Sokcho (; ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and major tourist hub located in the northeast of

Gangwon Province, South Korea Gangwon Province (), officially Gangwon State (), is a administrative divisions of South Korea, Special Self-Governing Province of South Korea. It is known as the largest and population density, least densely populated subdivision of South Korea. ...

History

From around the 3rd century to the early 5th century AD, Sokcho was part of Dongye. Originally a sparsely inhabited

fishing village A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000 ...

on the shores of Lake Cheongchoho, it became a major port due to its location on the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

. Sokcho later became a mineral transfer port in 1937. When the Korean peninsula was divided into two countries following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Sokcho was placed under

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

n control, before being captured by the South Korean army on August 18, 1951. Since the

Korean Armistice Agreement The Korean Armistice Agreement (; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United States Army Lieutenant General William Kelly Harrison Jr ...

(1953), it has been a part of South Korea.

Tourism

Seoraksan National Park

Seoraksan National Park is located in the vicinity of Sokcho and attracts local and international tourists. The city is known for its beach, natural hot springs, golf courses, and fine fishery products.

Lakes

Sokcho is home to two lakes, Yeongrangho and Cheongchoho. Y''eongrangho'' lake is renowned for its beauty. The reflection of Mt. Seorak and Ulsanbawi are particularly popular. Marina Yacht is located in Cheongchoho Lake Park and provides yachting tours on the Sea of Japan. The tours start and finish at Cheongcho Marina, passing Seorakdaegyo Bridge, and Dongmyeonghang Port, Jodo. Marina Yacht rents boats to people with a boat license; it also has a café. Yeongrangho Hwarangdo Center provides various experiences, including horse riding. Daepo harbour is located in Daepo-dong, Sokcho. Its attractions include a sea fountain and beach cable car.

Buddhist temples

There are a number of well-preserved Buddhist temples in the area around Sokcho. The main building of the '' Sinheungsa'' temple (''Geukrakbojeon'') is a major tourist destination (originally built in the 15th century). Also notable is the ''Hyangseongsaji samcheung seoktap -'' a three-storey

pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...

of 4.3 metres. It dates from 652 and is located at the site of the ''Hyangseongsa'' temple. ''Yeonggeumjeong'', a pavilion built on the shores of Sokcho, is popular for its views of the sunrise.

Traditional village

Abai village near

Seoraksan Seoraksan (), or Mount Sorak, is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in the Gangwon Province in eastern South Korea. It is located in the Seoraksan National Park, near Sokcho. After the Hallasan volcano on Jeju Island and ...

was originally established to house North Korean refugees due to the separation of Korea. Consequently, many of the inhabitants have relatives in North Korea. The village has seen increased tourism due to the popularity of Korean Drama '' Autumn in My Heart'' on KBS.

Festivals

In 1999, the Gangwon International Tourism Expo was held in Sokcho. In July 2016, Sokcho became one of the few locations in South Korea where '' Pokémon Go'' could be played due to government restrictions on mapping data. Players flocked to the city, causing public transport tickets to sell out. Many tourists are also attracted by the close proximity of the DMZ.

Infrastructure

Airport

Sokcho used to have its own airport, linking the city to

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. Currently, the city is served by the Yangyang International Airport.

Station

The opening of KTX Gyeonggang Line has made it convenient for travellers to visit Gangwon Province, a 86-minute train ride from

Stadium

* Sokcho Stadium

Food

Sokcho's traditional market, established in 1953 as the Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, offers a variety of items for sale, including fresh fish, dried fish, and various vegetables. It was recently included in the Korea Tourism Organization's list of "Best Traditional Markets for Foreign Tourists". The market is notable for its vibrant atmosphere, where visitors can observe fishmongers bargaining with local shoppers. Sokcho is known for Hoe, which is a raw fish. The coastal waters provide good fishing grounds for Ojingeo, Myeongtae, Gwangeo and Godeungeo. Sundubu can be found in the streets of the tofu towns such as Sinheung Sundubu and Haksapyeong Sundubu — it is made from

and water from the Sea of Japan. Sokcho offers a unique twist to

Sundae A sundae (Sunday Ice) () is an ice cream frozen dessert of American origin that typically consists of one or more scoops of ice cream topped with a sweet sauce or syrup and other toppings such as sprinkles, whipped cream, marshmallows, chocola ...

