Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). It is Wednesday, September 30, 12 PM, and Sokcho (속초) is at 24°C with a few clouds. Today's high is 28°C, the morning low was 18°C, and there is a 27% chance of rain. The sea temperature is 22.8°C and the waves are calm at 0.6 m. The Daepo Port (대포항) observatory is very crowded right now, and all three access roads, Misiryeong-ro (미시령로), Donghae-daero (동해대로) and Seoraksan-ro (설악산로), have slow traffic.
This evening there is the lighting ceremony for the Cheongchoho Lake (청초호) Chrysanthemum Exhibition, and the Seorak Cultural Festival (설악문화제) starts the day after tomorrow, so Sokcho is full of event news this week. In the middle of all this, one program has quietly opened registration: a free experience where you make pottery by hand and try archery on the very spot where people lived in Sokcho 3,000 years ago. The first session is on October 3, National Foundation Day, and there are only 20 spots per session, so if you are interested, it is best to look into it this week.
Did you know there was a Bronze Age village in Sokcho?
The experience takes place at Historic Site No. 376, the Joyang-dong (조양동) Site in Sokcho. It was designated a historic site on October 10, 1992, so next month marks the 34th year since its designation. It sits on a hill near Cheongchoho Lake, and it is where house sites and tombs of people who lived around the 8th century BC have been confirmed.
The 1992 excavation uncovered 7 pit-house sites and 2 dolmens. The houses were built by digging 40–60 cm into weathered bedrock and spreading a thin layer of fine clay over the floor. They are rectangular, long from east to west, and measure about 23–76 ㎡. The large houses are about the size of a modern apartment with two or three rooms.
The artifact worth noting is the fan-shaped bronze axe found in a dolmen. Such axes had been found in South Hamgyong Province (함경남도), but this was the first discovery on the East Sea (동해) coast of Gangwon Province (강원도), making it an important clue for research on the region's prehistoric culture. It means that even 3,000 years ago, Sokcho was a crossroads for travel to and from the north along the East Sea coast. For those who only think of Seoraksan (설악산) and the sea, this will be a rather new side of Sokcho.
How 'Joyang-dong Time Travel, Starry Night Sokcho' works
The program is called 'Joyang-dong Time Travel, Starry Night Sokcho'. It is a 2026 Living National Heritage Utilization Project hosted by the Korea Heritage Service, Gangwon State and Sokcho City, and organized by 만지는박물관 (Manjineun Museum). It is divided into two programs.
① Sokcho Bronze Age Time Travel (Free)
- Dates: 4 sessions in total: October 3 (Sat), October 30 (Fri), November 7 (Sat), November 21 (Sat)
- Time: 1 PM–6 PM
- Location: Historic Site, Joyang-dong Site in Sokcho
- Activities: Making hunting tools, making pottery, archery, building a pit house
- Fee: Free
- Capacity: 20 people per session, advance registration
Because the experience lasts five hours, it is closer to 'a full day's routine' than 'sightseeing'. Pottery takes time to shape by hand, and the pit house takes time for a group to raise the posts and cover it. If you are going with children, plan to have lunch, arrive in time for 1 PM, and leave around sunset.
② Sokcho Starry Cultural Heritage Trip (Paid, 1 Night 2 Days)
- Dates: October 30 (Fri) 1 PM – October 31 (Sat) 11 AM
- Activities: Stargazing, music, sharing stories
- Capacity: 20 people
- Fee: Paid (check the amount on the registration page)
October 30 overlaps with the second day of the Bronze Age Time Travel. The flow is to experience life from 3,000 years ago during the day and look up at the sky those people would have seen at night, so if you sign up for both programs back to back, the story connects naturally. It starts on Friday afternoon, so office workers will need to take a half day off.
Three things to check before you sign up
First, registration is accepted only by QR code. You apply online using the QR code printed on Sokcho City's promotional materials, and no separate information has been given about on-site registration. Rather than just heading to the site, you should register first. For inquiries, contact the organizer, 만지는박물관 (033-635-3234).
Second, minors must be accompanied by one guardian. This is not a program where you can drop off your child alone. Be sure to check when registering whether guardians count toward the capacity. If families join a 20-person capacity, only five or six families can actually take part.
Third, the first session is three days away. October 3 is the first day of the National Foundation Day holiday and also the second day of the Seorak Cultural Festival. Many families come to Sokcho that day, so the 20 free spots may fill quickly. If your dates are flexible, aiming for Saturday, November 7 or 21 may actually be easier.
If you want to enjoy it together with the Seorak Cultural Festival on October 3
On October 3, the Seorak Cultural Festival street parade will be held twice on Seorak Rodeo Street (설악로데오거리), at 2 PM and 5 PM, followed by a youth special stage (YOUNITE, Dotree) at 6:30 PM. The Bronze Age experience runs from 1 PM to 6 PM, so it is hard to see both events.
- Experience first: 1–6 PM at the Joyang-dong Site → 6:30 PM youth special stage or the night view of the Cheongchoho Lake Chrysanthemum Exhibition
- Festival first: Enjoy the parade and stages on the 3rd, and sign up for the Bronze Age experience on November 7 or 21
- Split by day: Opening ceremony at 7 PM on the 2nd (Yoon Soo-il, Yeom Yu-ri) → Bronze Age experience on the 3rd → Closing ceremony at 7 PM on the 4th (Solji, Shin Seung-tae, Gummy) and fireworks
The Seorak Cultural Festival is free and runs every day from 10 AM to 9:30 PM. City roads may be busy during the holiday, so keeping in mind days like today when the access roads are slow, we recommend leaving about 30 minutes early for the 1 PM experience.
Especially recommended for
- Families with elementary school children: Touching the 'pit houses, dolmens and plain pottery' from textbooks with your own hands is completely different from seeing them behind museum glass.
- Travelers who have been to Sokcho a few times: If you have already been to the beaches, markets and Seoraksan, Sokcho as it was 3,000 years ago becomes a new travel story.
- Sokcho residents: Many people have never actually gone inside, even though this historic site is close to home. It is a good chance to look around properly for free.
The site is outdoors, so it is affected by the weather. Sokcho afternoons in late October–November quickly get chilly as the sun goes down, so with physical activities like archery and building a pit house in mind, be sure to bring comfortable sneakers and an extra jacket. You will be handling clay, so clothes you do not mind getting dirty are even better.
Sokcho today at a glance
- Weather: 24° a few clouds, high 28°/low 18°, 27% chance of rain
- Sea: Water temperature 22.8°, wave height 0.6 m
- Crowds: Daepo Port observatory very crowded, 한화리조트 설악 워터피아 (Hanwha Resort Seorak Waterpia) crowded, Daecheongbong Peak of Seoraksan, Haksapyeong Sundubu Village (학사평 순두부촌), Cheongchoho Lake and 석봉도자기미술관 (Seokbong Dojagi Misulgwan) moderate
- Traffic: Misiryeong-ro, Donghae-daero and Seoraksan-ro all slow
- This evening: Cheongchoho Lake Chrysanthemum Exhibition lighting ceremony at 6:30 PM
속초어때 will keep bringing you free programs that are not as widely known as festivals.
Today we looked at the free Bronze Age experience and the Starry Night 1-night 2-day program at the Joyang-dong Site in Sokcho. Did you find it helpful? We will be back next time with even more useful information.
