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Lady Suro Memorial Park

Gangwon Bike Path

Lady Suro Memorial Park (수로부인헌화공원; map) rests on top of Namhwa Mountain over beside Imwon Port (map) near the bottom of Samcheok City. The park features a colossal statue of Lady Suro, a legend important to the city from in the ancient Korean chronicle “Samguk Yusa,” written in the 13th century.

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A view of the large Lady Suro sculpture with a path leading to it, and the East Sea in the background, at Lady Suro Memorial Park.
The Lady Suro sculpture with a path leading to it, and the East Sea in the background.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Stairs ascending to an observatory on a hill in Lady Suro Memorial Park, flanked by statues of Silla era soldiers and surrounded by rolling lawns.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Close-up of the elevator shaft leading up to Lady Suro Memorial Park, with Imwon Port's breakwater in the background and a pine tree beside the wooden plank path.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A serene deck view from behind the Lady Suro statue, overlooking the East Sea, with rocks breaking through the wooden deck and mountains beside.
A close-up view of the Lady Suro sculpture in red robes, crowned, gazing upwards in Lady Suro Memorial Park.
A close-up view of the Lady Suro sculpture in red robes, crowned, gazing upwards in Lady Suro Memorial Park.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A view from the wooden stairs showing Imwon Port's breakwater along the East Sea coast, accompanied by bamboo alongside the path.
Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Rolling lawns leading down to a sculpture in Lady Suro Memorial Park, with statues lining the path and the East Sea and coastal mountains in the background.
Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: The towering Lady Suro sculpture viewed from a path, with a visitor below emphasizing its grand scale in Lady Suro Memorial Park.
Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A Silla era soldier sculpture set against a blue sky, with the observatory building of Lady Suro Memorial Park in the background.
Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: View from atop a rolling hill, with a path leading down to the Lady Suro sculpture, flanked by soldier statues and the East Sea in the background.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Rolling hill in Lady Suro Memorial Park, crowned with an observatory, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Sculptures of Silla era men and scholars standing on a hill in Lady Suro Memorial Park, framed by trees and mountains in the background.

Made from natural stone, the Lady Suro statue is the largest of its kind in Asia, standing 10.6 meters tall, 15 meters wide, 13 meters long, and weighing over 500 tons. Set against the backdrop of the East Sea, the statue depicts Lady Suro riding a dragon.

The Legend of Lady Suro

The legend of Lady Suro takes place during the Unified Silla period (668~935 CE). Lady Suro, renowned for her beauty, was the wife of Lord Sunjeong, a high-ranking official in King Seongdeok‘s court.

One day, as she traveled with Lord Sunjeong to his new post in Gangneung, they rested by the East Sea. Lady Suro spotted blooming azaleas on a coastal cliff and wanted one. But none of the locals would scale the perilous rocky face to fetch it. Then, an elder herding his cattle scaled the sheer cliff and plucked the flower. When he returned, he recited the Heonhwaga (헌화가).

As Lady Suro accepted the flower, a sea dragon rose from the sea and dragged her into the depths. Desperate, the local people sang a hymn called Haega. Moved by the spirit of the community, the dragon returned Lady Suro unharmed.

Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Stone sculpture of a Silla era scholar holding a metal pole in Lady Suro Memorial Park, with trees, the East Sea, and Imwon Port in the background.
Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A wider shot of Lady Suro Memorial Park, featuring the grand Lady Suro sculpture, with a misty East Sea horizon in the expansive background.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: The elevator tower at Lady Suro Memorial Park leading to a bridge and wooden-plank hiking path, with the East Sea and surrounding mountains in the backdrop.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Looking up at the grand sculpture of Lady Suro sitting on a dragon, with a ball in its mouth, set against a clear blue sky in Lady Suro Memorial Park.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Wooden plank stair platform leading down a mountainside to Imwon Port, flanked by bamboo, with the East Sea in the background.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Observatory binoculars in the foreground, with a blurred silhouette of the Lady Suro sculpture and the East Sea in the background at Lady Suro Memorial Park.
Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A 51-meter tall elevator ascends to Lady Suro Memorial Park, framed by a bridge and scenic hiking trails, with a view of Imwon Port's houses below.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: The straight walkway from the elevator to the hiking path at Lady Suro Memorial Park, with the East Sea and Imwon Port's breakwater in the distance.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A close-up of a sculpture atop a hill in Lady Suro Memorial Park, with the East Sea forming a serene backdrop.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A 4k video capturing an expansive view of the East Sea from Lady Suro Memorial Park on a misty day, featuring a ship gliding over the reflective waters.
Korean culture
Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: A wooden sculpture of a floppy-eared dog in Lady Suro Memorial Park, with a smaller bust of Lady Suro in the background.
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Samcheok City, South Korea - December 28, 2023: Rear view of the Lady Suro sculpture sitting atop a dragon, set against a vivid blue sky in Lady Suro Memorial Park.

The Park

Lady Suro Memorial Park perches on the summit of Namhwa Mountain (남화산; Namhwasan). Before the park existed, locals revered the location as an excellent spot to view sunrises over the East Sea.

The park opens from 9 AM to 6 PM. Pay ₩3,000 to ride a 51-meter elevator to the start of a hiking trail. From the elevator, walk along the trail for fifteen minutes to the impressive Lady Suro sculpture. There you’ll also find statues depicting various characters from the legend, including military generals, nobles, and maids, all part of the Haega narrative.

On the summit of the mountain sits a contemporary café, providing a good spot to enjoy a refreshing drink while overlooking the coastal views.

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