Mountain Safety

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Autumn is mountain-climbing season in Korea. Here are some tips on how to stay safe when hiking along the picturesque mountainsides throughout the country this season.

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A firefighting helicopter rescues a woman in her 40s who sustained a back injury while hiking on Bukhansan Mountain on September 18th. As many people enjoy climbing mountains during this time of year, hiking accidents have been on the rise lately. Over the past three years, one-third of hiking accidents occurred in fall. Here's how to stay safe when climbing mountains. Before the ascent, perform warmup exercises and check your condition. Make sure to bring your hiking gear and some extra clothes to keep your body warm when morning and evening temperatures drop sharply. Finding the right hiking trail according to your condition is also important. Make sure to be prepapared for any unexpected accidents.

[Soundbite] Park Hyun-chul(Gyeonggi Disaster & Safety Headquarters) : "Use signboards to notify rescue workers of your location. Also, when requesting a helicopter rescue service, use a smartphone app to announce your coordinates."

Also, bring a spare mobile phone battery because phone batteries tend to discharge faster in the mountains.