Inje (인제군) is a county in Gangwon province in the far north of South Korea. It is a destination not only for soldiers stationed near the border, but also for travelers seeking to reconnect with nature.

Inje is famous for its beautiful nature. Over ninety percent of the region is formed of mountains or valleys, such as Mt. Seoraksan, Mt. Bangtaesan, Daecheong Peak, and Naerincheon Valley. You can take a trip to several mineral water springs and natural forest resorts. It is also a great place for the various leisure tours, such as rafting, bungee jumping, MTB, paragliding, four wheel biking, or climbing an artificial waterfall!

The northern part of Inje is in the Korean DMZ, and plenty of South Korean military activity in the area. Musk deer and Asiatic black bears can be found in this remote region.

Public transportation in the county is scarce, so taxis will have to make do if you want to get anywhere in Inje. There are plenty waiting outside the bus terminal. Do remember to note down the phone number of your taxi driver for convenience. Alternately, exploring Inje became significantly easier if you are already on a self-driving trip across South Korea.

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Map of Inje

• 38.062536128.1713291 Park In-hwan Literary Museum (박인환문학관), 50 Inje-ro 156beon-gil, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, ☏ +82334622086. 09:00-17:30. A museum dedicated to the Korean modernist poet Park In-hwan (1926-1956), who was born in Inje and made a name for himself early in his age. However, at the age of 29, he passed away after four days of heavy drinking. Exhibitions include his personal items, letters, and literary works, as well as a recreation of Myeongdong in the 1940s where he ran a small bookshop and mingled with the poets of his time. The second floor is a gallery of photos that capture the history of Inje. Information boards mainly in Korean. Free. (updated Apr 2025)
• 38.062848128.1716822 Inje Mountain Village Folk Museum (인제산촌민속박물관), 415-1 Sangdong-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, ☏ +82334622086. 09:30-18:00. Another museum beside Park In-hwan Literary Museum. Exhibitions mainly focus on the lifestyle of the villages in the mountains as well as agricultural history. There are farming tools, taxidermy of local animals, food models of local cuisine, and so on. Information boards mainly in Korean. Cool to check out both museums if you have some downtime in the town center. Free. (updated Apr 2025)
• 37.995074128.2206913 Wondae-ri Birch Forest (원대리 자작나무숲), 581 Wondae-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun (Best to take a taxi, as bus schedules are sparse and not optimally timed.), ☏ +82334630044. 09:00-18:00 (3 May-31 Oct), 09:00-17:00 (16 Dec- 18 Mar), last entry at 15:00 and 14:00 respectively, closed on all other dates. A birch forest south of Inje-eup town, scenic in all four seasons but especially in winter, when it becomes much more dreamy and romantic because of the white branches. The trekking route is easy, suitable for the casual tourist on honeymoon or a family vacation; the whole route takes 3 hours including time for photos and rest. There are decorations for photo ops along the way. Do note that in winter, park authorities require all visitors to have crampons, so that everyone can safely explore the area. If you forget to bring one, you can rent them for a fee (₩5,000). It's one of the places popular with domestic and foreign tourists, and some K-drama scenes are filmed here. Free. (updated Apr 2025)

  

• 38.220742128.3699844 Yongdae-ri Hwangtae Village (용대리 황태마을), Yongdae-ri, Buk-myeon, Inje-gun. Hwangtae is the Korean name for Alaska pollack, and Yongdae-ri is renowned for the tradition of drying these fishes on deokjang (traditional air-drying racks) by the batches outside their homes. Using the cold climate, the fishes undergo a natural freeze-drying process which gives them a chewy texture. It is no doubt the restaurants in this area specialize in all things pollack. (updated Apr 2025)
• 38.220438128.3687285 Maebawi Artificial Waterfall (매바위 인공폭포), 1719 Yongdae-ri, Buk-myeon, Inje-gun. An artificial waterfall in Yongdae-ri that falls over a tall mountain rock, giving a majestic impression. In summer, people come here to cool down; in winter it freezes over, and ice climbing enthusiasts come here to train themselves. Free. (updated Apr 2025)

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  38.033179128.4311276 Gombae-ryeong (곰배령) (Jindong-ri, Girin-myeon, Inje-gun), ☏ +82334638166. A mountain 1,164m above sea level. Average 3 hours to scale the mountain. There are well-built wooden paths for most parts. Due to the abundance of wild, rare flowers on a high altitude, it has earned the nickname of 'garden in the sky'. Different flowers blossom in different seasons other than winter - expect azaleas in spring, water lilies in summer, and mugworts in autumn. To protect the natural environment of this area, the authorities have limited visitors to 450 per day, 5 days per week for 8 months per year, as such advance reservations are required and can be made on the website (provided in the hyperlink; only in Korean). Free. (updated Apr 2025)
• 38.011507128.2432037 Naerincheon Stream (내린천). The main stream of Inje. The 70 kilometer stream starts from Mt. Odaesan National Park, winds around the steep mountains and valleys, and flows into the North Hangang River. It is one of the cleanest streams in Korea. When spring comes, the thick ice of the valleys starts to melt. The Lenok, which is a type of salmon, starts to swim upstream to lay eggs. When you notice scarlet royal azaleas blossom along the stream and the water becomes cobalt blue, you can say summer has come. When fall comes in the valley, red and yellow leaves reflected on the surface of the stream seem to dye the water red and yellow. Winter in the valley has a short temper, so it doesn’t wait until December. You can see white snow sparkling all over the valley in early November. When you see this magnificent sight, you have no choice but to be spellbound. Mountain biking is another attractive sport available in Naerincheon. The steep mountains and bumpy roads along the stream encourage you to pedal on your bike harder. The harder you pedal the more spectacular scenes you can see. (updated Apr 2025)

