Sageunjin Beach

Sageunjin Beach runs straight on from the northern end of Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung. Rocks of all sizes rise out of the sand and the water is very clear, so it is a good choice when you want a quieter stretch of sea away from the Gyeongpo crowds. Pine woods frame the back of the beach, and a cluster of small guesthouses faces the water.

The ferry landing of the pottery seller

The beach lies in Anhyeon-dong, Gangneung, and sources give its length as 600–800 m. The name Sageunjin comes with a story: long ago a man who had come from the south to sell pottery settled here, fishing from a single small boat while selling his bowls on the side, and the place became known as "the landing where the pottery seller lived". The sand is continuous with Gyeongpo Beach, but the many rocks give Sageunjin a quite different feel.

An underwater park

Gangneung has spent years turning the sea off Sageunjin into an underwater leisure area. Between 2003 and 2008 the city sank fishing-boat reefs, leisure structures and artificial reefs here at a cost of KRW 3.3 billion, and in 2014 it announced plans to expand the underwater park with artificial caves, underwater sculptures and a snorkelling zone, together with a scuba resort on land for training and equipment hire. In front of the breakwater the water is shallow and clear enough to watch fish from above.

A summer for dogs

Sageunjin first made its name as a beach for dogs. In 2013 Gangneung ran a trial from 12 July to 26 August, setting aside 270 m of the roughly 800 m beach as a dedicated dog beach, billed as the first in Korea. That summer 14,020 people came to this section with around 9,000 dogs, and total visitor numbers at Sageunjin rose by about 10,000 on the year before. Arrangements change from year to year, so check Gangneung's announcements before bringing a dog.

Tripto tips

• When to go: Gangneung's beaches open in early or mid-July and close in late August. On quiet spring and autumn mornings you can watch the sun rise beyond the rocks with hardly anyone around.

• Time needed: a walk along the beach takes 30 minutes to an hour. You can also walk about 1 km north along the shore from Gyeongpo Beach.

• Nearby: Gyeongpo Lake and Gyeongpodae Pavilion are about 2 km away; the pavilion, one of the Eight Views of Gwandong, was first built in 1326 and became a Treasure in 2019. Walk about 3 km south along the shore, past Gyeongpo Beach, to reach the Sotdae Bridge at Gangmun Beach. Ojukheon and Seongyojang are a short drive.

• Getting there: the beach is about 5 km north of Gangneung Station. Take a city bus towards Gyeongpo or a taxi.

• Facilities: in summer there are changing rooms, drinking fountains and parasol rental, and a campground lies in the pine woods behind the beach.

• Safety: waves can rise suddenly around the breakwater and rocks. In June 2026 two people who fell into the water here had to be rescued by the coast guard, so stay off the outer rocks and only swim in the marked zone during the opening period.