Jeongdongjin

Step off the train and the end of the platform is the beach, with the East Sea right behind it. Jeongdongjin is a seaside village south of Gangneung that became famous across Korea for its tiny station almost touching the water and for New Year sunrises. Part of its story is how a rural halt that nearly closed was saved by a single TV drama scene.

The name and a famous scene

The name means "the port due east", because in the Joseon era it was believed to lie exactly east of Gwanghwamun gate in the capital. Modern surveying later showed it is actually due east of Dobongsan, a mountain in northern Seoul.

Jeongdongjin Station opened in 1962 as a small local stop. Passenger numbers fell so far that closure was considered, but then the 1995 SBS drama Sandglass showed its heroine arrested while waiting for a train at a seaside halt, and that scene was filmed here. Visitors poured in. In 1997 the platforms were rebuilt so that the seaward platform opens straight onto the sand. Today KTX-Eum, Nuriro and Mugunghwa trains stop here, and the station is reported to be listed by Guinness World Records as the train station closest to the sea.

What to see

• The station and the beach: the main stretches of sand are in front of the station, by Sandglass Park and by the breakwater. The rocks in front of the station are covered with shellfish, mussels and sea urchins.
• Sandglass Park: built to commemorate the drama and the new millennium, it holds the Millennium Sandglass, completed in December 1999 and billed as the world's largest hourglass. There is no admission or parking fee.
• Jeongdongjin coastal terrace: a raised former shoreline about 4 km long at 75–85 m above sea level. It records a time 2–2.5 million years ago when the sea stood about 80 m higher, and it was declared a Natural Monument in 2004.
• Jeongdong-Simgok Badabuchae-gil: a 3.01 km coastal boardwalk between Jeongdongjin and Simgok harbour. It was a military patrol path for decades and opened to the public in 2016, passing rock formations such as Buchae Rock and Tugu (Helmet) Rock.

Nearby

• Jeongdongjin Rail Bike: pedal carts that start from the station grounds.
• Jeongdongjin Time Museum: a museum about time and clocks close to the beach.
• Simgok harbour: the other end of the Badabuchae-gil trail, with a free public car park, so many walkers start from there.

Tripto tips

• Sunrise: on 1 January the beach and station are packed before dawn. Book sunrise trains or rooms early, and on any day arrive 30 minutes before sunrise.
• Costs: the beach is free and open 24 hours. The Badabuchae-gil trail charges admission; the adult fare was reportedly raised to KRW 5,000 in 2023.
• Trail hours: listed as 08:00–17:30 from April to October and 09:00–16:30 from November to March, closed in high waves or strong wind. Much of it is perforated steel grating, so avoid heels; there are no toilets on the trail, and photographing military installations is prohibited.
• Time needed: 1–2 hours for the station, beach and Sandglass Park; half a day if you add the coastal trail.
• Getting there: KTX-Eum trains run directly from Seoul to Jeongdongjin. It lies about 18 km south-east of central Gangneung, which is also reachable by city bus or taxi.