Gunsan’s Seonyudo Island Is The Escape To Take In Jeollabuk-do
Originally called Gunsan-do, Seonyudo Island (선유도) is one of a few islands that are just off the coast of Gunsan in Jeollabuk-do. There are some really stunning places to go on the west coast of Korea and this area is definitely one of them. Take a boat ride that goes in and around the islands and watch as the sun sets on the horizon. It’s beautiful and fun, and an escape from the city and busier areas that makes a vacation spot a perfect getaway. Take a road trip south of Seoul and head here if you can. You need to experience the island life in Korea.
Skip around to get the details:
- How To Get There
- How To Get Around
- The History Of Seonyudo Island
- What To Know About The Area
- Plan Your Drive
Gunsan Itinerary
How To Get There
It’s important to note that there are TWO Seonyudo Islands in Korea. When you mention Seonyudo Island to Koreans, it’s common to be asked which one you’re referring to. A popular Seonyudo Island sits in the Han River in central Seoul while the idyllic island with white sand beaches sits just off the coast of Gunsan in Jeollabuk-do. Don’t get them confused and know the difference when you’re looking up info because they are vastly different obviously.
Address: Seonyudo-ri, Okdo-myeon, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do (전북 군산시 옥도면 선유도리)
By Car: The trip from Seoul takes about 3.5 hours. Just plug in the address above and get on your way. This would be an ideal trip to rent a car for if you don’t have one here in Korea.
How To Get Around
The best way to see the islands is to rent a bike and really get a move on. This isn’t the best mode of transport for everyone, ie me with a little person, but if you are the kind of traveler that wants to go go go, then this is the way to do it and you can rent bikes just on the island when you arrive.
For people like me who come with a car, again toting along that little person, a great way to see the islands but from the comfort of a chair with a shaded canopy is to take one of the ferry tours that will take you around the islands with a crew that will fill you in on the various islands and the folklores that pertain to them. The touristy ride takes an hour and gets you around to see some really fantastic views. You can also get some shrimp chips and play fetch with the nearby seagulls that follow along.
The History of Seonyudo Island
Seonyudo Island was the headquarters of the Naval Forces during the Joseon Dynasty. During the Goryeo Dynasty, it was not only a port of call for the Yeo/Song trade route, but it was also a maritime landmark during the Imjin War. Admiral Yi Sun Sin even stayed on the island for eleven days after winning the Battle of Myeongnyang to reorganize the battle lines.
What To Know About The Area
Along with Seonyudo Island, Sinsido Island (신시도), Munyeodo Island (무녀도), Bangchukdo Island (방축도), and Maldo Island (말도) are a few of the 20 islands that make up the Gogunsan Islands. Seonyudo is the central island of the archipelago and the one often touted for amazing views and beautiful beaches. As the third largest island in Gogunsangundo, Seonyudo is said to be a ‘Hyungkuk where two gods sit face to face and play Baduk’. Take the ferry ride and you’ll learn a lot more about the tales surrounding the islands.
While you used to need to take a ferry to get to the islands, there is now a road so you can just drive or take a taxi right across. If you’ll want to rent a bike or an ATV, then just be on the lookout after you cross the bridge from the mainland for a shop to pick one up. You’ll be able to find one without an issue. There is a lot to do out on the islands and it’s really up to you and how much energy you feel like exerting. Let’s see what you can do!
Find A Beach
There are beautiful sandy beaches and pebble beaches too. The water is clear and the views of mountainous islands surrounding you will give you vibes of far off adventure.
Take a Trek
There are walking/biking paths throughout the islands and they vary in length. Course A is 11 kilometers long and makes stops on the scenic Manjubong Hill as well as a prayer lighthouse. There’s also a wooden deck that runs along Seonyudo’s northern coastline. We didn’t take this walk, but saw some trekkers from our seat on the boat. We waved. They waved. Pretty sure I had the better time in that heat and humidity. If you want to do this, you’ll want to pick up a guide to the routes from the nearest tourist information booth in Gunsan.
Take a Ferry Tour
There are a couple different ferry tour options available on the island. We chose the Saemangeum Cruise. You can get some more information about the tours available and times, etc from their site http://www.sunyoudotour.com/.
Basically, we got a ticket, took our seats on the top, although there are some inside, but we wanted the views. We took in the amazing island views and fed some of the boisterous seagulls. It was really just a stunning way to see everything. If you understand Korean, there is a guide who goes over the island information and shares some humorous stories about what they all look like.
Find Views From Mangjubong Hill
If you’re a hiker or like a little trek and it’s not the middle of summer, look into heading up to the peak of Mangjubong for a pretty epic view of the sunset. Since we were visiting in the high humidity of summer, we didn’t do that this time, but based on some photos I’ve seen I can say it’s definitely something to look into if you want to move and groove your way to the top.
Bike the Islands
According to the Gunsan tourism website, you can bike around Seonyudo Island in just an hour and if you take on the other two islands nearest it, you can do it in three hours. Of course, plan to stop a bit, but considering that timing, you can definitely see quite a bit in one day, or just use the bikes to get you to the nearest beach and have some fun in the water.
Zipline!
Near Myeongsasimni Beach you will find the Seonyu Sky SUN Line which is 45 meters above sea level and is the longest over-ocean zip line in Korea. It’s 700 meters long. Hop on and before you know it, you’ll be crossing salty sea water to nearby Solsum Island. It’s a thrill and definitely something fun to do if you’re and adventure seeking kind of traveler.
