South Korea is geographically small (about the size of Indiana), making it easy to get across the country. I took a few weekend trips, but my favorite was to Sokcho, a small beach town on the east coast. The bus took about 4 hours and was about $33 there and back. We stayed at a hostel called Blue Door owned by an older couple with a sweet dog named Berry. For one night, it was about $30 per person.
We left at about 5 am on Saturday and took a comfortable bus to Sokcho. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by how rural it felt compared to Seoul, with vast blue skies, fish markets, and fresh ocean air.
Our first meal was at a small local restaurant called 설악회국수. We sat on a raised floor and had some of the most delicious noodles called Janchi Guksu (banquet noodles) for about $5. Then we hiked up to Yeonggeumjeong Pavilion. It was connected to a walkway into the ocean and surrounded by water. In the evening, we hung out by the giant light-up Ferris wheel, the Sokcho Eye, entertained by an open mic with people singing their hearts out to the public.
The following day we woke up at 5 am to watch the sunrise, which was more than worth it. Seeing the sun grow from a tiny white dot on the water's edge to a beautiful sky full of pinks, blues, and oranges was incredible.
We then took an hour-long bus through the countryside to Seoraksan National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Protection site with beautiful hiking trails through the mountains and waterfalls with hanging bridges and temples. We stopped for a soft serve with honeycomb, a specialty of Sokcho that can be found at all the markets.
After the challenging hike, we took the bus directly to Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market. Their specialty is Dak Gangjeong (sweet fried chicken). Locals will pick up big boxes of this chicken to eat on the beach, but we decided to try a cup from three different stalls to see which one was the best. It was interesting how different each chicken tasted, varying in texture, spice, and orangeness. Each vendor embraced their technique to making their best recipe.
For our last few hours in Sokcho, we returned to the beach and watched a live saxophone band. We ended the night with drinks at One Fine Day Cafe and a sunset with a Ferris wheel view.
Then, we boarded the bus home and returned before the metro stopped running for the night.
This was my final weekend before finals started, and I wouldn’t have spent it any other way. I grew to love Seoul throughout my months there, but going to Sokcho was like a breath of fresh air and fun.
Miya Liu
GW Exchange - Korea University College of Engineering
Spring 2023
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Mechanical Engineering Major