It’s exceptionally easy!
This is a short guide on the awards and the process to apply for them. I’ve previously written a guide about the whole program as well as the 2023 updates to the booklet and program.
If you are curious about the new marine passport, the application process is same, just that the levels are called ‘wave’ and ‘beach’; with ‘beach’ being complete at 20 stamps instead of 21.
The Awards:
Leaf Level: 10 Stamps
If you get stamps from 10 of the 21 national parks, you can apply to get the “leaf” award, which grants you a medal, patch and a certificate of achievement.
The theme of this award is the Woraksan/Seoraksan mountain goats – an endangered species in Korea which is closely monitored by the Korean National Park Service.
Tree Level: 21 / 22* Stamps
Upon acquiring all 21/22* stamps you can apply for the ‘tree’ award. You get a certificate of achievement, a patch, a medal and a sense of accomplishment.
*The generation 2 stamp book (those produced after May 2023) have added Hallasan National Park, which allows people using this new book to apply for the ’22 stamp tree level’. I have been told by KNPS staff that you can not use a mix of two books to acquire an award, so it seems those of us who started pre-2023 can only get the 21 stamp tree level.
The theme of this award is the Jirisan Half Moon Bear. This bear is also the mascot of the Korean National Park Service and was re-introduced to South Korea in Jirisan National Park in 2004.
The Application Process
Go to any of the National parks office that are manned – it doesn’t have to be the one that you got your last stamp from. But you might as well since the application process only takes 5 minutes! If you are unsure if a location is manned and if you can apply there, the list of offices are in the back of the book.
The application process is very easy! Even with a language barrier, they can help you apply.
You walk in and tell them you want to apply / wave the passport around smiling like an idiot (like I did). They flip through your book checking each page, and you / they fill out a basic form (stamp passport number, your name, the date, the award level(s), your home address) and you are done. There is no shipping fee and the prize is also free.
If you are applying for both leaf and tree at the same time let them know that – they sort of assume people do them separately, but its perfectly fine to do them together when applying for leaf!
Clarifying some worries:
- You get to keep your passport after you submit for the tree level. They just write down your passport number so it can’t be redeemed again.
- The dates on the passport aren’t a deal breaker – some of the national park offices don’t have them and when I applied for tree they didn’t even check them. And frankly if they turn you away go outside and stamp the date stamper on your passport and apply somewhere else.
If you are applying for the leaf then you just keep exploring and collecting the stamps. And if you have finished the tree level maybe consider the Marine National Park Stamp Passport Challenge, or a larger challenge like the 100 mountain challenge?
Congratulations!
Happy Trekking!
-Aurora
