At a glance
| Dates | Expected Dec/Jan 2026–27Evening of Thursday 31 December 2026 to the sunrise on Friday 1 January 2027. The event is tied to the calendar (programme on New Year's Eve, hourglass rotation at midnight, sunrise session on 1 January), but Gangneung City had not announced a 2026–27 programme as of 19 October 2026; KTO's listing for 2025–26 was last updated on 24 December 2025. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2026: Evening of Thursday 31 December 2026 to the sunrise on Friday 1 January 2027. The event is tied to the calendar (programme on New Year's Eve, hourglass rotation at midnight, sunrise session on 1 January), but Gangneung City had not announced a 2026–27 programme as of 19 October 2026; KTO's listing for 2025–26 was last updated on 24 December 2025. |
| Weather | December average 8/0 °C (46/31 °F), 37 mm of rain January average 5/−3 °C (42/27 °F), 48 mm of rainNear or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers. Monthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Gangneung station, about 15 km away. |
| Admission | Free; the evening programme, the hourglass rotation and the sunrise need no ticket (KTO lists admission as free). |
| Venue | Jeongdongjin Sandglass Park and beach (beside Jeongdongjin Station)강원특별자치도 강릉시 강동면 정동역길 17 (정동진역 일원) |
| Nearest station | Jeongdongjin Station (정동진역), KTX-Eum (Seoul–Jeongdongjin services) / Yeongdong LineThe station is by the beach; Sandglass Park is a short walk along the shore (walking time not verified) |
| From Seoul | about 2 h 10 min · KTXLeave from Seoul Station · One-way fare from ₩28,300 · Plan to stay overFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Gangneung City강릉시 |
| Usual timing | One night a year, fixed by the calendar: the evening of 31 December into the sunrise on 1 January (2025–26: 20:00–00:30 on 31 December and 06:00–08:00 on 1 January). Held at the end of 2023 and 2025; scaled back at the end of 2024 (fireworks dropped during national mourning) and not held for New Year 2021, when the beaches were closed because of COVID-19. Details appear only in late December. Browse December / January festivals. |
| First held | 2000 |
| Last checked | 21 October 2026Checked against 31 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Jeongdongjin is a small beach village in Gangdong-myeon, in the south of Gangneung on Korea's east coast, whose railway station stands right by the sea. On New Year's Eve Gangneung City holds its main year-end event in two places at once: Gyeongpo Beach in the north of the city and Sandglass Park at Jeongdongjin. The Jeongdongjin half is built around the park's giant hourglass, 8 m tall and billed as the world's largest, which was installed for the millennium in 2000 and is turned over once a year at midnight on 31 December; YTN counted the 2025 rotation as the 25th.
In 2025–26 the programme ran from 20:00 on 31 December to 00:30 on 1 January, with stage performances, traditional games, a wish tree, a red-horse photo zone for the Year of the Horse, a New Year countdown and fireworks, then a second session from 06:00 to 08:00 for the sunrise, which the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) put at 07:39. Everything is free. About 110,000 people watched the first sunrise of 2026 at Jeongdongjin and 300,000 across Gangneung, 19% more than a year earlier.
The event has had lean years. For New Year 2021 the city closed all its beaches, Jeongdongjin included, because of COVID-19, and Jeongdongjin Station barred sunrise viewing. At the end of 2024 the fireworks at both venues were dropped during the national mourning period after the Jeju Air crash at Muan. Sunrise crowds returned on 1 January 2023 for the first time in about three years.
Getting there is the hard part. Korail has run overnight sunrise trains to Jeongdongjin since at least 2000, and regular KTX-Eum trains now take a little over two hours from Seoul Station, but there are only a few a day each way and, in the timetables checked, none arrives before sunrise. Arrive on the 31st and stay in Jeongdongjin or Gangneung, or look for Korail's special New Year trains, and book early: since 1 October 2026 tickets go on sale two months ahead. Driving is slow: the expressway operator forecast up to 4 h 10 m from Seoul to Gangneung on New Year's Day 2026 and up to 6 hours back, and the car parks by the beach are small.
Caveats: this is a crowd event on an open beach in midwinter, coldest and windiest just before sunrise; the stage programme is in Korean; and the 2026–27 details had not been published by 19 October 2026 (KTO's listing for 2025–26 was last updated on 24 December 2025).
