Byeonsan Peninsula
Jeokbyeokgang Cliffed Coast, a National Geopark of KoreaThis photo showsJeokbyeokgang Cliffed Coast, which is known for its coastal cliff, in Gyeokpo-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun. It is one of the Jeollabuk-do West Coast National Geopark, with the Chaeseokgang and Jeokbyeokgang Cliffed Coasts designated as Scenic Site No. 13
Jikso Falls in Autumn [2015]This is a view of Jikso Falls in the autumn of 2015. Jikso Falls are the 2nd of the Eight Scenic Sights of Byeonsan and are considered the best landscape of Byeonsan. The falls are also one of the Jeollabuk-do West Coast National Geoparks. The area of Jikso Falls was designated as Scenic Site No. 116.
-
LocationByeonsan-myeon, Jinseo-myeon, Boan-myeon, Sangseo-myeon, Haseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryTour/ Natural Environment
- Korean변산반도
- Chinese邊山半島
- FieldGeography / Natural Geography
- Contents TypePlace Name / Name of Natural Place
- AreaBuan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- LocationByeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- LocationJinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- LocationBoan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- LocationSangseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- LocationHaseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- Definition
- A peninsula projecting westward between the Dongjingang River in the north, Gomso Bay in the south, in the southwest region of Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
- Summary
- The Byeonsan Peninsula is a mountainous area that encompasses Byeonsan-myeon and Jinseo-myeon as well as Boan-myeon, Sangseo-myeon, and Haseo-myeon in Buan-gun. The Byeonsan Peninsula is divided into two areas – Inner Byeonsan (Naebyeonsan), which is a mountainous area, and Outer Byeonsan (Oebyeonsan), which is a coastal area. Inner Byeonsan covers the areas of Junggye-ri of Byeonsan-myeon and Cheongnim-ni of Sangseo-myeon in Buan-gun, while Outer Byeonsan is mainly the western coastal area of Byeonsan-myeon.
The Baekcheon Stream, which originates from the watershed in Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun, flows west and then north before joining the stream in Bongnae Valley, passing through Junggye Valley and Buan Dam, and finally flowing into the Saemangeum area from Haechang. Other streams in Boan-myeon, Sangseo-myeon, and Haseo-myeon in Buan-gun flow outside Inner Byeonsan. In geological terms, the Byeonsan Peninsula consists of volcanic rock such as Cretaceous rhyolite and turf, and is divided by a fault line that runs in the north-south direction, which can be seen at Maljae Pass (86 m) and Badeujae Pass (180 m).
- Origin of the Name
- The name “Byeonsan” is believed to originate from Byeonhan, a small kingdom that formed part of the Samhan (Three Han) Confedracy, although it is also said to be a compound of byeon (the end) and san (mountain), meaning a mountainous peninsula which juts out into the sea. In ancient records, the Chinese character for byeon is 邊 or 卞.
- Natural Environment
- 1. Inner Byeonsan
The Inner Byeonsan area of the peninsula has numerous peaks, including Uisangbong (the highest at 508.6m) and Bukognyeobong (354.7m) in the north; Ugeumsan (329.0m) and Sangyeobong (395.0m) in the east; Namognyeobong (434.4m) and Sinseonbong (488.2m) in the south; and Mangpodae (494.1m) and Ssangseonbong (460.7m) in the west. The Baekcheon Stream flows in the east-west direction through the middle of Inner Byeonsan.
The peninsula’s mountainous area surrounds the Baekcheon Stream : its highest peak Uisangbong in the north, which is connected to Bukognyeobong, while Ugeumsan and Sangyeobong are located between Useuljae (120m) and Baedeujae in the east. The southern hills extend from Baedeujae to Maljae and include Namognyeobong, Yonggakbong (370.0m), Sebong (433.0m), Gwaneumbong (424.5m), Sinseonbong, Galmabong (486.4m), and Gapnamsan (413.4m), while the western hills include Mangpodae, Bunchodae (422.0m), Nakjodae (447.0m), and Ssangseonbong.
While the highest peak in the peninsula is Uisangbong, other mountains with a height of 400 meters or more include Mangpodae, Sinseonbong, Galmabong, Ssangseonbong, Nakjodae, Namognyeobong, Sebong, Gwaneumbong, Bunchodae, and Gapnamsan. In addition, Samyebong (355.0m), Seokseongbong (332.0m), Cheonjongsan (266.4m), Gungwanbong (294.0m), and Seoninbong (264.0m) are located within the basin area of the Baekcheon Stream. This mountainous area includes the Hoeyang, Bongnae, and Junggye valleys, which exhibit various forms of fluvial topography. There is a small plain upstream of Baekcheon in Cheongnim-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Buangun; however, it is only a small, narrow area that has formed along the stream. Junggye Valley has been entirely submerged since the construction of the Buan Dam in 1996.
