Sokcho Lighthouse & Yeonggeum Pavilion
On the coast of downtown Sokcho City, just north of Sokcho Port, sit two viewing platforms within a few hundred meters of each other.
Each offers a sweeping view of Sokcho and the East Sea. Let’s explore!
Sokcho Lighthouse
Sokcho Lighthouse (속초 등대전망대; map) stands atop the highest coastal hill in the northern part of downtown Sokcho City. Considered one of the Eight Scenic Views of Sokcho, the lighthouse provides panoramic views of Sokcho’s coast.
History & Design
Construction of the lighthouse’s beacon began in 1953, near the end of the Korean War. The lens measured over 1 meter in diameter and rotated in a continuous 360-degree motion as a 230 kilogram counterweight descended over 7 hours through the lighthouse’s shaft.
The lens and counterweight are still operational, the last of its kind still in use in Korea. But the hand crank device that reset the counterweight has been replaced by an electric motor.
Workers installed and first lit Sokcho Lighthouse’s beacon on June 6, 1957. Each night since, it flashes 4 times every 45 seconds, warning vessels up to 35-kilometers out in the East Sea.
The original lighthouse measured only 10 meters on top of a 38-meter cliff. But engineers tore it down in 2006 and built today’s 28-meter tower, making the lighthouse’s total height 66-meters above sea level.
Features
When Sokcho rebuilt the lighthouse in 2006, they decided to add a few features to make it a tourist destination, including outdoor and indoor observatories, sculptures and photozones, performance spaces, and lighthouse exhibits.
The indoor observatory wraps around the lighthouse’s tower below the beacon. Inside, find profiles of the most prominent lighthouses along Korea’s east coast, including Jumunjin Lighthouse, Daejin Lighthouse, and Mukho Lighthouse.
The indoor observatory allows visitors to glimpse all the major landmarks of Sokcho’s landscape:
- To the north: Ulsan Rock on Seorak Mountain, and on clear days Geumgang Mountain (map) in North Korea.
- To the south: downtown Sokcho and Cheongcho Lake, Abai Village, and Oeongchi and Daepo Ports.
- To the east: the vast East Sea.
- To the west: Yeongnang Lake and its green banks.
Getting There
There are three ways to reach Sokcho Lighthouse:
- From the coast, east of the lighthouse near Yeonggeumjeong Certification Center (map), travels steep staircases through a bamboo forest to the top (road view).
- From the coast, north of the lighthouse, climb a gentler succession of stairs starting at the Geomungo Rest Area (거문고쉼터; map; road view).
- Or travel along the Old Lighthouse Path.
Old Lighthouse Path
The Old Lighthouse Path begins near a motel (map) along a stretch of restaurants and cafes south of Sokcho Lighthouse. Slide into an alley beside the motel (road view) and follow navigational signs through winding, gently sloped alleys up the 38-meter tall coastal hill where the lighthouse stands.
The path passes homes, bamboo groves, and murals depicting residents’ daily lives. You’ll also find several model lighthouses and a lighthouse stamp. Like the bicycle certification system, Korea runs a lighthouse stamp tour, where adventurers can buy a book, visit the lighthouses that line the nation’s coasts, and collect stamps.
Lighthouse Hours
- Hours:
- April to October: 6 AM ~ 8 PM
- November to March: 7 AM ~ 6 PM
- Fee: Free
Yeonggeum Pavilion
The Yeonggeum Pavilions (영금정; map; Yeonggeumjeong) are a pair of pavilions that sit on the edge of downtown Sokcho, above the East Sea’s crashing waves (road view).
Let’s explore them!
History
An immense sea-bound rocky outcrop once occupied the coast where the Yeonggeum Pavilions stand today. A rock shaped like a pavilion stood at the end of the old outcrop. Therefore, before the pavilions were built, many referred to the rocky outcrop as “Yeonggeum Pavilion.”
The “geum” portion of the rock’s name comes from the gayageum (가야금), a traditional stringed instrument in Korea. Nearby residents said it sounded as if someone ran their hands across the 12 strings of a gayageum when the sea’s waves crashed against Yeonggeum’s rocks. (Legend also says that fairies would visit Yeonggeum to bathe.)
During Japan’s occupation of Korea (1910 ~ 1945), the Japanese destroyed the Yeonggeum outcrop and used its material to create Sokcho Port, leaving Yeonggeum as a wide, flat rocky platform hanging just above the sea.
Just after the Korean War, the military claimed the flattened Yeonggeum rocks and built a lookout platform, guarding against North Korean infiltration.
In the early 2000s, the military released the Yeonggeum rocks back to Sokcho City’s control. The city demolished the military infrastructure and built the Yeonggeum Pavilions.
The Pavilions
Yeonggeum Pavilion consists of two resting pavilions:
- Yeonggeum Sunrise Pavilion lies on the wave-soaked rocky outcrop at the end of Dongmyeong Sea Bridge, an arched pedestrian bridge.
- Yeonggeum Pavilion Observatory stands on a short hill, 50-meters inland from Sunrise Pavilion.
Yeonggeum Pavilion Observatory came first. In 1997, residents pooled together funds and built it on top of the short hill overlooking the old Yeonggeum rocks. It provides sweeping views of Sokcho City, including Oeongchi Port, Abai Village, and Cheongcho Lake.
Then in 2003, residents again raised funds and erected the Dongmyeong Sea Bridge and Yonggeum Sunrise Pavilion. The bridge stretches 60-meters from the coast onto the Yeonggeum outcrop. It ends at Yonggeum Sunrise Pavilion, looking out at the distant East Sea’s horizon.
Both pavilions are now tourist destinations, famous for their views of the sun rising over the East Sea. From sunset until midnight, LED lights coat the Sunset Pavilion and Sea Bridge in color.
