Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, the clouds over Sokcho (속초) have thinned a little. The temperature is 21°C, and today's high is also recorded at 21°C. The morning low was 18°C, so it has been a very quiet day, with the temperature moving within just 3 degrees all day long. Yet the chance of precipitation is still 98%. Even if the sky looks like it has cleared, that means don't fold up your umbrella.
The news most worth watching in Sokcho today is neither the sky nor the sea but movement on the ground. Two days ago, on September 7, at the cooperation forum on revitalizing regional tourism linked to local airports, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at Yangyang International Airport (양양국제공항), Sokcho City put forward a proposal that is now quietly a talking point in the region. Today, centering on that story, we will also put together the real-time situation in Sokcho right now along with the schedule to keep in mind this week.
First, the 2 p.m. conditions in Sokcho
As of 2 p.m., the reference time for this article, the numbers for Sokcho are as follows.
- Temperature 21°C / partly cloudy / high 21°C, low 18°C / 98% chance of precipitation
- Water temperature 23.9°C — this is a sea that at one point this summer rose as high as 26.9°C. It has dropped 3 degrees.
- Wave height 2.3 m — the aftereffects of the wind-and-wave advisory issued early this morning for all waters of the central East Sea (동해) still remain.
- Tide phase 5-mul (5물) / high tide 13:10 (already passed) / next low tide 20:36
- Sunrise 06:02 / sunset 18:44 — about 4 hours 30 minutes remain until the sun sets.
For tourist-site congestion, only the Daepohang (대포항) observatory is congested, while Cheongchoho (청초호), 테라크랩팜 (Tera Crab Farm), Daecheongbong (대청봉) on Seoraksan (설악산), Sinheungsa (신흥사) and 켄싱턴호텔 설악 (Kensington Hotel Seorak) are all normal. It is a weekday afternoon with rain in the forecast, so it means the mountains and the lake have room to spare. And yet all three access roads — Misiryeong-ro (미시령로, toward Seoul), Donghae-daero (동해대로, coastal and downtown) and Seoraksan-ro (설악산로, toward Seorak) — are moving slowly. This combination, where the attractions are quiet but only the roads are jammed, touches precisely on today's topic.
26 million people came, but foreigners were 1.3%
The figures Sokcho City disclosed at this forum are striking. Visitors to Sokcho numbered 26,004,960 a year, up 4.9% from the previous year. That amounts to 325 times the population of a city of just over 80,000 people.
But among these, foreign visitors came to 336,197, only 1.3% of the total. For a place with an international airport in neighboring Yangyang, and with a national park in Seoraksan, the East Sea, hot springs and a fish market all within a single city, it is a disappointing ratio. In fact, Sokcho was recently also selected as Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province's (강원특별자치도) recommended travel destination for September, and it continues to be mentioned as a leading autumn destination where nature, relaxation and food come together. The point is that people are not failing to come for lack of appeal.
The bottleneck Sokcho City pointed to was, in the end, those 30 minutes from the airport to the city.
Twice a day, and the people caught in between
Currently, the bus connecting 속초시외버스터미널 (Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal) and Yangyang International Airport runs twice a day. Twice a day does not simply mean the number of runs is small. It means that the moment a flight's arrival time and the bus time fail to line up, the options shrink to three.
- Wait several hours at the airport,
- head out to downtown Yangyang and transfer one more time, or
- drag your suitcase and catch a taxi
This is a hassle even for travelers comfortable with Korean, and it is far harder for a foreign traveler to make that judgment in front of a stop where only a single Korean-language timetable is posted. The time when first impressions are decided is exactly this waiting time, and the longer it is, the more the next destination gets set as Seoul rather than Sokcho. In fact, it has repeatedly been pointed out that this is where Sokcho loses out in competition with nearby cities such as Gangneung (강릉) and Yangyang.
The three cards Sokcho City put on the table
The solutions Sokcho City presented at the forum fall broadly into three tracks.
- A new circular shuttle bus exclusively for foreign tourists — a route departing from Yangyang International Airport and circling major tourist sites in the Gangwon region, including Yangyang and Sokcho. The key point is not a fixed timetable but that it would run flexibly in line with flight schedules. If a plane arrives late, the bus departs late too.
- Building a multilingual information system — installing multilingual route maps and timetables at the airport and at major boarding and drop-off points. Because even if a shuttle is created, if it cannot be read it is the same as not existing.
- Joint Gangwon-region tour products and joint marketing — the idea is to create products in which nearby cities and counties, travel agencies and airlines all take part, and to promote them together by making use of local travel agencies and online travel platforms in the regions served by Yangyang Airport.
