Chaeseokgang and Jeokbyeokgang Cliffs, Buan

Chaeseokgang and Jeokbyeokgang are stretches of coast at Gyeokpo-ri in Buan, at the point where the Byeonsan Peninsula juts furthest into the Yellow Sea. Despite the word "gang" (river) in their names, they are sea cliffs and rocky shores. Strong waves have cut high cliffs whose layers look like tens of thousands of books stacked neatly on top of one another, with broad rock platforms spreading out below. The area was designated a Scenic Site in 2004 and lies within Byeonsanbando National Park and the Jeonbuk West Coast National Geopark.

How it formed

The cliffs are made of sedimentary and volcaniclastic rocks laid down in the Cretaceous, known as the Gyeokpo-ri Formation after the village. Shale, conglomerate and sandstone alternate, so each band differs in colour and thickness. Beneath Dagibong, cliffs 30 to 50 m high rise above a wide wave-cut platform planed flat by the sea. Where waves have exploited weak joints, sea caves about 2–3 m wide and 4–5 m high have formed. Walking along the shore you can also see normal and reverse faults and folds, which make the site valuable for research into volcanic activity and ancient sedimentary environments.

What to see

• Chaeseokgang: The cliffs below Dagibong beside Gyeokpo Beach. At low tide you can walk across the platform to see the layers up close and look out to sea from inside the caves.
• Gyeokpo Beach: The beach between Dagibong and Chaeseokgang, also called Chaeseokgang Beach. Its sunset is rated the finest of the Eight Views of Byeonsan.
• Jeokbyeokgang: About 2 km of coast north of Jungmak village. The rocks and cliffs have a reddish tint that deepens when the evening sun hits them.
• Suseongdang and the machilus grove: On the cliff of Yongdusan above Jeokbyeokgang stands Suseongdang, a shrine to the sea goddess, near the Jungmak-dong archaeological site and the Japanese machilus grove of Gyeokpo-ri, a Natural Monument. In spring rapeseed flowers bloom around the shrine.

Beacons and sea beliefs

A beacon once stood on Dagibong above Chaeseokgang, and Suseongdang on the Yongdusan cliff at Jeokbyeokgang, together with the Daemagol hollow and Yeoulgul cave below it, are rich in legends tied to fishing and folk belief. The area is valued not only for its scenery but for the stories of people who lived from the sea. Rapeseed in spring and cosmos in autumn fill the Jeokbyeokgang area.

Tripto tips

• Check the tides: The platform and caves at Chaeseokgang can only be reached on foot at low tide. Ask the Byeonsanbando National Park visitor centre for tide times beforehand, and head back as soon as the water starts rising.
• Safety: The rock is slippery with algae and water, and there is a risk of falling rock below the cliffs. Wear trainers and keep your distance from the cliff face.
• Time needed: About 1 hour for Chaeseokgang alone, or around 2.5 hours if you walk on to Jeokbyeokgang and Suseongdang. The Byeonsan Masil-gil trail follows this coast.
• When to go: Ideally on a day when low tide coincides with sunset. There is no entry fee, and car parks are near the beach.