Donghae to Samcheok: Korea's Best Kept East Coast Drive

Most Korea itineraries end at Gangneung or Sokcho. But the stretch of coast from Donghae (동해) south through Samcheok (삼척) and down to Uljin (울진) is where the East Sea gets serious — dramatic sea stacks, pine-covered headlands, and almost no crowds. The drive along coastal Route 7 covers around 230 km of Korea's most underrated scenery, with stops that range from stunning to genuinely strange.

Planning the Drive

Samcheok makes the best base for this stretch. From Seoul (Gangnam), take the Jungbu Inland Expressway (중부내륙고속도로, Route 45) east toward Wonju, then merge onto the Donghae Expressway (동해고속도로, Route 65) north to Samcheok IC. The drive takes roughly 3 hours on a clear morning, with expressway tolls around 16,000–18,000 KRW one-way.

If you're already in Gangwon Province — coming south from Gangneung or Sokcho — simply follow Route 7 south. The coastal scenery starts almost immediately once you leave Gangneung city limits.

• Seoul → Samcheok: ~230 km, about 3 hours, tolls ~17,000 KRW
• Gangneung → Samcheok: ~50 km, 45 min via Route 7 (no toll)
• Samcheok → Donghae (Chuam Rock): ~15 km, 20 min via Route 7
• Donghae → Uljin (Hupo Port): ~80 km, 1h15m via Route 7
• Navigation: Set Kakao Maps (카카오맵) to 해신당공원 (Haesindang Park) as your first destination in Samcheok

Samcheok: Start at the Strange and the Historic

Samcheok doesn't have the name recognition of Gangneung, but it has two stops that are hard to match elsewhere. Start with Haesindang Park (해신당공원), one of Korea's most genuinely unusual cultural sites. The park commemorates a local folk legend: a young woman left alone on a sea rock while gathering seaweed drowned in a sudden storm. According to the legend, her spirit's restlessness upset the local fishing, and villagers discovered that placing carved male figures near the sea would calm her. The result is a park full of elaborate hand-carved wooden sculptures — from small figurines to two-meter totems — set along a pine-covered coastal headland with stunning East Sea views. Entry costs 3,000 KRW for adults.

After Haesindang, drive into Samcheok city for Jukseoru Pavilion (죽서루). Built in the 14th century, this wooden pavilion sits on a rocky cliff above the Oshipcheon River (오십천) — free to visit and beautiful in a quiet, no-tourist-rush way. It's one of the traditional Eight Scenic Views of Gwandong (관동팔경), a list of the region's finest natural spots compiled by classical Korean poets.

• Haesindang Park hours: 09:00–18:00 (Mar–Oct), 09:00–17:00 (Nov–Feb)
• Haesindang entry: 3,000 KRW adults, 1,500 KRW children
• Jukseoru Pavilion: free entry, open year-round
• Parking: both sites have free or low-cost parking lots
• Stay: Sol Beach Samcheok (쏠비치 삼척) is the main resort option on the coast

Donghae: Chuam Candle Rock at Dawn

Drive north from Samcheok on Route 7 for about 20 minutes to reach Chuam Beach (추암해변) in Donghae city. The centerpiece is Chuam Candle Rock (추암촛대바위) — a slender basalt sea stack that rises from the water at the edge of a pine-lined cove. At sunrise, when mist sits low on the East Sea and the sky shifts from purple to orange, it's one of the most photographed landscapes in Korea. Midday it's still impressive; the surrounding rock formations stretch along the shoreline in both directions.

The newer Chuam Suspension Bridge (추암 출렁다리) gives you a completely different perspective — it hangs over the water and lets you walk directly above the rocks. The loop walk takes about 20 minutes. Beach access is free; parking costs around 2,000–3,000 KRW.

• Sunrise time: varies seasonally — check before you go and allow 30 min for parking and walking to the viewpoint
• Suspension bridge hours: 09:00–18:00 (hours may vary seasonally)
• Crowds: busy on summer weekends; arrive before 08:00 for the best light and fewer people
• Parking: small lot near the beach, free off-peak / 2,000–3,000 KRW in summer

Continuing South: Uljin and the King Crab Coast

If you have a second day — or a long afternoon — continue south from Donghae on Route 7 toward Uljin (울진). The road hugs the coast for much of the 80 km, passing small fishing villages, rocky headlands, and turnoffs to near-empty beaches. Once you cross from Gangwon Province into Gyeongsangbuk-do (경북), you'll notice the landscape becomes even more raw — fewer developments, bigger pine forests, longer stretches between towns.

Uljin is best known for large snow crab (대게 / daege) — the elongated, spider-like crab prized across Korea. The place to eat it is Hupo Port (후포항) on Uljin's southern coast, where the fishing fleet brings in fresh catches daily. Dockside restaurants steam the crabs and serve them whole with rice and banchan. A medium-sized crab costs 40,000–80,000 KRW depending on season and size. It's a long drive for a meal, but Uljin daege is a genuinely regional experience.

• Daege season: peak December–May, available year-round at Hupo Port
• Hupo Port location: southern Uljin, about 15 km from Uljin town center via Route 7
• Fuel: fill up in Samcheok or Donghae — petrol stations become sparse on the Uljin stretch
• Return route: easiest is to retrace Route 7 north, then take the Donghae Expressway back to Seoul

Quick Tips for the Drive

1. 1Base in Samcheok, not Donghae — better accommodation options and central location for the full stretch.
2. 2Drive south from Samcheok toward Uljin, then return north to catch the expressway back to Seoul — this keeps the scenic bits fresh and avoids doubling back on highways.
3. 3Arrive at Chuam Rock by 07:00 if you want sunrise shots without crowds. In summer, the sun rises before 05:30 — check the exact time.
4. 4Route 7 speed limits vary: 50 km/h through villages, 80 km/h on open stretches. Fixed speed cameras are common — drive to the limit.
5. 5Kakao Maps handles this stretch well — enter destination names in Korean for the most accurate routing on small coastal roads.

FAQ

The Donghae-Samcheok coast rewards anyone willing to drive past Korea's obvious East Coast stops. Head east, give yourself two days if you can, and let Route 7 take you somewhere genuinely off the tourist track.