Seoul to renovate city walking trail to be more accessible, attractive

A red stamp box is positioned along Seoul Dullegil's Suraksan-Buramsan course. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it will renovate the city’s footpaths, called “dullegil” in Korean, to allow more travelers to finish the complete walking trail safely.

Though the total length of the trail remains the same, major changes will be made with the courses and tourism facilities.

Seoul Dullegil circles the city on a 156.5-kilometer course divided into eight paths.

Feeling most of the courses were too long -- averaging nearly 20 kilometers -- Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to break Seoul Dullegil down into 21 sections, associating them with natural sceneries, cultural assets and facilities that attract tourists.

The average length of the renewed courses will become less than 8 kilometers, enabling hikers to complete a trail in about three hours.

Direction boards and signs will be changed to showcase the unique characteristics of each district in Seoul. In addition, more hands-on activities and eye-catching attractions are to be installed to entertain explorers.

Hoping to increase accessibility, Seoul Metropolitan Government is also to present a Seoul Dullegil’s street view service to help tourists locate the nearby 43 subway stations and bus stops at its official website.

The existing stamp tour remains unchanged.

The number of alarms and surveillance cameras and the control center will be expanded to ensure public safety as well.

Since its inauguration in 2014, more than 60,000 people had completed Seoul Dullegil as of December 2023, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

The renewed walking trail is to be ready in April.

By Lee Si-jin(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)