In addition, the area’s fault line can be seen in two places, Maljae Pass (86m, north-south) in the east and Badeujae Pass (180m, north-south) in the west. The passes connecting the inside and outside of the Baekcheon basin area include Useuljae, Hakchi (140m), Sachangjae (220m), Badeujae, Jabaegi gogae (160m), Maljae, and Namyeochi (100m), along with the Junggye Tunnel (120m).
2. Outer Byeonsan
Outer Byeonsan, which is adjacent to the sea, is composed of three areas – the northwestern, western and southern coastal areas. The northwestern coast consists of depositional and sandy coastal areas such as Byeonsan Beach, Gosapo Beach, and Haseom Island, which can be reached by foot at low tide. The rocky west coast area consists of Gyeokpo Beach, Chaeseokgang Cliff and the Jeokbyeokgang River, which are characterized by vigorous erosion activities. The south coast includes Sangnok Beach, Mohang Beach, depositional topography such as tideland, and erosive geographical features; however, it is not part of Byeonsanbando National Park. While erosion is the main tidal activity in the rocky coastal area, sedimentation is dominant in the sandy coastal area.
The coastal features can be divided into rocky and sandy coastline: the rocky area where the bed rock is exposed contains sea cliffs, sea caves, and wave-cut shelves, sea stacks, sea arches, notches, marine pot holes, and coastal tafoni. The sandy coast area includes Chaeseokgang Cliff, Jeokbyeokgang River, and Daehang-ri Beach, which are on the west coast of the Byeonsan Peninsula. This area is characterized by sandy seashore, weathered shell beaches, sand bars, sand dunes, sand spits, offshore bars, connecting bars, land-tied islands, beach ridges, lagoons, coastal wetland, and sand dune wetland. The peninsula’s sandy beaches include Byeonsan Beach and Gosapo Beach in the northwest, and Mohang Beach and Sangnok Beach in the south.
3. Streams and Valleys of the Byeonsan Peninsula
The Baekcheon Stream basin of Inner Byeonsan is the area with the most water and the greatest diversity of stream topographical formations in the Byeonsan Peninsula. The Baekcheon Stream (main stream: about 18km) originates from Useuljae Pass in the northeast of the peninsula, flows toward Byeonsangyo Bridge in the northwest, passes through the Saemangeum area, and flows into the West Sea. The stream basin includes Junggye Valley (Bongnae Valley) and Hoeyang Valley (Waryongso Valley and Gamaso Valley).
Inner Byeonsan belongs to the Baekcheon Stream water system, with the Buan Dam situated in the downstream area. The Baekcheon Stream, flowing from east to west, originates from the Ganeungol Reservoir in the west to the Useuljae Pass, continues southwest and joins the Geoseokcheon Stream (Geoseokje and Cheongnimje), which flows from the south in Cheongnim-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun; and runs further west where it joins the Gamasocheon Stream (Hoeyang Valley) running from the south, near Junggyegyo Bridge, while it joins the Jiksocheon running from south to west at Junggyegyo Bridge. Then, in the north, the stream joins the water of the Gusigol Valley, located between Uisabong Peak and Soeppulbawi Rock.
After joining various tributaries, the Baekcheon Stream continues west and stops at the Buan Dam, and then flows into the Saemangeum Embankment at Byeonsangyo Bridge in Haechang Bay. Branches flowing into the Baekcheon Stream are coming from the stream’s south: Jiksocheon Stream has Bongnae Valley, Gamasocheon Stream has Hoeyang Valley, and the Baekcheon main stream has Junggye Valley. The Baekcheon water system is surrounded by 400 meter-high mountains in the north and south; the passes connecting Baekcheon valley with the outside include Useuljae in the east, Baedeujae and Jabaegi Gogae in the south, and Namyeochi and others in the west.
The inside of the Inner Byeonsan area has the water system of the Baekcheon Stream, while its outside can be divided into all directions centered on Inner Byeonsan. In the north, the branches run northwards based on the watershed in Baegneyon-ri (Musuje and Geumgwangje) and Seoksang-ri in Haseo-myeon, and Tongjeong-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun. Based on Hobeolchi as the watershed which forms a boundary between Sangseo-myeon and Boan-myeonrun, the eastern branches run through the areas of Gao-ri, Gamgyo-ri (Gaeamje and Sasan Reservoir) in Sangseo-myeon, and Sinchangcheon Stream in Nampo-ri, Boan-myeon (Yeongjeon Reservoir). The water of Sangseo-myeon flows toward the north, while that of Boan-myeon flows south. The southern branches run eastwards via Udong-ri (Udongje) in Boan-myeon, and Jinseo-ri (Yeondongje), Seokpo-ri (Seokpocheon Stream and Seokpoje) and Unho-ri (Unho Reservoir and Maljae) in Jinseo-ri. The western branches run through the areas of Daehang-ri in Byeonsan-myeon, the Jongam Embankment in Gyeokpo-ri, Yuyuje in Mapo-ri, Unsanje in Unsan-ri.
