Paroho Lake (Yanggu) (파로호)

Paroho Lake is a manmade lake that was completed in 1943. The lake was created due to the construction of a hydraulic power plant in Hwacheon during Japanese colonial period. The name was given after President Syngman Rhee designated a plaque in his own handwriting naming the body of water ‘Paroho Lake’ during the Korean War after a victorious feat in a battle against the Chinese army. The power plant has a generation capacity of 105,000 kilowatts, and the lake is one of the top fishing grounds in Korea as it is abundant in freshwater fish.

The area boasts several splendid views and a former president built his country home on the lake. Relics from the Stone Age and New Stone Age were found to be well preserved in the area. Twenty-one dolmens were found on the lake grounds, as well as 4,000 pieces of Prehistoric relics used during Paleolithic age, drawing interest from the academic field. Recently, habitats of mandarin ducks, a national natural monument, were found near the Paroho lakeside.