Mysterious Road - Jeju, Korea
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 33° 27.012 E 126° 29.263
52S E 266482 N 3704021
Just a short distance from Jeju City is this short stretch of road where a car appears to roll freely uphill. It is a regular destination for tour buses.
Waymark Code: WM9NWT
Location: Jejudo, South Korea
Date Posted: 09/11/2010
Views: 17
Here is the description in English from a sign at the site:
Mysterious Road
"This is the mysterious road, approximately 7km from the Jeju International Airport. At 300m above sea level, it is on the 35.1km long 1100 Road build on May 1, 1975, that connects Jeju City and Seogwipo City via Eorimok and Yeongshil on Mount Halla.
It is called "Mysterious Road" because if you point your car downhill and put it into the neutral gear, the car moves uphill instead of downhill! It was first discovered in 1980 by a taxi driver who was giving a driving tour to a newlywed couple. It is now frequented by many tourists who want to experience an unusual natural wonder.
Jeju Island is the "home of 18,000 gods" and you can feel this unique feature from Mount Halla all the way down to the coast. Come and commune with the mystic Jeju Island on this "Mysterious Road"!
You can also visit other mysterious roads on the Mountain Road and the Myeongrim Road."
A second sign his this information:
"It is on the 35.1km long 1100 Road of build on May 1, 1975, that connects Jeju City and Seogwipo City via Eorimok and Yeongshil on Mount Halla. On Mysterious Road (of Bugaboo Road), a parked car on a slight hill road rolls uphill instead of going down hill. This is a result of an optical illusion in which the lower part looks higher because of its surrounding environment."
The effect here is not that dramatic, but as the road swoops down from the volcanic Mount Halla which forms this island province off of Korea's southern tip, the road appears to go uphill for a distance of about 200 meters, or so, when it is actually continuing a slight descent, as it continues to near sea level.
On the east side of the road are some of Jeju's famous cattle in the fields, while parking and tourist facilities are on the west side of the road at this site.