The Baekcheon Stream’s branches run from south to north, except the Gusicheon Stream (Gusigol), which flows north to south from Uisangbong Peak and Soeppulbawi Rock. Originating from Baedeujae and Hakchi in the south, the Geoseokcheon Stream runs northwest via two artificial reservoirs, Geoseokje and Cheongnimje, and joins the Baekcheon Stream at Geoseokgyo Bridge in Cheongnim-ri, Sangseo-myeon, Buan-gun. Near the stream are a village and farmland on a plain composed largely of sediment from the stream, with the county road connecting Cheongnim-ri, Sangseo-myeon and Udong-ri, Boan-myeon in Buan-gun via Badeujae Pass situated nearby. As the area is largely a plain, the fluvial topography is not well developed.
The water of Hoeyang Valley (Waryongso and Gamaso Valleys) located between Yonggakbong and Namognyeobong Peaks runs west, joins the water of Gamaso Valley (originating from Sebong) at Gamaso, continues north, and flows into the Baekcheon Stream after passing between Gungwangbong Peak and Cheonjongsan Mountain. The Hoeyang Valley contains Waryong Falls, Gamaso Falls, various linns (plunge pools), etc.
The Jiksocheon Stream of Bongnae Valley originates from Mangpodae and Sinseonbong, runs east and then north, forming nine waterfalls and linns, and finally joins the Baekcheon Stream near Junggyegyo Bridge. As Bongnae Valley consists of nine fluvial topographical features, it is also called Bongnae Gugok, meaning “nine valleys” (Daeso Falls, Jikso Falls, Bunokdam, Seonnyeotang, Bongnaegok, Yeongji, Geumgangso, Baekcheon, and Amji). Bongnae Valley contains the largest volume of water among all the tributaries of the Baekcheon Stream and has a great difference in elevation, so it has diverse types of fluvial topography.
The Buan Dam, which was built near the entrance to the Baekcheon Stream in Gunmak-dong, Junggye-ri, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, is 47 meters high and 330 meters long, and has a basin area of 58km2, a pondage of 42,000,000m3, and a water supply capacity of 3,600m3. Since its completion on November 6,1996, it has mainly supplied water to households and businesses in Buan-gun and Gochang-gun, and to the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant. Before the establishment of the dam, the Jiksobo Reservoir (between Jikso Falls and Bunokdam Pond) in Bongnae Valley provided the area with drinking water.
More than 80% of the water in the Byeonsan Peninsula flows into the basin of the Baekcheon Stream in Inner Byeonsan; however, there are few plains, so only a small area of farmland and a few villages are located in Inner Byeonsan. Conversely, there are many villages and much farmland outside the basin of the Baekcheon Stream, but as the stream has not been well developed, the area is prone to water shortages. Therefore, a number of small reservoirs were built including Munsuje and Geumgwangje in the north; Gaeamje, Sasan and Yeongjeon Reservoirs in the east; Udongje, Yeondongje, Seokpoje, and Unho Reservoir in the south; and Jongam Embankment, Yuyuje (Mapo Reservoir), and Unsanje in the west. Meanwhile, the Ganeungol Reservoir, Geoseokje, Cheongnimje, and Buan Dam are all situated within the Baekcheon basin.
Cheongnimje (100m above sea level) was built at the Geoseokcheon Stream to resolve the imbalance between supply and demand for water in the Baekcheon River basin area and its outer areas and to supply water from within the basin area to the outside areas. In addition, the Seonggye Zone Agricultural Water Project was carried out to use this water for farmland in the southern area by converting the basin to Udongje (40m above sea level, built in 1957) in the south. This project was completed in 2008 with the construction of a dam and two underground raceways (1,000m-long and 600m-long) inside the Baekcheon Stream basin (100m above sea level) in order to change the water basin to Udongje. The project was designed to better exploit the area’s topography by diverting water from inside the Baekcheon Stream basin to the southern agricultural area using the difference in altitude.
- Current Status
- Most areas of the Byeonsan Peninsula in the southwest of Buan-gun are part of Byeonsanbando National Park. Byeonsanbando National Park is located at 126°37' 40" - 126°44' 20" east longitude and 34°21' 40" - 34°47' 20" north latitude, and covers an area of 153.934km2. It was initially designated as a provincial park in 1971, and then as a national park in June 1988. The Byeonsan Peninsula is divided into a mountainous area called Inner Byeonsan (Naebyeonsan) and a coastal area called Outer Byeonsan (Oebyeonsan). Inner Byeonsan contains the Silsangsa Temple Site in Buan, Uisabong Peak, Ulgeumbawi Rock, Jikso Falls, Seongye Falls, Gamaso Pond, etc. The coastal area contains Byeonsan, Gosapo, Wido, Mohang, Sangnok, and Gyeokpo Beaches, and Byonsan Hot Springs in Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun. The area’s natural monuments include the Population of Horned Holly in Docheong-ri, Buan (Natural Monument No. 122), the Population of Machilus Trees in Gyeokpo-ri, Buan (Natural Monument No. 123), and the Population of Box-leaved Holly in Junggye-ri, Buan (Natural Monument No. 124).