Misiryeong Pass

Misiryeong is an 826 m pass over the Baekdudaegan ridge between Inje and Sokcho in Gangwon Province. Climb the twisting old road from the Sokcho side and Seoraksan's Ulsanbawi Rock stands right in front of you like a folding screen, while the top of the pass looks down over Sokcho and the East Sea. Since a tunnel opened in 2006 the old road has gone quiet, which has turned it into a drive people take on purpose, just for the views.

A pass that kept opening and closing

The pass appears in the Joseon-era geography Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam as "Misipa-ryeong". It was so rough that it fell out of use for a time, was reopened under King Seongjong, and then was opened and closed again and again. Around 1950 it became passable by car, after the Korean War it was managed as a military road, and in 1989 it was paved as a two-lane road and opened to the public. With Jinburyeong and Hangyeryeong it was one of the main crossings between inland Gangwon and the east coast, until the Misiryeong Tunnel opened in 2006 and most traffic moved into it. In 2010 the approach from Hangye junction on the Inje side was widened to four lanes, and today most drivers heading from Seoul to Sokcho go through the tunnel.

Where the rest area used to be

A rest area once stood on the summit, overlooking Sokcho and the sea, but it lost its customers after the tunnel opened and closed in 2011. Seoraksan National Park then demolished the old buildings and filled in the cut slopes to restore the original landform of the ridge, and in March 2020 a small Misiryeong visitor information centre opened on the site. Inside, photos compare the pass before and after the restoration, and the viewing terrace in front takes in the whole of Sokcho and the sea.

What to look for on the old road

• Ulsanbawi head-on: climbing the old road from the Sokcho side, Ulsanbawi faces you at almost every bend. In spring, cherry blossoms along the road frame the rock nicely.
• Summit views: from the visitor centre you look down over Sokcho and the East Sea.
• Milky Way photography: with little light pollution, the summit car park fills up on clear nights with photographers capturing the Milky Way above Ulsanbawi.

Tripto tips

• Time needed: 20–40 minutes at the top for views and photos. Plan it as a drive: up the old road from the Sokcho side and back through the tunnel.
• Best time: autumn for clear air and mid-April for cherry blossoms. The Milky Way shows best on clear, moonless summer nights.
• Getting there: public transport is impractical, so you will need a car. There is a car park at the top; the tunnel route charges a toll.
• Watch out for: the old road is steep with tight hairpins. When it snows in winter the whole old road is closed, so check road conditions before setting out. At night, watch for wildlife and falling rocks. If you take the tunnel, note that the roughly 3.6 km from the Sokcho-side exit down to the toll gate is a steep descent with average-speed enforcement at 60 km/h; use engine braking and take it slowly.
• Combine with: down on the Sokcho side is Seoraksan's Sinheungsa Temple, where the trail to Ulsanbawi begins.