Jeongdongjin Beach, Beach in Gangwon-do, South Korea
Jeongdongjin Beach is a sandy beach on Korea's East Sea coast, near the city of Gangneung in Gangwon-do province. It sits right next to Jeongdongjin Station, one of the train stations in the world that stands closest to the sea.
Jeongdongjin was a small fishing village before it became widely known in the 1990s. A popular Korean television drama filmed scenes here in the early 1990s, and the area quickly drew visitors from across the country.
Jeongdongjin Beach is known as a place to watch the sunrise over the East Sea. Many visitors wake before dawn to gather on the sand and wait for the first light, a habit shared by locals and tourists alike.
The beach is open all year, but swimming is only recommended from July to August when conditions are safer. From Seoul, the train takes around two hours and drops you right next to the sand.
Next to the beach stands a giant hourglass at Sandglass Park, filled with 8 tons of sand that takes exactly one year to fall through. It is turned over every New Year's Eve at midnight, making it a gathering point for the new year.
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