Sokcho

Introduction

Sokcho (속초시) is the nearest large city and gateway to the famous Seoraksan National Park and whilst most tourists simply drive through on their way to visit the park, Sokcho, in particular the port is well worth a visit. Fishing is the major industry here and the shores are lined with fishing boats of all shapes and sizes and bustling seafood restaurants that proudly display and actively spruik their freshly caught produce.

Sights and Activities

• Seoraksan National Park
• Dongmyeong Port

Weather

Sokcho has cold but relatively dry winters, averaging around zero. Most of the precipitation during this time is in the form of snow. Summers are tropical with hot and humid conditions. Temperatures average between 25 °C and 30 °C from June to September with warm nights. This is also the wet season. The best times obviously are spring and autumn with much less rain and agreeable temperatures.

Getting There

By Bus

Buses from Seoul take four to five hours.

By Boat

There are direct ferries between Sokcho and Vladivostok, Russia, taking roughly 24 hours. Dong Chun Ferry (Korean only) is the operator.

Getting Around

By Public Transport

Bus #7 to Seoraksan takes 30min and cost ₩950.

Eat

The local specialty and highly recommended is their squid sundae.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet is widely available in South Korea. The country is the sixth highest user of Internet in the world and there are internet cafes around the country in public places such as airports, train stations and bus terminals in South Korea. ‘PC bangs’ are rooms full of computers, predominantly started for people to play games. They are cheap and many open 24-hours with snacks available.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Korea Post is the national postal service and has fast, reliable and well-priced services. Standard letters and postcards start at 400 Won for domestically send ones. On their website you can find more about pricing details, as there are many different rates, depending on the zone (which country) you want to send it to, how much it weighs, wether it is air or ground service etc. Generally, post office hours are from Monday to Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm, though the larger central post offices tend to be open until 8:00pm and sometimes also on Saturday or even Sunday, usually only mornings.