Baekdu-daegan

Baekdu-daegan (Korean: 백두대간; Hanja: 白頭大幹) is a traditional Korean conception of the mountains and consequently the watersheds of the Korean Peninsula. The mountain range stretches the length of the Korean Peninsula, around 1,500 km, from Baekdu Mountain in the north to Jirisan, or Hallasan on Jeju Island in the south. The mountain range is often associated with national identity and traditional Korean shamanism. Baekdu-daegan is considered to include the Sobaek and Taebaek mountain ranges. Although currently impossible due to the Korean Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea, hiking the length of the mountains is considered a desirable goal aligned with the Korean reunification movement. The 687 km South Korean portion of the range is popular for hiking. It is often referred to as the "spine" or "backbone" of the Korean Peninsula.