TRAVEL: Cruising the inland sea of Chungju Lake

충주호 — Chungju Lake cruise ship. AJP Cho Bo-hee

JECHEON, September 04 (AJP) - The Han River, which flows through the heart of Seoul, is formed where the Namhan River from North Chungcheong and the Bukhan River from Gangwon meet at Yangsu-ri in Gyeonggi before winding through the capital and emptying into the Yellow Sea. On the Namhan River sits Chungju Dam, South Korea’s largest concrete gravity dam, begun in 1978 and completed in October 1986.

The dam’s completion created Chungju Lake, a vast inland body of water spanning the counties of Danyang and Jecheon and the city of Chungju. With a surface area of 97 square kilometers, an average depth of 97.5 meters, and a storage capacity of 2.75 billion tons, it has earned the nickname “the inland sea.” Locals know it by different names: Chungju Lake in Chungju, Cheongpung Lake in Jecheon, and Danyang Lake in Danyang.

Surrounded by dense forests and deep valleys, the lakeside scenery draws more than a million visitors annually. Cruises operate from five docks—Chungju, Worak, Cheongpung, Janghoe, and Sindanyang—making it one of the region’s top attractions. Autumn, when the mountains blaze with red and gold leaves, is considered the best season for a lake cruise.

This past weekend, I boarded a cruise departing from Cheongpung Wharf in Jecheon, taking a 90-minute round trip to Janghoe Wharf near the famed Danyang Palgyeong scenic area. Because of recent drought, the lake’s water level had dropped significantly, leaving the boarding stairs at a steep incline. Visitors gripped handrails carefully as they descended to the pier.

충주호 유람선 — Cheongpung Wharf cruise terminal. AJP Cho Bo-hee

The boat itself had an indoor cabin on the first floor and an open deck on the second. With the midday sun still intense, many passengers carried parasols or applied sunscreen, but the open deck was the best place to appreciate the views. Watermarks on the rocks showed how far the level had fallen, at least 10 meters below its usual line. Unlike the sea, the lake had no waves, and the ship glided smoothly and silently, allowing undisturbed enjoyment of the landscape.

Among the highlights are Gudambong and Oksunbong, cliffs of sheer rock that tower above the water. Pine trees cling stubbornly to cracks in the stone, surviving wind and rain for decades. Looking up at them, one feels a sense of awe and reflection. Like life itself, where hardship and joy intertwine, the steadfast pines seem to offer comfort and resilience.

At Janghoe Wharf, the vessel briefly docked to pick up passengers before retracing its course back to Cheongpung. Nearing the wharf, Bibongsan Observatory came into view, perched atop a mountain ridge. Visitors can reach it by cable car or monorail, where sweeping views of Cheongpung Lake unfold beneath. From above, the panorama is strikingly different from the one seen aboard the cruise, with the lake framed like a jewel between the mountains.

비봉산전망대 — Bibongsan Observatory. AJP Cho Bo-hee

Cho Bo-hee jobo@ajupress.com