Sokcho

Sokcho (속초; ) is a city and major tourist hub located in the northeast of Gangwon Province, South Korea.

History
From around the 3rd century to the early 5th century BCE, Sokcho was part of Dongye. Originally a sparsely inhabited fishing village on the shores of Lake Cheongchoho, it became a major port with its location on the East Sea. Sokcho later became a mineral transfer port in 1937.

When the Korean peninsula was divided into two countries following World War II, Sokcho was placed under North Korean control, before being captured by the South Korean army on August 18, 1951. Since the Korean Armistice Agreement (1953), it has been a part of South Korea.

Seoraksan National Park
Seoraksan National Park is located in the vicinity of Sokcho and attracts local and international tourists. The city is known for its beach, natural hot springs, golf courses, and fine fishery products.

Lakes
Sokcho is home to two lakes, Yeongrangho and Cheongchoho. Yeongrangho lake is renowned for its beauty. The reflection of Mt. Seorak and Ulsanbawi are particularly popular.

Marina Yacht is located in Cheongchoho Lake Park and provides yachting tours on the East Sea. The tours start and finish at Cheongcho Marina, passing Seorakdaegyo Bridge, and Dongmyeonghang Port, Jodo. Marina Yacht rents boats to people with a boat license; it also has a café.

Yeongrangho Hwarangdo Center provides various experiences, including horse riding. Daepo harbour is located in Daepo-dong, Sokcho. Its attractions include a sea fountain and beach cable car.

Buddhist temples
There are a number of well-preserved Buddhist temples in the area around Sokcho. The main building of the Sinheungsa temple (Geukrakbojeon) is a major tourist destination (originally built in the 15th century). Also notable is the Hyangseongsaji samcheung seoktap - a three-storey pagoda of 4.3 metres. It dates from 652 and is located at the site of the Hyangseongsa temple. Yeonggeumjeong, a pavilion built on the shores of Sokcho, is popular for its views of the sunrise.

Traditional village
Abai village near Seoraksan was originally established to house North Korean refugees due to the separation of Korea. Consequently, many of the inhabitants have relatives in North Korea. The village has seen increased tourism due to the popularity of Korean Drama Autumn in My Heart on KBS.

Festivals
In 1999, the Gangwon International Tourism Expo was held in Sokcho. In July 2016, Sokcho became one of the few locations in South Korea where Pokémon Go could be played due to government restrictions on mapping data. Players flocked to the city, causing public transport tickets to sell out. Many tourists are also attracted by the close proximity of the DMZ.

Airport
Sokcho used to have its own airport, linking the city to Seoul. Currently, the city is served by the Yangyang International Airport.

Station
The opening of KTX Kyung Kang trainline has made it convenient for travelers to visit Gangwon-Do province, an 86-minute train ride from Seoul.

Stadium

 * Sokcho Stadium

Food
Sokcho's traditional market, established in 1953 as the Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, offers a variety of items for sale, including fresh fish, dried fish, and various vegetables. It was recently included in the Korea Tourism Organization's list of “Best Traditional Markets for Foreign Tourists.” The market is notable for its vibrant atmosphere, where visitors can observe fishmongers bargaining with local shoppers.

Sokcho is known for Hoe, which is a raw fish. The coastal waters provide good fishing grounds for Ojingeo, Myeongtae, Gwangeo and Godeungeo.

Sundubu can be found in the streets of the tofu towns such as Sinheung Sundubu and Haksapyeong Sundubu — it is made from Seoraksan and East Sea water.

Sokcho offers a unique twist to Sundae (not the eponymous dessert) by using Ojingeo instead of pork intestines. The Ojingeo-sundae consists of squid stir-fry, made with noodles and blood sausage, with carrots, onions, seaweed and spices mixed together, covered with thin fried egg yolk.

Culture
Local cuisine can be experienced in the various food districts of the city. "Foodtown" is a two block area dedicated to restaurants where visitors can find mainly Korean style beef pork and chicken restaurants. Daepo harbor, outside of Sokcho on the road to Yangyang offers more than 100 individual mini restaurants serving diverse seafood dishes. An own unique stuffed squid dish, Abai Sundae, can be found in Abai village.

In October Sokcho comes to life with the Seorak Cultural Festival, which includes parades, stage shows, contests, races and various other forms of entertainment. The rice cake making sampling contests are particularly popular. Another unusual event is the Gaet-Bae, or raft, race. Two teams propel the rafts across the course by pulling on long handled hooks catching the cable that straddles the deck of each raft.

Climate
Sokcho straddles the line between a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) and a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa).

Sister cities

 * Jeongeup, North Jeolla since June 13, 1996
 * Jung-gu, Seoul since January 22, 1997
 * 🇺🇸 Gresham, Oregon, United States since June 23, 1985
 * Taitung County, Taiwan since April 16, 1992
 * Hunchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China since August 22, 1994
 * 🇯🇵 Yonago, Tottori, Japan since October 18, 1995
 * 🇷🇺 Khasansky, Primorsky Krai, Russia since July 19, 1996
 * 🇯🇵 Nyūzen, Toyama, Japan since October 3, 1996
 * 🇯🇵 Sakaiminato, Tottori, Japan since April 9, 2002
 * 🇷🇺 Partizansk, Primorsky Krai, Russia

Notable people from Sokcho

 * Shin Ye-eun (Hangul: 신예은), a South Korean actress
 * Park Kwang-su (Hangul: 박광수), a South Korean filmmaker
 * Hwang Keum-chan (Hangul: 황금찬), a poet born in Sokcho, Gangwon-do
 * Kim Kang-min (Hangul: 김강민), a South Korean actor under the label of Mystic Story
 * Monday (birth name: Kim Ji-min, Hangul:김지민 ), singer, dancer, rapper and K-pop idol, member of K-pop girlgroup Weeekly

In literature
The novel Winter in Sokcho, by Elisa Shua Dusapin, which won the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2021, takes place in Sokcho.