Finding The West Coast Of Korea: Things To Do In Seocheon-gun

Seocheon-gun in Chungcheongnam-do was a recent stop on a fishy tour south of Seoul and I was really pleasantly surprised with the things we found in the area. We were learning more about Korean laver, stopping into the port city of Gunsan, and having lots of fun. There are plenty of things to do in Seocheon and some really beautiful places to see. The area is often overlooked when planning trips to the west coast of Korea since the popular mud festival in Boryeong is just north and the city of Gunsan is just south.

For spreading out and having some less popular but no less fun though, Seocheon is definitely a good spot to mark on the map and to get out to see. This area is also great if you’ve got kids in Korea and want to take them on a trip. There were some great experiences. I would definitely come back with my daughter for some kiddo fun in Chungcheongnam-do.

Feel free to skip around and find out more about some of the spots we visited recently in Seocheon-gun:

• How To Get To Seocheon-gun From Seoul?
• How To Get Around Seocheon-gun
• Where To Stay In Seocheon-gun
• Things To Do In Seocheon-gun
  • Janghang Songlim Forest & Beach (장항송림산림욕장)
  • Janghang Skywalk (장항스카이워크)
  • Seocheon Specialty Market (서천특화시장)
  • National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea Seaquarium (국립해양생물자원관)

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How To Get To Seocheon-gun From Seoul

We took a tour bus from Seoul to Seocheon-gun, but if you’re traveling on your own, make sure you have your T-Money card topped off and get to the train station or bus terminal and you can get to Seocheon-gun without problem.

By Train: From Yeongdeungpo Station, you can get the Saemaeul Train to Seocheon Station. It takes just under 3 hours.

By Bus: From Seoul’s Nambu Bus Terminal, you can take a bus to Janghang Bus Station which takes just under 3.5 hours.

From here, you can also head down just a bit more to Gunsan and find the idyllic archipelago with the beautiful Seonyudo Island centrally located. There’s so much to see in the region. Don’t miss it!

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How To Get Around Seocheon-gun

We were traveling by tour bus, but if you’ve got a car, that’s a great option to. That said, Seocheon-gun does operate a number of city tour courses which are great if you want to see the sites and do not have your own car. You’ll have to check for availability due to COVID currently, however, I want to add the information for when it is running. You can see the courses for the Seocheon-gun tour buses here. The buses are really reasonably priced and make it so much easier to get around and see everything that you want. They have a variety of tour courses to choose from so just choose the one that appeals to you.

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Where To Stay In Seocheon-gun

Seocheon-gun is a great natural area to get away to and enjoy. The places to stay there tend to be a bit simple though so if you want an area that’s more built up, check out staying in nearby Gunsan. Otherwise, definitely check out Seocheon-gun for nature and fun.

Seocheon Pine Tree Glamping

Seocheon Redpungchatiang Pension

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Things To Do In Seocheon-gun

Janghang Songlim Forest & Beach (장항송림산림욕장)

This pine tree runs along the coast and when the sun is high, it’s best to stay in the shade. The beautiful old trees tower above and paths wind in and out as the purple flowers bloom on the ground. It’s a dense forest with various benches and pavilions to take a seat and just enjoy the view. I love old forests and this is a beautiful one. Take the time to enjoy the trees before heading to the skywalk or stepping out onto the sand to go digging for shellfish.

The forest is designated as a ‘National Forest Cultural Asset’ by the Korean Forest Service and is a beautiful place to take in the sunset if you want to spend the day here. The sunsets are beautiful on the west coast of Korea and this area has plenty to do for a day out with plenty of space to spread out and enjoy nature.

Janghang Songlim is also famous for its sandy beaches. Songlim is located on the beach in a long band with a white sand beach that backs up to the trees of more than 1km between it and the sea in front of it. This sandy beach in front of Songnim became famous for regaining health with sand baths after the second Pyeongjangsa of the Goryeo Dynasty, Du Young-cheol, who had been exiled.

The sand baths here are rich in salt, iron, and uranium, so they recover from fatigue. It is known to be effective for neuralgia or arthritis, and many people seek it. We didn’t seek that experience on this trip but opted to take part in the shellfish digging instead which is also another popular thing to do here since after the sand is just mud mud and more mud.

Experience: Shellfish Digging

Just outside of the forest is a little old woman that sits beneath an umbrella with everything you need for digging for shellfish. The spot is in the middle of the forest, halfway between the skywalk and the other end of the forest where there’s a bathroom. Walk along the forest path that’s closest to the ocean and you’ll spot the spot. She has the shovels, hoes, and a basket that she’ll give you so you can traipse out into the mudflats to get muddy and dig for shellfish. It’s hard work, don’t doubt it but it’s a great ecological experience and fun for children and adults… just make sure you wear suncream and wear some clothes you don’t mind getting muddy. You can rinse off at some hoses near the bathroom areas.

There’s plenty of shellfish to go around… you just have to find it.

Digging for shellfish is one of the most popular experiences to have on the west coast of Korea. I’ve seen it done on every beach I’ve ever been to on the west coast but this was the first time I’ve ever done it myself. You will get muddy. But if you’re in it to win it, you’ll find some shellfish too. If you get a lot, you should take them back and then you head to a nearby restaurant and they’ll cook them up in some kalguksu, or Korean noodle soup, for you. For us, I just gave mine to the grandmother who lent us the things to go out and dig around. She said the biggest ones are worth W1,000 each.

