East coast · Samcheok, Gangwon
맹방해수욕장
A long, flat, empty beach — and a cherry blossom road running behind it.
Maengbang is one of the longer beaches on this coast and one of the least crowded, largely because Samcheok is further from Seoul than the Gangneung beaches.
The road behind it is lined with cherry trees that flower in early April, which is the other reason people come.
What else is here
Maengbang is the longest beach in Samcheok and one of the emptiest good beaches on the east coast. Its recent fame comes from an unlikely direction.
Where 'Butter' was shot
BTS filmed part of the 'Butter' artwork here in 2021, and the beach acquired a permanent bench and a steady trickle of fans. If that means nothing to you it will not affect your visit; if it means something, this is the place.
Yellow, for about three weeks
The fields behind the beach are planted with canola and there is a festival when they flower, usually the second half of April. It is one of the few times Maengbang is busy.
Tent decks and car pitches
Maengbang has a campsite immediately behind the beach with wooden tent decks as well as space for vehicles and campervans. Expect roughly ₩20,000 a night for a deck out of season on a weekday, rising to about ₩35,000 in peak season — worth checking before you go, as the rates change year to year.
Along the cliffs
Rail carts running on the old coastal line between Gungchon and Yonghwa, partly through tunnels and partly along the cliff edge with the sea below. Book ahead — it sells out.
Inland, and enormous
A limestone cave about forty minutes inland from Samcheok, one of the largest in Asia open to visitors, with a monorail up to the entrance. A good wet-weather day.
Space, mostly
Maengbang runs about four kilometres of white sand backed by pines, which makes it the longest beach in Samcheok and one of the longest on the coast. Because it is south of the main Gangneung–Sokcho tourist strip it never fills the way those do, and in June or September you can have long stretches of it to yourself.
The Maeup river comes out at the northern end, which is worth knowing: the water there is colder and the current stronger than the middle of the beach.
Samcheok town is ten minutes away and is an honest working port rather than a resort. The coastline south of it, towards Yonghwa and Jangho, has the clearest water on this coast and a small snorkelling scene in August.
Gyeongpo Beach
Gangneung's big, easy beach — white sand, a lake behind it and a KTX from Seoul.
Naksan Beach
Four kilometres of sand with a pine forest behind and a clifftop temple above.
Hajodae Beach
Turquoise water, very few people, and Korea's surf scene a few minutes up the road.