(not the eponymous dessert) by using Ojingeo instead of pork intestines. The Ojingeo-sundae consists of squid stir-fry, made with noodles and blood sausage, with carrots, onions, seaweed and spices mixed together, covered with thin fried egg yolk. File:Ojingeo Sundae.jpg, Ojingeo Sundae File:Godeungeo Hoe.jpg, Godeungeo Hoe File:Jeon Bok.jpg, Jeon Bok Hoe File:Mae Un Tang.jpg, Mae Un Tang File:Sundubu Jjgae.jpg, Sundubu Jjigae

Culture

Local cuisine can be experienced in the various food districts of the city. "Foodtown" is a two block area dedicated to restaurants where visitors can find mainly Korean style beef pork and chicken restaurants. Daepo harbor, outside of Sokcho on the road to Yangyang offers more than 100 individual mini restaurants serving diverse seafood dishes. An own unique stuffed squid dish, Abai Sundae, can be found in Abai village. In October Sokcho comes to life with the Seorak Cultural Festival, which includes parades, stage shows, contests, races and various other forms of entertainment. The rice cake making sampling contests are particularly popular. Another unusual event is the Gaet-Bae, or raft, race. Two teams propel the rafts across the course by pulling on long handled hooks catching the cable that straddles the deck of each raft.

Climate

Sokcho straddles the line between a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfa'') and a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

: ''Dfa'').

Sister cities

* Jeongeup,

North Jeolla Province North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of South Chungcheong to the north, North Gyeo ...

since June 13, 1996 *

Jung District, Seoul Jung District () is one of the 25 List of districts of Seoul, districts of Seoul, South Korea. It has a population of 131,452 (2013) and has a geographic area , making it both the least-populous and the smallest district of Seoul, and is divided ...

since January 22, 1997 *

Gresham, Oregon Gresham ( ) is a city in the Willamette Valley, Located in Multnomah County in the U.S. state of Oregon, bordered by Portland to the northwest and partially in the southwest. It was first settled in the early 1850s by the Powell brothers. It ...

, United States since June 23, 1985 *

Taitung County Taitung () is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island's southeastern coast and also including Green Island, Orchid Island and Lesser Orchid Island. The seat is located in Taitung City. Name While its name means "East ...

, Taiwan since April 16, 1992 *

Hunchun Hunchun is a county-level city in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture within Jilin province to the far east. It borders North Hamgyong Province in North Korea and Primorsky Krai in Russia, has over 250,000 inhabitants, and covers 5,145&nbs ...

Jilin ) , image_skyline = Changbaishan Tianchi from western rim.jpg , image_alt = , image_caption = View of Heaven Lake , image_map = Jilin in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_al ...

, People's Republic of China since August 22, 1994 *

Yonago is a Cities of Japan, city in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 146,139 in 68,534 households and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is the prefecture's second ...

, Tottori, Japan since October 18, 1995 * Khasansky,

Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a krais of Russia, krai) of Russia, part of the Far Eastern Federal District in the Russian Far East. The types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...

, Russia since July 19, 1996 *

Nyūzen is a town in Shimoniikawa District, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 25,007 in 8,970 households and a population density of 350 persons per km2. The total area of the town was . Geography With the Sea of Japan ...

, Toyama, Japan since October 3, 1996 * Sakaiminato, Tottori, Japan since April 9, 2002 * Partizansk, Primorsky Krai, Russia

Gallery

File:Korea-Seorak Mountains behind Sokcho-01.jpg, Seorak Mountains adjacent to Sokcho File:Korea-Sokcho-Squid.Market-01.jpg, Squid drying at the Taepo Fish Market in Sokcho File:Seolak Bridge, Sokcho.jpg, Sinsuro Arched Bridge over Lake Cheongchoho in Sokcho File:Korea-Sokcho-Squid boats on Cheongchoho Lake-01.jpg, Squid boats on Lake Cheongchoho in Sokcho File:Lighthouses in Sokcho.jpg, Cheongho Beach

Notable people from Sokcho

* Shin Ye-eun (), a South Korean actress *

Park Kwang-su Park Kwang-su (born January 22, 1955) is a South Korean filmmaker. He was born in Sokcho, Gangwon Province and grew up in Busan. Park joined the Yallasung Film Group as a student of Fine Arts at Seoul National University. Upon graduation, he fo ...

(), a South Korean filmmaker * Hwang Keum-chan (), a poet born in Sokcho, Gangwon-do * Kim Kang-min (), a South Korean actor under the label of Mystic Story * Monday (birth name: ''Kim Ji-min'', ), singer, dancer, rapper and K-pop idol, member of

K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...

girlgroup

Weeekly Weeekly () is a South Korean girl group formed by IST Entertainment (formerly Play M Entertainment). The group was IST Entertainment's second girl group in ten years, after Apink. The group consists of six members: Soojin, Monday, Soeun, Jaehee ...

In literature

The novel '' Winter in Sokcho'', by Elisa Shua Dusapin, which won the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2021, takes place in Sokcho. It was subsequently adapted into the 2024 film '' Winter in Sokcho'' by director Koyo Kamura.Callum McLennan
"Koya Kamura's Toronto Premiere 'Winter in Sokcho': A Dance Between Art and Isolation"
'' Variety'', 4 September 2024.

References

External links

Sokcho city government home page

Sokcho city government English-language home page

Sokcho-si Tourism Org

Sokcho-si :Official Site of Korea Tourism Org
{{Authority control Cities in Gangwon Province, South Korea Port cities and towns in South Korea