How many do you think you could gather? It’s not as easy as it sounds… trust me.

• Address: 104 Janghangsandan-ro 34 beon-gil, Janghang-eub, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (충남 서천군 장항읍 장항산단로 34번길 104)

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Janghang Skywalk (장항스카이워크)

This observatory actually goes by two names, the Janghang Skywalk but it’s also known as the Gibeolpo Naval Battle Observation Deck (기벌포 해전 전망대). This observatory is as high as the pine trees that grow in the nearby old forest and when you walk along the skywalk path, you can feel like you’re in a birds nest in the pines. Then the path takes a turn and visitors can only see ocean and mudflats for miles. The pathway through the pines is called the “Poet’s Sky Road” and it will definitely make you wax-poetic.

This wasn’t on the itinerary but I spotted it while digging around for shellfish and then really wanted to go up and see what the views had for us. It is just sand and water as far as the eye can see and that is beautiful.

First, walk up the 91 steps from the information and ticket booth to the top where the skywalk begins. The path is both wooden and then some see through spots too so if you’re afraid of heights, look up! At the end where the views of the ocean begin, there’s also a small monument to the naval battles that were fought here.

For history buffs, the placards detail the things like the first Bibeolpo naval battle. Gibeolpo, also known as Geumgang Estuary, was the first international battlefield in Northeast Asia where Baekje, Japan, Silla, and Tang fought for hegemony over the Korean peninsula in the mid-7th century. The Geumgang Estuary was once the military and diplomat gateway when Ungjin and Sabi were the capital cities of Baekje.

If you follow along often, you’ll know that recently we also visited Gongju which was formerly Ungjin. It’s also a must-visit area with immense history in Korea.  Back to this important spot, in July 660, Baekje failed to guard the estuary after the Silla-Tang forces took over the Sabiseong Fortress and Su Ding Fang, a Tang general, reached the estuary to invade. The soldiers found the shore to be far too muddy, though, and they needed to lay out willow mats to get through. The Baekje forces were ultimately defeated.

The battles didn’t end there though. The placards continue to talk about the second Gibeolpo naval battle, also known as the Battle of Baekchongang River and the third Gibeolpo naval battle. It was an important location in history that is beautiful today.

• Address: 74-45 Janghangsandan-ro 34 beon-gil, Janghang-eub, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (충남 서천군 장항읍 장항산단로34번길 74-45)
• Admission: W2,000
• Hours: Weekends: 9:30am ~ 7:00pm; Weekdays from March to October: 9:30am ~ 6:00pm; Weekdays from November to February: 9:30am ~ 5:00pm

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Seocheon Specialty Market (서천특화시장)

This seafood market is similar to the ones you’d see in Seoul like Noryangjin or in Busan like Jagalchi but a lot less touristy. That’s a good thing though as you can bet you’re getting some good local eats at a reasonable price.

Similar to those other more popular seafood markets, you want to purchase your shellfish or fish on the first floor and then take it upstairs for it to be prepared so you can eat. The first floor is stall after stall of marine products and agricultural products and fresh live catch from the day. If you’re not sure what to buy or how to haggle a bit, just go upstairs and tell the restaurant owner what you want to eat. They have connections with various vendors below and they can get the goods too.

Since Seocheon is known for their seafood, it’s definitely the spot to eat it up. We were actually planning to eat somewhere else on this trip but after seeing all of the fresh catch and talking with a restaurant owner upstairs, we decided to get some octopus and shellfish for a fish stew Korean style. You won’t be disappointed if you like fish.

• Address: 42 Chungjeol-ro, Seocheon-eup, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheonnam-d0 (충남 서천군 서천읍 충절로 42)

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National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea Seaquarium (국립해양생물자원관)

The National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea Seaquarium was established to respond  to international trends to comprehensively manage marine biological resources and to establish biosovereignty. The word “seaquarium” might make you think it’s an aquarium, and there are plenty of aquariums in Korea, but this is not one of them. It’s a great museum though with some really stunning installations and there’s a great space for children as well.

There are exhibition halls that showcase marine life in the area as well as talk about the importance of protecting our oceans and marine life from pollution and debris. The lobby is absolutely stunning and features a four floor tall ‘seed bank’ that holds various examples of sea life. There are 5,200 specimens in the massive ‘seed bank’ and it is colorful and appealing as well as informative.

• Address: 75 Jangsan-ro 101 beon-gil, Janghang-eub, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (충남 서천군 장항읍 장산로 101번길 75)
• Admission: Adults: W3,000; School Age Students: W2,000; Children: W1,000
• Hours: March – October: 9:30am ~ 6:00pm; November – February: 9:30am ~ 5:00pm
• Days: Closed Mondays, January 1, Lunar New Year, and Chuseok. If the holidays are on a Monday then they will be closed on the next Tuesday as well.

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Seocheon-gun would really  make for a great weekend trip outside of Seoul. You can camp in the forests of Janghang and enjoy the muddy views. If you have kids, definitely take them for some fun and educational experiences too.

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