A Spring Day Trip to Gunsan: Visiting Seonyudo Beach
π‘ FYI: Located on the west coast of South Korea, Seonyudo Island is a peaceful destination near the city of Gunsan. While often overlooked by international tourists, it’s one of the hidden gems that locals love.
Not long ago, I had a chance to visit Gunsan for personal reasons. With a bit of spare time on my hands, my wife and I decided to make a quick getaway and headed to Seonyudo Island.
Back in my younger days, around 20 years ago, visiting Seonyudo wasn’t so simple—it was only accessible by ferry. I remember skipping it for that reason. But since the opening of Gogunsan Bridge in late 2017, it’s now possible to drive directly to the island. Following the Saemangeum Road, you can reach Seonyudo by car, passing through Sinsi-do and Munyeo-do, and even continue on to Jangja-do.
Fortunately, when we visited, it was off-season and very quiet. From Gunsan city, it took less than an hour by car. Although I couldn’t take pictures while driving, the scenery along the drive—especially as the road weaves between small islands—was so beautiful that it made me forget the usual dullness of a long drive.
If you happen to be nearby and have a bit of time, I’d say taking this route for a scenic detour wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. π
That said, just a word of caution: the road is only two lanes wide, and with such stunning views, it's easy to imagine how bad the traffic might get during peak seasons. If you're planning to go just for a drive, I highly recommend visiting during the off-season.
A Long, Smooth Beachline
Since we didn’t have a lot of time, we couldn’t explore every corner. After parking in the public lot (paid), we immediately set out to the beach.
Right across from the parking lot, we were greeted with a scenic view of Mangjubong, a rocky peak with a name that roughly translates to "peak of longing for the king." Legend has it that a loyal subject once looked out from this peak toward the north while exiled here, longing for his king. While the story is poetic, it’s the visual appeal of the landscape that really grabs your attention.
I’ve heard that the sunset viewed from Mangjubong—locally known as Seonyu Nakjo, meaning “sunset at Seonyudo”—is quite a sight to behold. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to wait for it.
Instead, we made our way to the main beach area. Just a short walk from the lot, and we were met with a wide, open stretch of sand and sea—that’s Seonyudo Beach, which is well-known for its beauty.
Unlike the often-murky look of the West Sea (Yellow Sea), the water here was surprisingly clear and clean. While not as dazzling as tropical white-sand beaches, the sand here is light-colored and soft—it’s actually composed of silicate grains (quartz sand), giving it a smooth texture.
The beach is both wide and long, making it ideal for summer swimming. Since we visited in early spring, we didn’t get into the water, but thanks to the off-season, we had almost the entire beach to ourselves. For a couple who prefers peace and quiet, it was perfect.
While walking hand-in-hand with my wife, I picked up a tourist brochure and noticed that the beach was referred to as "Myeongsasimni (λͺ μ¬μ리)," which roughly means “a beach of fine sand stretching ten ri (about 4 km).”
Although this is more of a symbolic phrase used across Korea to describe long and beautiful beaches, it made me pause for a moment. Why? Because traditionally, the phrase Myeongsasimni is most famously associated with Galma Beach in Wonsan, North Korea—a beach that, due to the division of Korea, is now inaccessible to most South Koreans.
There’s even an old Korean song from 1938 called “Symphony of the Sea” by Kim Jung-gu, where the lyrics go, “By the Myeongsasimni beach~.” Some Korean variety shows have recently featured this song again, so it might ring a bell for older viewers.
So, seeing that same phrase used here, I couldn't help but feel a little odd—like the phrase had been borrowed. It’s a bit like the expression “When the tiger is away, the fox becomes king,” which made me smile to myself. π
(For context: Myeongsasimni is used to describe several beaches across Korea these days.)
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying this to diminish how beautiful Seonyudo is. The name Seonyudo itself literally means “Island where the Immortals Play”, which says it all. With such a poetic name, perhaps there’s no need to borrow other famous titles.
Regardless of my musings, my wife clearly enjoyed it. At one point during our walk, she even said, “I could live here.”
To which I half-joked, “Well, visiting and actually living here might feel a bit different. Haha...”
After exploring the beach and walking along the long path toward the arrival point of the Seonyu Sky Sunline (a zipline attraction that crosses the beach), we wrapped up our walk. The round-trip from the parking lot was about 3 to 4 kilometers, and by the time we got back, we were getting hungry.
Although I usually try to avoid restaurants right near tourist attractions, this time we made an exception. If you spend over 10,000 KRW (about 7 USD) at a nearby restaurant, you get 2 hours of free parking—so we figured, why not.
Sometimes, that’s all you need.
Self-Driving Shuttle on Trial—But Not Today
After the meal, we saw a self-driving shuttle parked near the lot. Apparently, it was running on a trial basis and currently free for public rides. Unfortunately, we were told it was undergoing maintenance that day, so we didn’t get to ride it. π’
Still, for those who are curious, I took a photo of the posted route and schedule:
Feel free to use this info if you're planning a visit! π
In the end, our quick 2.5-hour drive back home marked the end of a short but memorable spring outing.
Although completely unplanned, both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. With the island now easily accessible by car, it's a very manageable trip—and one we wouldn't mind taking again, perhaps with my wife’s family next time they visit Korea.
If you ever find yourself in Gunsan, even just for a short while, I’d say Seonyudo is definitely worth the detour.
“Honestly, it was pretty great.”
