km to the east, for a full day in Jinju.