Yeongwol Cheongnyeongpo영월 청령포

Cheongnyeongpo is a bend of the river in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, where Danjong (1441–57), the sixth king of Joseon, was sent into exile after losing the throne to his uncle. Water surrounds it on three sides and a steep cliff blocks the fourth, so the only way in is by boat.

Inside, in a pine forest, are the king’s residence, a small stone tower and a lookout facing Hanyang (today’s Seoul). It is a designated national Scenic Site.

The film ‘The King’s Warden’ (왕과 사는 남자), directed by Jang Hang-jun and released Feb 4, 2026, stars Park Ji-hoon as Danjong and Yoo Hae-jin as Yeongwol chief Eom Heung-do. It became a huge hit, and The Fact reported 14 million admissions by late March.

Searches for Cheongnyeongpo rose 237% in September, the top search among travelers in their 20s (Korea Tourism Data Lab). Yeongwol County says Jangneung and Cheongnyeongpo drew more than 520,000 visitors by mid-May, about double all of last year (263,327).

Yeongwol is in the mountains of Gangwon and has both a train station and an intercity bus terminal; Cheongnyeongpo is about 10 minutes by taxi from the bus terminal. Buy a ticket at the booth beside the statues of Danjong and Queen Jeongsun, then take the boat across, a ride of a minute or two. On weekends two boats run and the line is longer.

Tips: Jangneung, Danjong’s royal tomb and part of the UNESCO-listed Joseon royal tombs, is less than 5 minutes away by car, so see both together. The Danjong Culture Festival is held at Jangneung and along the Donggang River in spring (the 59th ran Apr 24–26, 2026).