Hanguk Trail Running: Namhansan

     I ran my first trail race on Namhansan--only my second race ever following the ultra-marathon in Busan. It was a 24.5km race but I ended up getting lost. Whatever the distance ended up being, it had taken me just under six hours to complete it. I was terribly ill-prepared. I had not studied the course, brought only 500mL of water, and did not carry any extra fuel. As a matter of fact, I had no idea what energy gels were at the time. To top it all off, there were no CPs on the course.

    Namhansan (498m) is best known for the historic fortress that sits atop its slopes. According to Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, Jujanseong was the first fortress ever built on the mountain range. The word "seong" translates to fortress or castle. Excavations and dating efforts in 2005 revealed that it was built during the Silla era (57BC-676). 

    The name of the mountain--as we know it--came at a later time. "Nam" translates to south in Korean, and "san" means mountain. "Han" is an abbreviation for Hanyang, the capital of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) (Son, n.d.). Giving the landmark the literal name: "The Mountain South of Hanyang."

    After the Silla era came to an end, Jujangseong became known as Gwangjuseong during the Goryeo period (918-1392) (Korean Culture Center NY, n.d.). The fortress was put to the test against what was arguably the most formidable military force of the time--the Mongolian army. Between1231 and 1259, the army invaded Korea seven times. Historical records indicate that defenders retreated to Gwanjuseong to resist the invading forces until a peace agreement was signed in 1259.

    Gwangjuseong is refortified around the same time as Bukhansanseong is built during the Joseon Dynasty, was given its final name: Namhansanseong. The fortress creates a continuous wall, connecting several peaks of Namhansan. The outer slopes of the castle walls are steep while the inner slopes are more gradual, providing a defensive advantage against any foe. It is no surprise that Namhansanseong was considered the most well-fortified fortress in Korea at the time.

    More lives were lost on the mountain ranges when the Chinese forces invaded Korea in 1636 (우리역사, n.d.). It only took a week for the Chinese army to reach Namhansanseong, where the Joseon King had taken refuge. With the aid of monks who had taken up arms, the Joseon army resisted the advancing forces for forty-five days. The king surrendered on January 1637, effectively turning Korea into a tributary state of China.

    Under the Chinese rule, the Joseon government transformed Namhansanseong into a symbol of national autonomy by strengthening its walls. Hoping that no foreign power may seize it ever again. The fortress was dismantled in 1705 when the Chinese envoy had discovered its subversive significance; and it is not rebuilt until 1739.

    The landmark became crucial once again when Japan began asserting its control over Korea. In 1896, Namhansanseong became the base of operations for the resistance fighters against pervading forces (UNESCO World Heritage NamhansanSeong in Gyeonggi-do, n.d.). The Joseon army was disbanded in 1907 and all the weapons and ammunition hidden by the resistance within the fortress were found and destroyed.

    The last major restoration efforts on the mountain took place from 1965 to 1966. In June of 2014, recognizing its historical and cultural significance, Namhansanseong was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

    I have only visited Namhansan the time I raced on it. The course kicked my butt up and down those slopes for more than five hours. There were moments when I just wanted to give up. I asked myself: Why get back on course? Just get to the finish line! No one will know! But I would know, so I always worked my way back on track, again and again. By the third hour, my water had run out--there are water fountains on the mountain, but there was no way I was backtracking. I resorted to eating snow on the ground. It did not quench my thirst, but it still felt good on my tongue--it also cooled my brain down.

    I cursed everyone and everything in the world during that race. I had no idea how deeply Korean history was rooted on those slopes. If I had known--I still would have cursed everything and everyone in the world--but perhaps a little less. I would have been a little more grateful. Perhaps, I would have looked upon the dirt on the ground and wondered if blood had been spilt on the same soil. Maybe I would have thought about how amazing it was to be here, in this moment, instead of all the tragic moments my predecessors had faced.

    Needless to say, please do not litter on Namhansan. Countless lives had been lived and lost amongst those trees, and it was not our place to deface with empty energy gel packs. There are things that universally bring peace to us--a campfire, bodies of water and mountains. Let us protect them. We do not need swords and guns--just a pocket to keep our trash.

S.G.