The story of Yangyang's Osaek Mineral Spring: the valley where fake coins were minted
Turn your back to the sea and head 20km west, and you're at the southern foothills of Seoraksan. Jujeongol has a story behind its name. In the Joseon era, thieves disguised as monks made counterfeit coins in this remote, deep valley, which is how it got the name Jujeongol.
Turn your back to the sea and head 20km west, and you're at the southern foothills of Seoraksan. Jujeongol has a story behind its name.
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Osaek: mineral springs bubble up in the valley where fake coins were once minted
Turn your back to the sea and head 20 km west, and you reach the southern foothills of Seoraksan.
Jujeongol has a story behind its name. In the Joseon period, thieves disguised as monks are said to have made counterfeit coins in this remote, deep valley, which is how it got the name Jujeongol. The 3.2 km trail has many wooden-deck sections and isn't rough, so you can walk it one way in about an hour.
Osaek Mineral Spring, at the start of the trail, is said to have been discovered around 1500 by a monk from Osaekseoksa Temple. It's a mix of iron and carbonation with a fizzy bite, and 1,500 liters bubble up each day. The name Osaek, "five colors," comes from a tree with five-colored flowers that once grew in the old temple's backyard.
If you want to go yourself
- La Mar Art & Books — An independent bookstore in a back alley near Mulchi Beach, with sea-inspired books and book talks (Closed Mondays & Sundays)
We've gathered more Yangyang stories and routes in the Yangyang travel guide.
- Randomtrip city guide · Yangyang introduction · Checked 2026.10.01
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