A hermitage on a cliff of Cheonseongsan above Yangsan’s Ungsang district, where an eighth-century stone Amitabha Buddha still stands nine meters inside the natural cave the Silla masons carved it for. Free entry, a free shuttle from the road, and a view to the East Sea on a clear day.

On a slope above the Bukcheon stream in Sangju, 800 or so farmers raised overnight met the vanguard of the 1592 Japanese invasion and were wiped out in a morning. The free memorial park built there holds a nine-tablet shrine, a white battle monument, and three rescued Joseon buildings — including one of Korea’s largest surviving state guesthouses. The story, the buildings, and how to get there from Seoul.

Wibongsanseong was built between 1675 and 1682 for one job: hiding a royal portrait if Jeonju ever fell. It was used exactly once. Over the pass, Wibong Falls drops 60 meters in two tiers — free, ten minutes apart, and best right after summer rain.

Korea has two temples named Songgwangsa, and the overlooked one in Wanju holds five state Treasures on dead-flat ground: truck-sized clay guardians, Buddhas built for two hostage princes in 1641, and the only cross-shaped bell pavilion left from the Joseon dynasty. Free entry, no stairs.