The Garden of Park Mok-wol's Poetry, Five Poems Carved Into a Hillside
and five poems meet you along the way
In Mohyeon-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, not far from Everland, there's a place called Yongin Park. Inside it sits a quiet memorial garden — the Garden of Park Mok-wol's Poetry. It was built in 2015 to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Park Mok-wol, one of the Cheongnokpa (Blue Deer School) lyric poets. If you go expecting a grand spectacle, it might feel modest, but once you stand in front of the stone poem tablets carved with the poet's representative works, you'll find that this modesty is exactly what makes the garden feel so lyrical.
A 100th Birth Anniversary, Five Poems Carved Into the Garden
The garden covers about 830 square meters, and within that compact space stand five poem tablets, three information tablets, an entrance wall, and rest areas. The poem tablets are carved with five of Park Mok-wol's representative works — The Wanderer, To a Distant Person, Mother's Underline, To My Beloved, and Blue Roe Deer — and one of the information tablets reproduces the poem 'Home' exactly as the poet wrote it in his own hand. Coming face to face with titles you might recognize from a textbook, now carved into real stone, feels both familiar and quietly moving.
Past a Low Doorpost, Like Entering a Family Home
At the entrance to the garden stands a low doorpost, which is said to give visitors the feeling of visiting a countryside family home with a nice view. Instead of elaborate sculptures, the space is filled with poetry and scenery, and maybe that's why your mind seems to settle a little more with every step. You can stop by for a walk around the garden on your way down from the gravesite, and there's also a resting area up on the hill, so I'd recommend taking your time rather than rushing through.
Crossing the riverside ferry / along the wheat-field path // like the moon drifting with the clouds / goes the wanderer
— 🐉 Park Mok-wol, from 'The Wanderer'Getting There and How Long to Spend
The address is 158-33 Saerae-ro, Mohyeon-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, inside Yongin Park. It's about a 15-minute drive from Pogok IC, so it's not too far. Nearby you'll also find Maga Art Museum, the Korea Lamp Museum, the Tomb of Jeong Mong-ju, the Tomb of Lee Seok-yeong, and even Everland, so it could work well as part of a nearby outing.
YONGI's Tip · You can walk through the Garden of Park Mok-wol's Poetry for free, with no admission fee or parking charge. You can park at the Yongin Park parking lot, and there's also a small parking area located close to the garden itself.