Danjong was a boy of twelve when he became king, fourteen when he was forced off the throne, and sixteen when he died in exile, and the place where they buried him is Jangneung. In 1455 his uncle, later King Sejo, seized power, and two years later the boy was sent to Yeongwol, a remote valley in the mountains of Gangwon province, surrounded on three sides by river and on the fourth by cliffs. He died there in 1457, reportedly by poison and local tradition says a village official buried him secretly at night. His tomb was only restored to royal rank in 1698, centuries later, when a later king gave him the name Danjong.
That story is why this tomb, one of forty royal Joseon tombs listed as World Heritage in 2009, is the only one far from Seoul. It sits on a wooded slope, with a stone-lined path leading up to a mound guarded by stone sheep and tigers. A pavilion nearby holds records and ceremonies, and every spring a memorial festival remembers the boy king.
The setting is among the loveliest in Korea. Yeongwol lies deep in the Taebaek mountains, along the Dong river, with limestone peaks, forests and a famous bend in the river at Seonam village that looks like the outline of the Korean peninsula. The roads wind through valleys, with gradual bends and forested ridges, and are quieter than the expressway country near Seoul. Yeongwol itself is a small town of around twenty-five thousand and has fuel, food and basic repairs, and you should fill up there before heading into the hills.
Local pride includes buckwheat, which grows well in the cold climate; try memil-jeon, buckwheat pancakes, or noodles. The poet Kim Sat-gat, a wandering figure of the nineteenth century, is also buried in the area and celebrated at a small museum.
Autumn colours here are superb, and spring brings the scent of cherry and apricot blossoms. Winters can be severe, with ice on the passes, so check conditions before travelling. The air is cold and clean, and the dawn mist from the river lifts slowly, as if reluctant to reveal the grave.