용평리조트, Yongpyong Resort
Korea's original mountain, Olympic and on screen
Yongpyong is South Korea's oldest and largest ski resort, set high in the Taebaek Mountains of Gangwon province and part of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Famous as a filming location for the drama Winter Sonata, it blends a long spread of pistes, a summit gondola and a lively, well-equipped resort base.
- 760 m Base
- 1,424 m Top lift
- 664 m Vertical
- 23 Pistes mapped
- 10 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
The resort base is a full-scale complex with hotels, restaurants, shops and spa facilities, and Korean ski culture means busy, floodlit night skiing and warm late-night dining rather than a Western-style bar scene.
The resort
Yongpyong opened Korean skiing to the world and remains the country's largest and most complete resort, spread across the high slopes of the Taebaek range in Gangwon. It played a central role in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, hosting the technical alpine races, and it carries genuine sporting pedigree alongside broad appeal. The terrain ranges from wide beginner areas to long, satisfying intermediate cruisers and steeper pitches, served by a gondola that climbs towards the summit of Balwangsan for sweeping views. Beyond the sport, the resort is woven into Korean popular culture as a key location for the beloved drama Winter Sonata. It is a polished, full-service destination that suits families and mixed-ability groups.
Go for the scale, the pedigree and the ease of a modern, all-inclusive resort. Yongpyong offers the widest spread of terrain in Korea, from gentle learning slopes to Olympic race pitches, all within a self-contained complex of hotels and amenities. Its gondola and summit views add a scenic dimension, and its cultural fame gives it a distinctive draw. It is ideal for families, first-timers and intermediates, as well as travellers combining skiing with a wider trip through Korea.
The season leans on cold, dry conditions and highly efficient snowmaking, which is the backbone of Korean skiing. Natural falls are supplemented by comprehensive artificial snow and meticulous grooming, keeping the long pistes in consistent shape through a reliable winter. Floodlit night skiing is a central part of the experience, extending the day well after dark on illuminated slopes.
Snow & weather
Live conditions from the mountain, plus the average snow you can expect month by month.
- Feels like
- —
- Conditions
- —
- Wind
- —
- Fresh snow (3-day)
- —
Live data © Open-Meteo.com
Snow reliability is dependable through the core winter, resting on cold temperatures and extensive, high-quality snowmaking and grooming rather than heavy natural snowfall.
Average monthly snowfall
Snowfall climatology unavailable.
Terrain & aspect
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Flat / ungraded
Slopes mostly face N — 94% on snow-holding, poleward-facing slopes.
Aspect derived from run bearings · OpenSkiStats / © OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Skiing & terrain
Wide, gentle nursery slopes and a strong learning setup make Yongpyong an excellent place to start.
Long, well-groomed cruising runs, including the resort's celebrated Rainbow slopes, give intermediates plenty of enjoyable mileage.
Steeper pistes and the Olympic technical-race terrain provide advanced skiers with a proper challenge.
The focus is groomed performance rather than off-piste, but the steepest race pitches still test strong skiers.
Skiing the Olympic slopes
Yongpyong hosted the technical alpine events, the slalom and giant slalom, at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Skiing terrain shaped by top-level racing gives the resort a sense of occasion, and its steeper race pitches remain a highlight for stronger skiers looking to test themselves.
The Balwangsan gondola and summit views
A gondola carries skiers high towards the summit of Balwangsan, opening long descents from near the top and sweeping panoramas over the Taebaek Mountains. The ride and the view are a signature part of a day at Yongpyong, and the vantage is a draw in its own right.
A Winter Sonata pilgrimage
Yongpyong is one of the key filming locations for Winter Sonata, the drama that helped spark the global Korean wave. For many visitors, skiing the same snowy setting seen on screen adds a cultural dimension that few resorts anywhere can offer.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay in 용평리조트, Yongpyong Resort
The resort is a self-contained complex with a range of hotels, condominiums and apartments on site, letting most visitors stay slope-side with full amenities close to the lifts.
Lifts and pistes from the door — the point of a high, purpose-built resort.
Self-catering residences, the bulk of the beds and the flexible-budget option.
Catered and self-catered chalets for groups wanting the whole place.
From simple to high-end, with pools and spas to thaw out in.
How to get there
Yangyang (YNY) is the packet's nearest gateway, serving the Gangwon ski region; many international visitors instead arrive via Seoul Incheon (ICN) and travel east to the mountains.
High-speed rail from Seoul towards the PyeongChang area, followed by a local shuttle, makes a largely car-free approach straightforward.
A road transfer through the Taebaek Mountains reaches the resort, with shuttle services connecting the airports and rail links to the base.
Best time: December through February brings the coldest, most reliable conditions and the fullest terrain.
Nearby resorts
Other resorts within reach.
하이원스키장, HiOne Ski
- Vertical
- 661 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 16
- Lifts
- 9
오투리조트, O2 Resort
- Vertical
- 572 m
- Lifts
- 3
비발디파크, Vivaldi Park Skiworld
- Vertical
- 293 m
- Pistes (mapped)
- 8
- Lifts
- 9
Getting to 용평리조트, Yongpyong Resort
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at Yangyang (YNY) — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.