• Inje Icefish Festival and Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival (Every mid January~mid February) : The Inje Icefish Festival and the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival, the most popular winter festivals of Gangwon-do, are both held on the white ice fields created by frozen lakes. The main location is in Soyang-ho Lake (소양호). Catching the smelt and mountain trout that live in pure water is a fun experience for many Koreans. When you hear the term 'Icefish', you might first think of the activity of ice-fishing, but in Korean, it's the name of the fish (bing-eo), so it works both ways. You can fish outdoors, and there are tents to let you fish indoors if it's too cold outside. There are plenty of stalls selling raw and fried smelt during the festival - they are best eaten with gochujang. You can also have them cook the fish you caught, since cooking on the ice field is prohibited (for obvious reasons). A variety of snow and ice events, such as snow-sledding, an igloo exhibition, and snow sculptures, are also held, but the most exciting experience is walking and running on the thick ice of the frozen lakes!
• Snow Flake Festival (Daegwallyeong /Mt. Taebaeksan/Mt. Seoraksan) (Mid January, for nine days): Winter in Gangwon-do is full of white snow everywhere. Across the mountains in Gangwon-do, visitors can enjoy a wide array of events such as ice sculpture contests, climbing ice covered cliffs, and snow sleds like the old days.
• Inje adventure complex: 90 percent of Inje, where two-thirds of the Seoraksan Mountains are located, is mountainous. This natural environment blessed by heaven was developed with a three-adventure complex, each ideally befitting the natural topography. Visitors can experience the true enjoyment of outdoor sports, as it is equipped with facilities for beginners and the advanced.
• Daemyung Resort Seorak Aqua World. Daemyung Resort Sorak’s most recognizable facility is the 1.6 ac. Hot Spring Theme Park. It has various hot spring baths, including a high-tech bath that provides different massages with different flows of hot spring water, an outdoor bath, a jasmine bath, a pine tree bath (Hinoki bath), and others. Sorak Aqua World also provides special attractions, such as an outdoor recreational pool surrounded by the beauty of Mt. Seoraksan, special barbecue parties in summer season, and Thai massage. (updated Dec 2016)

• 38.067519128.174071 Hanaro Mart Inje Agricultural Co-operative (하나로마트 인제농협), 363 Sangdong-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, ☏ +82334612572. 08:00-22:00. A supermarket right in the town center, where you can stock up on groceries. It has a variety of products, from food and beverages to toilet paper, perfect for last-minute shopping before going on a camping or hiking trip. (updated Apr 2025)

• 38.064075128.1735451 Inje Jaelaesik Sondubu (인제재래식손두부), 427-11 Sangdong-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, ☏ +82334631858. 09:00-19:00 (Mon-Fri), 08:30-19:00 (Sat-Sun). The name literally translates to 'Inje Traditional Handmade Tofu'. This restaurant gained popularity ever since it appeared on Baek Jong-won's Top 3 Chef King, a famous Korean cooking-variety show. Beside the restaurant is a tofu factory, which directly supplies tofu to them. Hot-sellers include jeongol tofu (tofu stew), jjabak tofu (tofu braised in sesame oil), tofu hotpot, and grilled tofu in sesame oil. Menu in Korean. ₩12,000. (updated Apr 2025)
• 38.064012128.1721652 Inje Makguksu (인제막국수), 422-8 Sangdong-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, ☏ +82334615313. 10:00-19:30. A down-to-earth Korean restaurant specializing in makguksu (buckwheat noodle), the specialty dish of Gangwon. You sit on the wooden floor and enjoy their makguksu on a short wooden table. Dishes include dongchimi makguksu (served in a soup with dongchimi kimchi), and bibim makguksu (served dry, you are supposed to mix it up just like bibimbap). For beverages, its either plain water for ₩2,000, or alcoholic drinks for ₩4,000, which is soju, maekju and makgeolli. Menu in Korean. ₩9,000-27,000. (updated Apr 2025)
• 38.064664128.1724323 Inje Sundaeguk (인제순대국), 425-1 Sangdong-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, ☏ +82334635889. 07:30-20:00. A restaurant specializing in sundae-guk (blood sausage soup), served with side dishes and rice. They also sell haejangguk (hangover soup). Beverages are either plain water or alcoholic drinks. Menu in Korean. ₩7,000-30,000. (updated Apr 2025)

• 38.061801128.1658671 Namoo (나무), 386-6 Nambuk-ri, Inje-eup, Inje-gun, ☏ +82334626006. 09:00-20:00, closed on Sunday. Even in a small town with quite a low population, somehow there's a trendy cafe. The name is the Korean word for 'tree', and the cafe's decor emphasizes on nature, perfect for Instagram shots. Not only do they sell classics such as americano and cappucino, but also creative ones like toffee nut latte and mango crush ade, and even alcohol. Do try out their croffle, which is crossaint + waffle, a snack that is popular in Korean cafes. It comes with an ice cream covered in grated cheese. Menu only in Korean. ₩3,500-15,000. (updated Apr 2025)

• 38.015373128.1928161 Coughing of the Stars (별들의 기침), 743-71 Birch Forest Road, Nam-myeon, ☏ +82 507-1420-0455. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Located near a birch forest in Inje County, the Cough of the Stars is a rental house planned and operated by a blueberry farm called Sunshine Farm. It was designed in consideration of the natural environment of a clean area. They have a BBQ space, just make sure to reserve in advance. During summer, you can tour their farm and try out their blueberries. (updated Dec 2023)
• 38.043748128.2049792 Where the Sunset stays (노을이 머무는곳), 6231, Naerancheon-ro, Inje-eup, ☏ +82 33-463-9797. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. (updated Dec 2023)

• The Seoraksan National Park lies between Inje and the east sea.
• Sokcho sits right beside Inje, and can be reached by bus.