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Sea, Beaches & Coast

Korea is a peninsula with three very different seas: the East Sea (deep blue, dramatic), the South Sea (islands, mild, Busan), and the West Sea (mudflats and sunsets). Locals road-trip the coast by season.

Suggested routes

Busan Coast Day (friends/couples)1 day
  1. Haeundae Beach
  2. Songjeong
  3. Gwangalli Beach + Gwangan Bridge (Busan)

💡 End at Gwangalli for the evening drone show and cafés.

East Sea Sunrise Overnight (couples/family)1 night
  1. Jeongdongjin (Gangneung)
  2. Gangneung Gyeongpo & Anmok Beach (Coffee Street)
  3. Sokcho Yeonggeumjeong & Oeongchi Sea-Scent Road
Jeju West Half-Day (all ages)Half day
  1. Jeju Hyeopjae & Geumneung Beach
  2. Hallim
  3. Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak)

11 places

Haeundae Beach (Busan)해운대 해수욕장

📍 Busan · Haeundae · Haeundae Stn (Line 2) · Haeundae Stn Exit 3 or 5, 5-minute walk

White-sand beach with the Nurimaru and The Bay 101 night view

  • White sandy beach
  • Dongbaekseom and Nurimaru APEC House
  • The Bay 101 night view
🕑 Swimming peaks (and crowds) in July–August; spring and autumn are pleasant for strolls₩50,000–60,000

💡 Beach is free; Blueline Park beach train and Sky Capsule are paid (Sky Capsule ₩50,000 per 2-seat capsule, up to ₩60,000 for 4 seats; beach train single ride ₩10,000 from Mipo or Songjeong). The beach train runs along the coast via Cheongsapo to Songjeong.

Haeundae BeachTop attractions

Gwangalli Beach + Gwangan Bridge (Busan)광안리 해변 + 광안대교

📍 Busan · Gwangalli · Gwangan Stn (Line 2) · Gwangan Stn Exit 3 or 5, 10-minute walk

Gwangan Bridge night view with a Saturday-night drone light show

  • Gwangan Bridge illuminated at night
  • Drone light show on Saturday nights
  • Sashimi and café street
🕑 Night, for the Gwangan Bridge lights; Saturday-night drone light show (19:00 & 21:00 Oct–Feb, 20:00 & 22:00 Mar–Sep)Free

💡 A more local, hip vibe than Haeundae, packed with beach cafés and bars.

Gangneung Gyeongpo & Anmok Beach (Coffee Street)강릉 경포·안목해변 (커피거리)

📍 Gangneung · Anmok Beach (Coffee Street), Gyeongpo Beach · Seoul → Gangneung by KTX, about 2 hours

East Sea sunrise paired with Anmok Coffee Street

  • East Sea sunrise
  • Anmok Coffee Street, cafés lined up along the beach
  • Gyeongpo Lake walk
🕑 A sunrise spot year-round; swimming in summerFree

💡 Anmok means coffee with a sea view — a strip of cafés faces the beach.

Sokcho Yeonggeumjeong & Oeongchi Sea-Scent Road속초 영금정·외옹치 바다향기로

📍 Sokcho · Walkable from downtown; Oeongchi coastal deck

Coastal boardwalk along the sea with sunrise at Yeonggeumjeong

  • Oeongchi Sea-Scent Road deck
  • Yeonggeumjeong sunrise
  • Abai Village ferry-raft (gatbae) and sundae
🕑 Sunrise; autumnFree

💡 Pairs well with Seoraksan.

Jeongdongjin (Gangneung)정동진

📍 Gangneung · Jeongdongjin · Jeongdongjin Stn · By train from Seoul — check Korail for services to Jeongdongjin Stn

Sunrise train-travel mood at the seaside station

  • The station sits right on the beach
  • Sandglass Park (Hourglass Park)
  • Sunrise train-trip nostalgia
🕑 Sunrise; New Year crowdsFree

💡 A station right by the sea. Pilgrimage site for the drama "Sandglass."

Jeju Hyeopjae & Geumneung Beach제주 협재·금능 해변

📍 Jeju · Hallim-eup · About 50 minutes by car from Jeju Airport

Emerald water and white sand with Biyangdo as backdrop

  • Emerald water and white sand
  • Biyangdo island backdrop
  • Sunset
🕑 Emerald water peaks in summer; spring and autumn are crisp tooFree

💡 Free public beach; the Jeju Olle trail passes along this coast.

Jeju Seongsan Ilchulbong + Gwangchigi Beach제주 성산일출봉 + 광치기 해변

📍 Jeju · Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo

UNESCO Natural Heritage crater with a sunrise viewpoint

  • UNESCO World Natural Heritage crater
  • Sunrise viewpoint
  • Haenyeo (sea women) diving demonstration (check times)
🕑 Sunrise; spring canola flowers₩5,000

💡 Seongsan Ilchulbong entry ₩5,000 (adult); hours change by season and it closes on the 1st Monday of each month (the next day if that is a public holiday). A short, steep climb to the crater rim; Gwangchigi Beach is free.

Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak)Top attractions

Yeosu (Night Sea, Dolsan Bridge, Hyangiram)여수 (밤바다·돌산대교·향일암)

📍 Yeosu · Seoul → Yeosu EXPO by KTX, about 3 hours

Dolsan Bridge night view and the "Yeosu Night Sea"

  • Dolsan Bridge night view
  • Yeosu Night Sea
  • Hyangiram (a temple on sea cliffs) and the soy-crab (gejang) street
🕑 Summer night sea (the "Yeosu Night Sea" song effect); Hyangiram sunrise₩17,000

💡 Marine cable car round trip ₩17,000 (standard cabin, adult; glass-floor crystal cabin ₩24,000).

West Sea Sunsets — Waemok / Gungpyeong / Seokmodo서해 낙조 — 왜목마을 / 궁평항 / 강화 석모도

📍 Dangjin / Hwaseong / Ganghwa · Waemok Village (Dangjin, sunrise + sunset), Gungpyeong Port (Hwaseong), Seokmodo (Ganghwa) · Weak public transport — rental car or tour

Red sun sinking over the tidal mudflats

  • Crimson sunset over the mudflats
  • Waemok Village sees both sunrise and sunset
  • Seokmodo hot spring nearby (crosses into wellness)
🕑 Sunsets; autumn and winter when the air is clearFree

Pohang Homigot / Yeongildae (Sea Pavilion)포항 호미곶 / 영일대 (해상누각)

📍 Pohang · Homigot is near the easternmost point of the peninsula

The "Hands of Harmony" sculpture rising from the sea at sunrise

  • "Hands of Harmony" sculpture
  • Sunrise viewing at Homigot
  • Gwamegi (semi-dried herring) in winter
  • Yeongildae sea pavilion
🕑 Sunrise (Hands of Harmony); New Year sunrise gatheringsFree

Geoje Windy Hill / Oedo거제 바람의언덕 / 외도

📍 Geoje · Connect from Busan or Tongyeong

A windmill and meadow on Windy Hill, popular with couples

  • Windy Hill windmill and grassland
  • Oedo Botania marine garden
🕑 Spring and autumn; Oedo Botania flower seasonPaid

💡 Oedo Botania entry ₩11,000 (adult), reached only by sightseeing boat from one of several Geoje ports — boat fare is separate (check with the boat operator).