Sinan County

Sinan County is a county in South Jeolla made up of multiple inhabited and uninhabited islands scattered across the region. The islands form a complex landscape of waterways, rocky shores, and flat coastal areas.

A shipwreck from the 14th century discovered off the coast in 1975 revealed how these waters were used for trade between Korea and neighboring lands during medieval times. The discovery shows how central this area was to regional commerce.

Local fishing communities continue working with techniques passed down through families, particularly in harvesting sea salt using methods specific to these waters. You can see this work happening along the coasts and in the salt production areas.

Visiting the islands means relying on ferries to move between the larger ones, which run regularly throughout the day. Plan for travel time between islands as ferry schedules can vary depending on weather and tides.

The area has extensive tidal flats that shift and change dramatically as tides move in and out, creating spaces where tiny organisms thrive. These zones support a range of marine life that depends on these tidal cycles.