David A. Mason

David A. Mason is a well-known lecturer, researcher, writer, editor and guide on Korean Cultural Tourism, particularly the religious characteristics of Korea's mountains and the pilgrimage traditions associated with them. He is now a professor of Cultural Tourism at NamSeoul University. Prior to this he served for seven years as professor of Seoul’s Kyung Hee University, and spent five years as a Consultant for the national Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and 14 years before that in academic work out in the Korean countryside.

He has authored nine books on Korean culture and tourism, including Spirit of the Mountains: Korea's Traditions of Mountain-Worship and the new English Encyclopedia of Korean Buddhism. In 2011 he was appointed the national Honorary Ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan Mountain-Range. He has extensive experience of exploring and tour-guiding historic Korean areas and sacred sites, both the best-known and the least-visited ones.