Mt. Jungkwang

Mt. Jungkwang is a narrow, technical launch near Yongin, not far from the Everland amusement park south of Seoul. The takeoff itself is grass-carpeted with nothing to snag a canopy on, but its tight size makes ground handling and launching genuinely technical once the wind picks up — this is not a forgiving site on a breezy day. Getting to the top is part of the challenge too: the access trail is genuinely difficult, a 4x4 is needed to reach launch, and hiking up is not something to attempt — most pilots go up with a shuttle organized by the local schools instead. May tends to bring the strongest winds of the year here, so expect livelier conditions if you're flying then. Landing is generally easy, though late in the day, as sunset approaches, the wind can swing around and force pilots to land from the opposite (west) direction instead.

Launch & conditions

The takeoff is grass-carpeted with nothing to snag a canopy, but it's narrow, which makes launching genuinely technical once the wind is up. A 4x4 is needed to reach the top — don't attempt to hike up; local schools run shuttles instead.

Getting there & local rules

From Seoul, head to Yongin City, close to the Everland amusement park, via road 45 to the Cho-Bu-Ri intersection. Regional buses run from Yongin and Suwon toward Cho-Bu-Ri; from the bus stop it's about a 2km walk to the landing site. Landing itself is easy, though near sunset the wind can shift and you may need to land from the west instead of the usual direction.

Local rules & hazards

Winds tend to run strongest in May, so expect more technical, livelier conditions that month than the rest of the season.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Mt. Jungkwang, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Mt. Jungkwang with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.