There is one point to make clear, however. This is not a confirmed route yet but a proposal presented at a forum. Shuttles will not be running starting tomorrow, so this autumn's travel plans should be built around the transport currently in service.
So, the realistic ways to get from the airport to Sokcho right now
Here are the travel methods 속초어때 has put together that can be used as of today.
- Check the bus times before you depart. Since it runs twice a day, matching it up in advance at the flight booking stage is the surest approach. For routes toward Sokcho, you can find out the day's operating times by contacting 강원여객 (Gangwon Yeogak) at 033-633-2277 or 속초시외버스터미널.
- If the times do not match, going via downtown Yangyang is realistic. This means heading out from the airport to downtown Yangyang and then transferring to a bus for Sokcho; when the wait is long, the travel time is often shorter than simply waiting at the airport.
- If there are two or more in your party, a taxi can be reasonable. It is around 30 minutes by car from the airport to downtown Sokcho. Note, though, that late at night and early in the morning there are few taxis waiting in front of the airport, so it is safer to book one in advance with a hailing app.
- If you plan to go as far as Seoraksan, a rental car is advantageous. Even when Seoraksan-ro is slow, as it is today, it is better than two transfers on public transport.
- Send your luggage to your accommodation first, or use the lockers at the terminal. If you arrive before check-in, just avoiding dragging a suitcase around makes half the day easier.
Why all three access roads are slow today
Congestion at most attractions is normal, yet the roads are jammed — which means the traffic coming into Sokcho itself was concentrated in a particular time band today. On top of that, the road surface is wet from the rain that continued until the morning, and Misiryeong-ro and Seoraksan-ro have many curves, so after rain speeds naturally drop below usual. On Donghae-daero, with the Daepohang observatory marked as congested, congestion easily builds along the coastal road section.
If you are coming into downtown Sokcho this afternoon, try this.
- Avoid the Daepohang direction in this time band. Late afternoon, when the observatory congestion eases, is better.
- For the Seoraksan side, now is actually the chance. Sinheungsa and Daecheongbong are both normal, so there are few people. But with rain still in the forecast, we recommend short courses like Sinheungsa and Gwongeumseong (권금성) rather than the summit section.
- As indoor alternatives, 속초관광수산시장 (Sokcho Gwanggwang Susan Sijang), the National Mountain Museum (국립산악박물관) and the Abai Village (아바이마을) area are all fine in weather like today's.
Two dates to write on the calendar
Two schedules to keep in mind in Sokcho this week and next month.
- Friday, September 11: the 해(海)뜰날 (Haetteulnal) direct-sale seafood market — held at the event site of 속초농협 하나로마트 엑스포점 (Sokcho Nonghyup Hanaro Mart Expo Branch) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. With support from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, six local seafood processing companies take part, selling 오징어순대 (ojingeo sundae), 젓갈 (jeotgal), semi-dried seafood and more at 20-50% off. If you have a Chuseok (추석) ancestral rite table and gifts to prepare, it is best to aim for the morning slot. At markets like this, popular items usually run out before lunch.
- Friday, October 2 - Sunday, October 4: the 61st Seorak Cultural Festival (설악문화제) — the theme is ‘Seorak, Coloring Together’, and it is held in the areas of Sokcho Expo Plaza (엑스포광장) and Seorak Rodeo Street (설악로데오거리). A street parade, performances by local artists and hands-on traditional folk games are prepared. It is D-23 as of today, so if you plan to book accommodation in Sokcho that weekend, now is a good time to reserve.
Today, take in the sea with your eyes only
Finally, a word on safety. Sokcho's swimming beaches have all closed, the last being Deungdae Beach (등대해수욕장) on August 30. That means this is now a sea with no lifeguards stationed. On top of that, today's wave height is 2.3 m. Waves at a height well above an adult's are still rolling in, so please avoid places where water can come over, such as breakwaters and rocky shores, at least for today. Swell is not the kind of thing that ends with your feet getting wet for the sake of one photo.
A water temperature of 23.9°C is a number that is hard to call cold yet, but it is not a reason to get into the water. Instead, until sunset at 6:44 p.m., we recommend walking paths where you can watch the waves from a safe distance, like Yeonggeumjeong (영금정) or the Oeongchi Badahyanggi-ro (외옹치 바다향기로). The East Sea on a day with high waves is far more worth seeing than on a calm day.
Today we looked at the weather and sea conditions in Sokcho as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, and at where the transport linking Yangyang International Airport and Sokcho now stands — was it useful? We cannot yet know when the bus that runs only twice a day will be increased, but the fact that the discussion has at least begun is probably a sign that the way to Sokcho is becoming a little more convenient. We will be back next time with even more useful information.
