At Namhae Yangmori School, which spans 99,000妊 on the slopes of Gudusan in Namhae-gun Seolcheon-myeon, white sheep roam in long lines across the vast green meadows. The sight of the sheep leisurely grazing on the fresh green grass sprouts in the warm spring air is like a scene from a fairy tale. Additionally, the beautiful scenery of Hallyeohaesang National Park unfolds below the farm, providing a sense of ＆healing＊ just by looking at it. We met with Namhae Yangmori School Principals, Youngmi Jin and Jeongheok Park, who are preserving Namhae＊s first sheep farm. 

Following Daegwallyeong, Namhae Yangmori School is the second-largest sheep farm in the nation

Namhae Yangmori School is home to about 50 sheep living harmoniously. Opened in 2013, it doesn’t offer the sight of sheep frolicking in the snow like at Daegwallyeong, but it provides a different atmosphere where visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hallyeohaesang National Park and watch the sheep roam. The sheep here are not afraid of people and follow them well. Generally, at sheep farms, people feed the sheep from outside the fence, but not here. At Namhae Yangmori School, visitors can enter the fence, touch the sheep directly, and interact with them. As long as you have feed for them, anyone can win the sheep’s favor. This makes the school popular with both adults and especially children, who enjoy their time here. The school offers various attractions, but the most charming aspect is watching the shepherds herding the sheep and training them. These scenes can help adults rediscover their lost childhood innocence and present children with a fairy tale-like world. Park, who majored in horseback riding in college, naturally bonded with animals, which even led his parents to develop a love for them.

▲ Namhae Yangmori School / Principal Jeongheok Park

“The first thing I learned through horseback riding was to love horses (animals) by bonding with them. Horseback riding is not a sport where you succeed alone; you must become one with the horse through bonding. Thanks to horseback riding, I learned how to love animals, which even led my parents to develop a love for animals as well.” Before coming to Namhae, Park operated a sheep farm with about 10 horses with his parents in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. In January 2024, he took over this school. “The previous owner made an acquisition offer due to health reasons, and I instantly fell in love with the scenery of this place, which led me to take over the school.“

Establishing itself as a popular tourist destination in Namhae

There are three sheep farms in Namhae. Among them, Namhae Yangmori School is the first sheep activity farm to open in Namhae. It received an excellence award in the Creative Tourism Industry hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization in 2011. This place is well-maintained, and the round cushion-shaped swings installed at the beginning of the walking trail are perfect for children to ride. There are beautiful pine trees lined up along the forest path, a flower garden in the woods, and a large grassy area next to the tall red photinia trees. Horses leisurely grazing on the grass greet visitors by nodding their heads. Numerous flowers, including yellow snakeberry flowers, each show off their beautiful appearance, welcoming the author’s party. After passing through the flower garden in the woods, there is a sunflower farm and a vast pasture. “When I first came here, I wanted to run horseback riding for children. However, I was told by officials that horseback riding is not allowed within Hallyeohaesang National Park.” Horseback riding is known to have significant benefits for children and adolescents, including improving physical strength, promoting growth, and providing psychological and emotional stability. Many students who start horseback riding visit riding stables with these benefits in mind and often experience positive effects. Horseback riding not only enhances brain development and physical fitness but also helps in emotional development by fostering a bond with the animal, the horse. It is especially beneficial for opening the growth plates in children, with those who receive horseback riding education growing taller and developing more than those who do not. “I hope that I could run horseback riding programs for children in near future.”