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A 'shimmani,' forager and naturalist
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By
Kim Ji-soo
Published
May 13, 2026 2:50 pm
KST
Lee Kyoung-sook of Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, embodies traditional shimmani traditions with her love for wild herbs
Shimmani forager Lee Kyoung-sook, 66, rests on a rock within Mount Beophwa in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29, where she unearthed an array of wild mountain vegetables and herbs including Astor greens, bracken ferns, Aralia shoots and lance Asiabell. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
JANGSU, North Jeolla Province — Mount Beophwa is considered among the smaller mountains here in this remote but lush town, measuring slightly over 700 meters tall from sea level. Lee Kyung-sook, 66, came here to forage for mountain herbs and vegetables in the last week of April. The veteran shimmani, or forager, wore her rainboots to fend off the snakes, her "namul" apron and a backpack to carry the wild veggies and herbs she gathers. Deftly, she climbed over fallen tree trunks and hanging branches in long steps, her legs and arms moving in long arc-like silhouette. Whenever she saw a target, she bent 90 degrees, swiftly plucking it.
"Ah there, there is 'chwinamul' or Astor greens. Here look, there is 'gosari' or bracken fern," she said. When she changes direction and enters into the deeper, thicker section of the mountain, she finds 'dureup,' or Aralia sprouts from a Korean angelica tree.
Lee Kyoung-sook climbs over a fallen tree on Mount Beophwa in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul.
These seasonal wild herbs, which have a fresh and nutty taste, are in full bloom during late April and May, making for busy months for Lee.
About four hours' drive from the highly-wired and connected Seoul, the people in Jangsu engage in the wild picking practice where their two feet and hands are the tools of their labor. In the past it was done out of necessity, but now it is a source of income and a lifestyle envied by urbanites who attend "shimmani classes."
Back on Mount Beophwa, Lee was looking for "deodeok," or lance Asiabell, an edible and herbal root plant known to be good for the lungs. Lee took extra care when extracting a deodeok root. The fresh bitter flavor started seeping out as she dug into the earth with both hands to uncover the root.
"Oh I think this one would be about 10 years old," she said, showing the deodeok root where white saponin, effective as an antioxidant fighting bodily inflammation, was forming. Saponin is found most potent in ginseng, an
herbal plant wild foragers pray to find. Around the spot, she dug up several more deodeok, each measuring about seven centimeters.
"Oh, it's good we found them here," she said, holding up the array of wild herbs as she poses for the reporting team. The pure joy she gave off after so much hard work felt contagious. "Good luck to you the reporting team," she says.
Lee Kyoung-sook holds up a well-aged root of "deodeok" or lance Asiabell on Mount Beophwa, North Jeolla Province, April 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
While Mount Beophwa's thick vegetation did not deter Lee, this reporter was taken aback by its jagged steepness. "The mountains here are called 'aksan,' known for their difficulty," her friend, Im Jeong-im, said. The trees also brandished an amazing amount of thorns, poking the hands, then the knees, then on the back and everywhere else. Occasionally a branch or two would snap back in someone's face if anyone lost attention while walking. A snake slid by, thankfully unknown to the reporting team, only visible under the watchful eyes of Lee. At a certain point while Lee reaped her herbs, the only thing on this reporter's mind was not to lose focus of her so as to not get left behind on the mountain.
Jangsu, with several mountains standing 1,000 meters or taller and soil replete with germanium and cool temperatures, is known to be fertile grounds for ginseng to grow. The immunity strengthening effects of ginseng, or rather its saponins and polysaccharides, is renowned in Asia. Both Jangsu and Mount Mou near Suncheon even back in the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty were known as ginseng habitats. The remnants of ginseng habitats can still be found here.
Mountain foraging was usually the terrain of men. In the past, people believed gods designated a forager for precious ginseng, and that women were impure. Knowledge of foraging sites were not readily shared. As traditional shimmani aged, women workers who first foraged for wild mountain herbs have joined in as well as husband-and-wife teams.
Asked if she prays before foraging, Lee said, "No. I just pray in my mind. If I had a religious thought, it would be close to Buddhism."
There are still fierce traditionalists who will pay respects to the mountain gods as they forage. There are some 10,000 shimmani traversing the country, looking for wild ginseng.
