Seoraksan National Park
Mountain park of jagged granite peaks, valleys and waterfalls near Sokcho. Hiking trails range from short walks to long climbs, and a cable car reaches a high viewpoint.
Gangwon (Sokcho and Seoraksan)
East-coast beaches, ski resorts, autumn colours and Seoraksan National Park mark this mountain and coast province.
Attractive locations
Sinheungsa Temple
Buddhist temple at the foot of Seoraksan, home to a tall bronze Buddha statue. It is a good starting point for trails into the park.
Ulsanbawi
Huge granite rock formation with six peaks in Seoraksan National Park. A steep climb on stairs ends at a viewpoint over the ridges and the sea.
Biryong Falls
Waterfall in Seoraksan National Park, reached by an easy forest walk. Water drops in stages through a narrow rocky gorge.
Naksansa Temple
Buddhist temple on a cliff above the east coast, near Yangyang. A tall seaside statue of a Buddhist saint looks over the water, and sunrise is a common reason to visit.
Abai Village
A small settlement in Sokcho, reached by a hand-pulled cable ferry, first settled by people displaced from North Korea during the Korean War. Visitors come for its seafood restaurants and the local squid sausage.
Sokcho Beach
A wide sandy beach beside the city centre, with a long seafront walkway and views over the East Sea. Early visitors come for the sunrise.
Airports
Yangyang International Airport YNY
It is about 18 km in a straight line from Gangwon (Sokcho and Seoraksan).
Wonju Airport / Hoengseong Air Base (K-38/K-46) WJU
It is about 102 km in a straight line from Gangwon (Sokcho and Seoraksan).
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the South Korea page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan-0.7 °C31 mm
- Feb0.9 °C44 mm
- Mar4.9 °C49 mm
- Apr10.3 °C84 mm
- May15.6 °C80 mm
- Jun19.8 °C119 mm
- Jul23.0 °C345 mm
- Aug23.9 °C284 mm
- Sep19.7 °C196 mm
- Oct14.6 °C91 mm
- Nov8.1 °C70 mm
- Dec1.4 °C33 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jul, Aug, Sep.
Costs
Prices here are about 57% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 112. Fire and ambulance 119. Korea Travel Helpline 1330 (English and other languages).
local government
Korean National Police (112)
Helps with: South Korea's police emergency number, listed on the Korea Tourism Organization's emergency page for crimes such as theft and assault. The page lists no police unit for tourists.
Who qualifies: Anyone in South Korea, including visitors, who needs police help.
Phone: 112
local government
1330 Korea Travel Helpline (Korea Tourism Organization)
Helps with: The national tourism organisation's helpline for travel questions and visitor help. The page lists support in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in South Korea or planning a trip there.
Phone: +82-2-1330
local government
119 Fire and Medical Emergencies
Helps with: South Korea's emergency number for fire and ambulance, with a separate infectious disease line, 1339, listed on the Korea Tourism Organization's emergency page.
Who qualifies: Anyone in South Korea, including visitors, who needs an ambulance or fire service.
Phone: 119
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Republic of Korea
Helps with: The UN migration agency's Korea office. It works with the Korean government and partners on protecting people on the move and regular migration pathways, and runs trainings and events.
Who qualifies: Government and partner organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: 02-6925-1360
Address: 13th Floor, Hyoryung Building, 32 Mugyo-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04521
embassy
Foreign embassies in South Korea (official diplomatic list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Korean foreign ministry posts a Diplomatic List of resident missions as a downloadable spreadsheet.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy in Seoul.
ngo
Korean Red Cross
Helps with: The site describes disaster emergency relief, support for vulnerable people, life-safety education, medical services and blood programmes. The site is mostly in Korean.
Who qualifies: The page does not say who can use each service. It describes help for people affected by disasters and for vulnerable groups.
Phone: 1577-8179
Email: webmaster@redcross.or.kr
Address: (26465) 강원특별자치도 원주시 혁신로 50