Baengnyeongdo Island

Baengnyeongdo is South Korea's northernmost island in the Yellow Sea, so close to the North that on clear days you can see Cape Changsan in Hwanghae Province. Getting there takes about four hours by ferry from Incheon, but the reward is a collection of landforms that are hard to find anywhere else: the eroded quartzite cliffs of Dumujin, a beach of sand so firm that cars can drive on it, and a shore covered in pebbles the size of beans.

About the island

Baengnyeongdo belongs to Baengnyeong-myeon in Ongjin County, Incheon, and lies about 191 km northwest of Incheon. The name means "white wing", and the island was once called Gokdo. A local legend tells of a young man from Hwanghae Province who dreamed that a white crane handed him a note, then found his exiled sweetheart on this island; it was called Baekhakdo, "white crane island", before the name became Baengnyeongdo. Sources give its area as roughly 46 or 51 km².

Many refugees from Hwanghae Province settled here after the Korean War, and their food and dialect live on. Because the island sits close to the Northern Limit Line, the maritime border, it also hosts a large military presence. In 2019 it was designated, together with Daecheongdo and Socheongdo, as the Baengnyeong-Daecheong National Geopark.

What to see

• Dumujin (Scenic Site): a cove in the northwest whose name compares its jagged rocks to generals putting their heads together. In front of quartzite cliffs 30 to 40 m high stand Elephant Rock, General Rock, Sinseondae, Seondaeam and Brothers Rock. A pebble path to the left of the harbour takes about 20 minutes to Seondaeam, and sightseeing boats show the cliffs from the sea.
• Sagot Beach (Natural Monument): at low tide a beach about 4 km long and 300 m wide appears. Fine quartzite grains are packed so tightly that the surface is as hard as concrete; during the Korean War UN forces used it as a natural airfield. It is described as one of only two places in the world, along with a site near Naples in Italy, with this type of beach.
• Kongdol Beach (Natural Monument): about 800 m of shore, 30 m wide, covered in rounded pebbles in white, grey, brown, reddish brown and blue-grey. They are quartzite fragments worn smooth by the waves. The beach shelves steeply and the water gets deep suddenly, so take care if you go in.
• More geological sites: the mantle xenoliths of Jinchon-ri, the folded strata of Nampo-ri and Yongteurim Rock are scattered around the coast.
• Spotted seals: the waters around Baengnyeongdo are a resting area for spotted seals, and tour information says you may see them on the rocks from the Dumujin boats.

Good to know

• In the early 17th century the scholar Yi Dae-gi wrote in his account of the island that Seondae Rock at Dumujin looked like "the last masterpiece of an old god".
• Because of the many military facilities, navigation and street view in map apps are restricted in parts of the island. Ask your guesthouse or car rental for directions in advance.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: ferries leave from the Incheon Coastal Passenger Terminal; the crossing takes about 4 hours.
• ID: you need ID to board the ferry. Foreign visitors must bring their passport.
• Weather: strong wind or fog can cancel or reschedule sailings. Leave a spare day after your planned return. The Dumujin boats also stay in port in bad weather.
• Time needed: plan at least one night to see the main sights.
• Photography: do not photograph military facilities or soldiers.