- Address: 136 Seonyubuk-gil, Okdo-myeon, Gunsan-si (군산시 옥도면 선유북길 136)
Dig Up Shellfish
One of the most popular things to do on Korea’s west coast is to go digging for shellfish. If you’ve never done it, now is your chance. It’s quite the experience and you will be muddy afterward. Get muddy, get wet and have some fun. Good luck finding the sea creatures! The experience usually costs around W5,000 for the gear and the fun. Usually Koreans will take the shellfish away to eat it later, but if you’re like me and don’t really know what to do with it, then you can just give it to the ajjumma that you just rented the gear from. Those big shellfish go for W1,000 per so the ajjumma will probably be grateful if you just want to pass it on to her.
- Address: 78-3 Seonyudo-ri, Okdo-myeon, Gunsan-si (군산시 옥도면 선유도리 78-3)
Plan Your Drive
If you’ve got a car, this would make for a fun getaway. We actually made the trip south some months back and had a great time exploring the area. Here are some suggested stops if you want to plan an itinerary into Jeollabuk-do or just a little road trip from Seoul. You definitely don’t need to stop at all of these spots and it entirely depends on how much time you have, but here are some great things to do in the area.
Make Stop In Seocheon-gun (서천군)
Just north of Gunsan, this area is a bit more of a hidden gem area. It’s less touristy than the areas south and thus there are some cool little things to get into. If you want to try your hand at digging for shellfish in the mudflats and walk in a forest that also has a sky walk for some great views, then definitely go to Seocheon-gun and find
If you just want to stop for lunch in Seocheon-gun, then head to
Stay in Gunsan (군산시)
It takes less than an hour to get from Gunsan to Seonyudo Island and it was a bit easier for us to find places to stay in Gunsan which is why we initially opted to stay there. Gunsan happens to have some really amazing things to see which I didn’t even realize while planning though and it made for a great stop. If Seonyudo works better as a daytrip, then staying in Gunsan is a great option.
Check out this guide to Gunsan for some ideas for what to do and where to eat if you visit. The city was originally a small fishing village that became a port city in the late 19th century during the Japanese colonization. It is one of the few areas that was largely left intact after the Korean War so there are some really interesting historical buildings to see which include Dongguksa Temple, built in the Japanese style, and some other Japanese style homes and restaurants. Take a picture outside of Chowon Photo Studio which was used in as a set in the film “Christmas in August” and then check out the fun and quirky
If you just want to eat in the area, don’t miss Hanilok that I’ve now eaten at twice because it was so good and serves a simple yet satiating Korean style beef radish soup or stop into Lee Sung Dang for breakfast. Lee Sung Dang is the oldest bakery in Korea and was opened in 1945. There’s a ton to do in Gunsan. Don’t miss it!
Find Nature On Seonyudo Island (선유도 (군산))
After Gunsan, you’ll definitely want to head to the islands to have some fun. Take a boat trip to take in all of the scenery or just relax on one of the gorgeous beaches. Bike around the island and have the fun. I’ve gone into what you can do on Seonyudo Island above, but just know, this is where it would fit in best in the itinerary.
Drive Along The Saemangeum Sea Wall (새만금홍보관)
The Saemangeum Embankment is a sea wall that is 33.9 kilometers long and is currently the longest sea wall in the world. It’s a reclamation project that took decades to come to fruition. The wall was actually used TWICE in BTS videos too so their fans will probably recognize the area. It was used in their 2016 song “Save Me” and then again as the album cover for “Love Yourself 轉 Tear,” which came out in 2018. Now there’s a photo-zone so that people can find exactly where the guys from the group were too.
Saemangeum is land that was built using Korea’s innovative technology. We watched a pretty harrowing video about the construction while we were at the promotional center actually. The sea wall connects Gunsan, Gogunsan Islands, and Buan and allowed the development of 121.8㎢ of land. The sea wall is fun to drive across if you’ve got your own car and then be sure to check out the PR Hall to learn why it was built and what it does for the area and get the views. It’s a fun quick stop on the driving course itinerary if you’re headed a bit further south or just want to get in some more sea views before you head home.
- Address: Saemangeum PR Hall, 6, Saemangeum-ro, Byeonsan-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do (전라북도 부안군 변산면 새만금로 6 새만금홍보관)
- Days: Closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year’s Day, Chuseok.
- Hours: 9:00am ~ 5:00pm
Chaesukgang Beach & Cliffs (채석강)
The best way to wrap up a little driving course in the region after driving across the sea wall is to head to one of my favorite places in all of Korea. Chaeseokgang is just a further 20 minutes from the promotional hall mentioned above and has a beach but what is really stunning are the cliffs and rocky seaside.
If you head to the northern part to see the cliffs, then you also get the beach. If you head to the port side to see the cliffs, you get no beach, but there’s a boardwalk that walks around some cliffs even further south too so there are pros and cons to both ends of the cliffs. It’s a fantastic place to explore though. Find out more about Chaesukgang here.
Whether you’re taking a road trip in Jeollabuk-do and stopping at various places along the way or staying for an entire weekend on Seonyudo Island, you’ll enjoy the area. It’s really a gorgeous place to visit in Korea and an area that isn’t as oft touted to foreigners but should be. Need an escape from Seoul? Head to Seonyudo Island in Gunsan.
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