Climber rescued after 50-metre fall on Seoraksan's Ulsan Bawi
In short
A 53-year-old man fell about 50 metres while rock climbing on Ulsan Bawi in Seoraksan National Park in Gangwon Province at around 15:00 on October 4. He was left hanging on a rope about 60 metres above the ground and complained of back pain, and was rescued about three hours later by park and 119 rescue teams. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital, and authorities plan to question his five climbing companions about how the fall happened.
Read the full story 1 min read
A 53-year-old man fell about 50 metres while rock climbing on Ulsan Bawi in Seoraksan National Park in Gangwon Province on October 4 and was rescued roughly three hours later, according to Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun. [ 1 , 2 ]
The fall happened at around 15:00 as the man, identified only as “A”, climbed the route known as “Yoban-gil”, one of the rock-climbing routes on Ulsan Bawi. He dropped from the second pitch to the first pitch, a fall of about 50 metres, and was left hanging on a rope about 60 metres above the ground. He complained of back pain from the impact, the reports said, and was climbing with five companions at the time. [ 1 , 2 ]
The Seoraksan National Park special rescue team and 119 rescue crews arrived after being alerted, gave him first aid and moved him onto a stretcher to bring him down to the ground. He was then flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. Rescue authorities said they intend to question his companions to establish exactly what happened. [ 1 , 2 ]
Seoul Shinmun's headline described Yoban-gil as one of the so-called “three great hard climbs” on the mountain; the documents did not give further detail on the route's difficulty. [ 4 ]
Newsis's feed headline also referred to a man in his 50s falling 50 metres while climbing on Ulsan Bawi, but the article text carried under that headline concerned an unrelated statement by President Lee Jae-myung about political extremism, so the outlet's own account of the accident could not be read. The documents give no information on the climber's identity or on his condition beyond the reported back pain. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The accident required a multi-team technical rescue inside a national park, drawing on the park's special rescue unit and 119 crews with helicopter transport. The documents give no indication of wider consequences beyond the rescue and the planned inquiry into the circumstances.
Key facts
- A 53-year-old man fell about 50 metres while rock climbing on Ulsan Bawi in Seoraksan National Park in Gangwon Province on October 4. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The fall happened at around 15:00 as he climbed the route known as “Yoban-gil”, dropping from the second pitch to the first pitch. [ 1 , 2 ]
- After the fall he was hanging on a rope about 60 metres above the ground and complained of back pain. [ 1 , 2 ]
- He was climbing with five companions at the time. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The Seoraksan National Park special rescue team and 119 rescue crews gave first aid and moved him on a stretcher to the ground, and he was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Rescue authorities said they plan to question his companions to establish the circumstances of the accident. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Seoul Shinmun's headline described Yoban-gil as one of the so-called “three great hard climbs” on the route. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The man, aged 53, fell about 50 metres on the Yoban-gil climbing route on Ulsan Bawi in Seoraksan National Park at around 15:00 on October 4. [ 1 , 2 ]
- He was hanging from a rope about 60 metres above the ground and complained of back pain, and was climbing with five companions. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Park special rescue and 119 teams rescued him after about three hours, carried him down on a stretcher and airlifted him to a nearby hospital. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Authorities intend to question his companions to confirm the circumstances. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the climber suffered any injuries beyond the reported back pain, and what his condition is at the hospital. Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun both report only that he complained of back pain, and neither gives a diagnosis or an update on his condition.
- The precise cause of the fall. The documents describe the fall from the second pitch to the first but do not state why it happened; rescue authorities say they are still checking the circumstances.
- Newsis's full account of the accident. Newsis's feed headline refers to a man in his 50s falling 50 metres on Ulsan Bawi, but the article text carried under it concerns an unrelated statement by President Lee Jae-myung about extremism, so the outlet's own reporting could not be read.
- The climber's identity and the exact time the rescue was completed. He is identified only as “A”, aged 53, and the rescue is given only as taking about three hours.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The 53-year-old climber falls about 50 metres from the second pitch to the first pitch on the Yoban-gil route on Ulsan Bawi, ending up hanging on a rope about 60 metres above the ground. [ 1 , 2 ]
- After roughly three hours, park special rescue and 119 teams complete the rescue, giving first aid and carrying him down on a stretcher before he is flown to a nearby hospital. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report, datelined Sokcho. [ 1 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes its account of the rescue. [ 2 ]
- Newsis publishes a feed item headed with the Ulsan Bawi fall. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes its headline on the climber's rescue. [ 4 ]