Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). At 4 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, Sokcho (속초) is at 21 degrees with a few clouds. Look out the window and it is a quiet early morning, but conditions out at sea are nothing like that. A wind-wave advisory took effect for the central East Sea (동해) coastal waters at noon yesterday and for the central East Sea offshore waters at 1 p.m., and it remains in force as of this hour. The wave height off Sokcho is currently 2.3 m, the maximum wave height forecast by the Korea Meteorological Administration for this advisory period is around 3.5 m, and the figure reported by the Coast Guard is up to 4 m.
Whether you are coming to Sokcho today or you live in Sokcho, there is just one thing to remember. Today is a day when it is fine to ‘look at’ the sea, but not to ‘go near’ it. Let me go through why that is, where is especially dangerous, and what to do instead, in order.
The two advisories currently in effect for the sea off Sokcho
Right now two warnings of different kinds overlap over the sea off Sokcho. They are easy to confuse, so I will take them one at a time.
- Wind-wave advisory (Korea Meteorological Administration) — The Gangwon Regional Office of Meteorology issued it at noon on the 8th for the central East Sea coastal waters and at 1 p.m. for the offshore waters. The forecast calls for significant wave heights of 1–3.5 m and very strong winds of 30–55 km/h (8–15 m/s), and it is expected to continue until late afternoon on the 10th. It added that on the 8th and 9th there would also be sea areas with gusts accompanied by thunder and lightning.
- Coastal accident risk forecast ‘advisory’ (Gangneung (강릉) Coast Guard Station) — Issued from 6 p.m. on the 8th until the weather advisories are lifted. It covers all central East Sea waters and coastal areas such as breakwaters and rocky shores, and the stated reason is that strong winds of 8–16 m/s and high waves of up to 4 m are expected from early on the 9th. Restrictions apply to vessel departures, fishing operations and water leisure activities, and a recommendation to refrain from entering hazardous zones was issued along with it.
In other words, this is not a matter of the sea being ‘a bit rough’; the meteorological authorities and the Coast Guard have each formally notified the public of the danger in official documents.
What a wave height of 2.3 m actually looks like
The number alone probably does not give you much of a feel. 2.3 m is well above the height of an adult man, and taller than a single tetrapod on a breakwater. On top of that, the waves coming into the East Coast right now are largely swell. Swell is generated far out at sea and rolls in, so it keeps coming even if the wind dies down in the waters right in front of you. That is why the judgment “but there is no wind right now” is the most dangerous one.
Along with this advisory, the KMA also warned that high waves may surge strongly onto the beaches or wash over rocky shores and breakwaters. The possibility of waves overtopping coastal roads and of flooding in low-lying areas was mentioned as well. What the Coast Guard emphasized in particular was ‘sudden swells’ — a situation where a single wave larger than usual comes in without warning.
Places to be especially careful about in Sokcho today
Sokcho is a city where you can walk to the sea from the middle of downtown, so the hazardous zones sit right inside the area where people go about their daily lives. For today, I recommend avoiding the places below, or staying well back from the water’s edge if you do go.
- The breakwaters and tetrapods at Sokcho Port and Dongmyeong Port (동명항) — This is where anglers climb most often. Wet tetrapods are far more slippery than dry ones, and if you fall between them, getting out on your own is almost impossible. Today they are subject to the recommendation to refrain from entry.
- Seaside walkways such as Yeonggeumjeong (영금정) and the Oeongchi Badahyanggiro (외옹치 바다향기로) — Even where there are railings, when waves overtop them the surface gets soaked. Moving in toward the railing to take a photo is the most dangerous thing you can do.
- The Daepo Port (대포항) area — Even now at 4 a.m., the Daepo Port observation deck is showing as congested. The more crowded a place is, the easier it is to end up being pushed toward the waves, so do not go out to the end of the breakwater.
- Roads that run along the coast — On roads close to the sea, such as the coastal section of Donghae-daero (동해대로), overtopping waves can bring seawater and sand up onto the road surface. Slow down, and on flooded sections, easing off in advance is safer than braking hard.