To date, Lee has unearthed more than 100 ginseng. The Panax ginseng fully grown at age 50 years, and is found on mountains at altitudes of at least 1,000 meters. Because of ginseng's rarity and effects, there are myths connected with it. Commercially, one root with the right conditions can be priced higher than 100 million won ($69,025).
Lee Kyoung-sook shows a ginseng plant found on the lower part of a mountain in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29. "Under the trees where the birds could be heard singing on hilly peaks situated in a northeast direction with cooler temperatures is where ginseng could be found," she said. Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo
The ones she found this day were "jijongsam," or ginseng that was eaten by animals who then through excrement pushed the seeds out on new soil for ginseng to naturally grow up to 30 years in age.
The fact that she does not own a plot of land means she has to traverse the mountains.
When picking plants, she makes sure to forage in unclaimed land, and she makes sure to get permission when entering someone's property. Now that her legs are not as hardy they used to be, she does not trek as much into the deep mountains.
In Jangsu, most of the women work actively without as many job opportunities relative to other towns. Lee started foraging for mountain vegetables when she accidentally found a ginseng root in 1997.
Does she have a knack for spotting ginseng, as traditional shimmani believed?
"I don't know. I get up early and I work diligently. It's the early bird that catches the worm," she said. "Even as I pick one plant from the soil, my eyes are on the next one."
Lee Kyoung-sook's hands handling "chwinamul" or Astor greens, on Mount Beophwa in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Within a few years, Lee trekked the higher mountains with peaks well above 1,000 meters from sea level, walking five to six hours a day with her brother. Then, she found a large deodeok that fetched her 400,000 won and several ginseng roots, worth a few million won. Just last year, she found a 12-gram wild ginseng that was estimated to be 30 years or older, but because an animal had eaten off the roots, she sold it for 1 million won. Otherwise, she would not comment much about the amount of money she earns from foraging.
An "usan namul" or Syneilesis palmata Lee found on Mount Beophwa in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
"Dureup" or Aralia shoots found on Mount Beophwa in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29 / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Lee kept foraging for herbs and ginseng to help provide for her family. "I've lived through many hardships," she said. She and her husband during the turn of the 21st century co-supported an acquaintance's loan, which they are still paying off.
Lee has learned by trial and error, with her sharp eyesight and quick hands as her tools. As she gained experience, people started helping. One was Jung Hyeong-beom, a senior shimmani and chief of the Korea Traditional Shimmani Association, who taught her how to search for ginseng, looking under trees situated where the birds sing in a northeast direction. He is one of the three shimmani designated by the Supreme Court to assess the commercial value of ginseng in Korea.
The shimmani profession does not have any kind of certification. But since 2010, the Korea Forest Service has been issuing them forest guard certificates that allow them to forage, but also obliges them to fulfill other duties such as reporting sightings of trees measuring 2 meters in width or report war remains sightings in the case of those in Gangwon Province, Jung said.
After more than two decades, Lee focuses on sharing and enjoying her work. "Lots of people helped me along the way, and now I don't do it so much for the money but that I may be able to share with friends and family," she said.
"Walking onto a mountain and seeing the wild plants, I feel myself breathe. I stare and stare at them and I am happy."
What does she there that makes her so happy? Hope? She just smiles in response. Or like Voltaire's Candide, were the wild herbs like flowers for her in a garden? And that cultivating a garden makes the most sense after life's ordeals? She just smiled, again.
The seasonal herbs harvested the day before in a low-lying area are turned into "namul" side dishes for a meal in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 28. Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo
Down at the village
Lower on the mountain, Aralia sprouts, "myeongi namul" or Alpine leeks and "minari" are available for picking.
These vegetables are usually braised and then mixed with either doenjang or gochujang, then with a bit of salt, wild sesame oil and some sesame seeds. Turned into side dishes known as "namul banchan," the greens are fresher and hardier than those grown commercially on farms. When asked for the exact ratios of ingredients, she advised that one continues to experiment until it tastes good.
A sighting of "eongeongkwi" or thistle plant on Mount Beophwa / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Lee Kyoung-sook holds up the "gosari" or bracken fern she picked on Mount Beophwa in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
"For soybean soup, you can put in vegetables like gosari, 'eongeongkwi' or thistle plant and chwinamul. Put them in boiling water and add soybean paste. That was my mom's recipe," Lee said.
Shimmani Lee Kyoung-sook walks along a flat part of Mount Beophwa in Jangsu, North Jeolla Province, April 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
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