Hallyeohaesang National ParkClaimed by the owner

Hallyeohaesang National Park was designated South Korea's sea-based national park in 1968. It spans from Jisimdo Island near Geoje in the south to Odongdo Island in Yeosu, divided into six districts: Sangju-Geumsan Mountain, Namhaedaegyo, Sacheon, Tongyeong-Hansan, Geoje-Haegeumgang, and Yeosu-Odongdo. Of its total area of 545.63 square kilometers, 395.49 square kilometers is marine area and 150.14 square kilometers is land, and the park draws more than a million visitors a year for its coastline, islands, and archipelago scenery.

Islands and Coastal Scenery

The park takes in the multi-island seascape known as Dadohae, along with the islands of Bijindo and the coastal cliffs of Haegeumgang. Tongyeong's Donam tourist area is being developed as a marine tourism site. Sanyang Coastal Road circles the full Mireukdo Island and is used for scenic drives, and the view of the archipelago from Dara Park is a notable viewpoint. Among the park's islands, Hansando, Bijindo, and Maemuldo are the main visitor destinations, with Bijindo and Maemuldo regarded as the core areas of the park for their natural scenery.

Historical Sites on Hansando

Hansando Island holds several sites tied to Admiral Yi Sun-sin's naval victories over Japanese forces during the Imjin War, including Jeseungdang, Chungnyeolsa Shrine, and the Geobuk Lighthouse. These sites are used for historical education related to the war.

Flora and Fauna

The park records 1,142 plant species, including Korean red pine, Japanese black pine, common camellia, serrata oak, and cork oak, as well as rarer species such as nadopungnan (Sedirea japonica), daeheongnan (Cymbidium nipponicum), and the Korean winter hazel. Animal life includes more than 25 mammal species such as the finless porpoise, Eurasian otter, and Asian badger, along with 115 bird species, 16 reptile species, 1,566 insect species, and 24 freshwater fish species. One of the recorded bird species is the fairy pitta (Pitta nympha), which is classified as vulnerable. In February 2015, a North Pacific right whale, one of the world's rarest whale species, was found entangled in a mussel farm within the park and later possibly freed itself nearby in Namhae County, the first record of the species in South Korea in 41 years.