Hallyeohaesang

Hallyeohaesang Marine National Park was declared in 1968, the same year as Korea's first national parks, and protects some 536 km² along the southern coast of the country, between Geoje Island to the east and Yeosu to the west, taking in Tongyeong, Sacheon and Namhae. It is South Korea's first marine park.

The name refers to the Hallyeosudo, the sea route that crosses this stretch of coast between hundreds of islands and islets, regarded as one of the most celebrated seascapes in the country. The waters are sheltered and gently flowing, sown with mountainous islands covered in forest, and the whole is traditionally travelled by boat.

The park also carries a strong historical charge: these waters were the setting of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's naval battles against the Japanese fleet during the invasions of the late sixteenth century, including Hansando, and they preserve fortresses, historic shipyards and shrines associated with that memory. In natural terms, the coast holds temperate laurel forests, seagrass meadows and rocky seabeds, with a fauna that includes coastal cetaceans and breeding seabirds. Aquaculture, highly developed in these bays, coexists with the protection and is one of the main management challenges.