For reference, as of early this morning all three approach routes — Misiryeong-ro (미시령로, toward Seoul), Donghae-daero (coast and downtown) and Seoraksan-ro (설악산로, toward Seorak) — are flowing smoothly. The way here is not congested, so there is no reason to rush; that is worth keeping in mind too.
Today’s weather and tides, hour by hour
The rain cannot be left out. The chance of precipitation in Sokcho today is 100%, and the rain will continue until the afternoon. Expected rainfall is 5–20 mm on the Gangwon east coast and 5–40 mm in the Gangwon mountains. Temperatures range from a low of 18 degrees to a high of 22 degrees, cooler than yesterday. The water temperature is 23.9 degrees, having dropped below the 24-degree mark over the past few days.
- Sunrise 06:02 / sunset 18:44 — The times of sunrise and sunset are moving up noticeably by the day. It is safer to wrap up an evening walk before 6:30.
- High tide 02:44 / 13:10, low tide 07:11 / 20:36 (5-mul) — The 13:10 high tide is the key one. When the time of highest water coincides with high waves, that becomes the window with the greatest risk of overtopping. Just for today, I would suggest putting off a walk along the shore around lunchtime.
- Those heading into the mountains should note that rainfall in the mountains is forecast at up to twice that of the east coast. Congestion toward Daecheongbong (대청봉) on Seoraksan (설악산) and Sinheungsa (신흥사) is currently ‘moderate’, but on rain-soaked granite boulder trails it is right to allow 30 minutes or more beyond your usual descent time.
So where should you go today?
People say that if the sea is off-limits there is nowhere to go in Sokcho, but it is actually the opposite. Sokcho’s real strength on a rainy day comes out under a roof.
- 속초관광수산시장 (Sokcho Gwangwang Susan Sijang) — It has an arcade, so you can get around without an umbrella, and with the Chuseok peak season under way this is when the most goods are coming in. If the line for dakgangjeong is long, it works better route-wise to start with the dried seafood and jeotgal alleys deeper inside the market.
- The grilled fish alley in Dongmyeong-dong (동명동) — A good place for a warm meal indoors. On a rainy weekday morning the wait tends to be short.
- The National Mountain Museum (국립산악박물관) and the Abai Village (아바이마을) area — Indoor exhibits plus short trips will fill half a day. The 갯배 (gaetbae) is affected by wave height on some days, so it is best to check whether it is running before you head over.
At 속초어때 we look at attraction congestion and sea conditions side by side, and on a day like today with advisories in effect it is far more practical to plan your route around places with a roof rather than places with low congestion.
Two things on the Sokcho calendar this week
- The day after tomorrow, Friday, September 11: the seafood direct-sale market ‘해(海)뜰날’ (Haetteulnal) — It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the event hall of the 속초농협 하나로마트 엑스포점 (Sokcho Nonghyup Hanaro Mart Expo branch). Six local seafood processing companies will sell squid sundae, jeotgal, semi-dried seafood and more at 20–50% off. Visitors receive a tarpaulin bag, and those who spend 50,000 KRW or more also receive domestic 초사리 (chosari) miyeok, for the first 150 people. If you have Chuseok shopping ahead of you, keep Friday morning free.
- The 61st Sokcho Seorak Cultural Festival, October 2–4 — As of today, that is D-23. It will be held around the Expo Lawn Plaza (엑스포 잔디광장) and Seorak Rodeo Street (설악로데오거리), with a street parade and performances. If you are planning to book a place to stay, now is when your choices are widest.
Finally, a summary of the day
To sum up, today in Sokcho is a day when the wind-wave advisory continues until late afternoon on the 10th, and the Coast Guard’s coastal accident risk advisory stays in place until the weather advisories are lifted. Do not climb onto breakwaters or rocky shores, drive slowly on coastal roads, and avoid going near the shore around the 13:10 high tide. Keeping just these three will let you sidestep most of today’s danger.
The sea will still be there next week. Seeing it once the waves have settled will not be too late.
Today we have covered Sokcho’s wind-wave advisory and coastal accident risk forecast as of early Wednesday, September 9, along with how to spend a rainy day here. Was it useful? We will be back next time with even more useful information.