Highlights
- The hourglass rotation at midnight on 31 December: Sandglass Park's 8 m hourglass, billed as the world's largest, is turned over once a year (YTN counted the 2025 rotation as the 25th)
- Evening programme 20:00–00:30 on 31 December 2025: stage performances, traditional games, a wish tree, a New Year countdown and fireworks
- First sunrise of the year over the East Sea, 07:39 at Jeongdongjin on 1 January 2026 (KASI), with a morning session 06:00–08:00
- Jeongdongjin Station sits by the beach; Korail has run overnight sunrise trains here since at least 2000, and in 2026 passengers on KTX special sunrise trains got off at Jeongdongjin and Gangneung
- Red-horse photo zone for the Year of the Horse in 2025–26
- After sunrise, the Badabuchae-gil coastal trail and the breakwater path (YTN travel tip)
Who it suits. Best for travellers who want to see in the New Year the Korean way, with a first sunrise over the sea, and who will stay overnight on the east coast; less suited to anyone who dislikes dense crowds, standing outdoors in sub-zero wind, or long traffic queues, or who wants a same-day trip from Seoul.
Getting there
From Seoul
KTX-Eum from Seoul Station to Jeongdongjin: only a few direct trains a day, about 2 h 10 m, ₩28,300 standard class (current fare after the 1 Sep 2026 KTX–SRT merger). In the timetables checked up to October 2026 none reached Jeongdongjin before sunrise (07:39 on 1 January 2026), so arrive on 31 December or take one of Korail's special New Year trains; Korail's timetable changes on 1 November 2026, so check train times in the Korail+ app (코레일+, where KTX and former SRT trains are now booked) before you book. Alternatively, KTX to Gangneung (about 2 hours, from ₩27,600, more trains a day) or an express bus from Dong Seoul Terminal (about 3 hours), then a taxi south to Jeongdongjin. By car, the expressway operator forecast up to 4 h 10 m from Seoul to Gangneung on New Year's Day 2026.
From Busan
KTX-Eum trains on the Donghae Line have linked Busan and Gangneung in about 3 h 54 m since 30 December 2025; from Gangneung continue to Jeongdongjin by taxi. Whether these trains stop at Jeongdongjin was not checked.
From Incheon Airport
AREX to Seoul Station, then a KTX-Eum to Jeongdongjin (about 2 h 10 m). On 31 December pick a train that gets you there for the evening programme and the midnight rotation, and check the times in the Korail+ app (코레일+), as Korail's timetable changes on 1 November 2026.
Last leg from Jeongdongjin Station
KTX-Eum (Seoul–Jeongdongjin services) / Yeongdong Line. The station is by the beach; Sandglass Park is a short walk along the shore (walking time not verified)
Getting home
Only a few direct KTX-Eum trains a day run from Jeongdongjin to Seoul Station (about 2 h 10 m); Gangneung Station, a taxi ride north, has many more. Korail's timetable changes on 1 November 2026 and New Year timetables may differ, so check the trains back in the Korail+ app (코레일+) or at the station before the festival day. On 1 January 2023 most KTX from Gangneung to Seoul were sold out and travellers switched to buses, so book the return with the outbound. By car, the expressway operator forecast up to 6 hours from Gangneung to Seoul on New Year's Day 2026.
Parking
No official parking or traffic plan for Jeongdongjin was found for 2025–26. A travel writer interviewed by YTN warns that the car parks by the sunrise spot are small and cars queue to get in and out of the breakwater sunrise plaza (he was once stuck for 30–40 minutes); he suggests a large roadside car park about 10 minutes' walk away. On 1 January 2023 the car parks and coastal roads at Jeongdongjin were full and traffic jammed after sunrise.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| General admission | — | Free in 2025–26; no change announced |
- Booking
- Nothing to book for the event itself. Book trains early: since 1 October 2026 Korail sells tickets two months before departure (it was one month), in the Korail+ app or on Korail's website, so seats for 31 December 2026 open around the end of October. Korail also runs special New Year trains, announced separately: in December 2024 it listed a night train from Daejeon on 31 December for the Jeongdongjin sunrise. No 2026–27 special trains had been announced as of 19 October 2026.
- English on site
- No English information from Gangneung City was found for the event; the programme is in Korean. KTO's 1330 travel hotline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese.
- Crowds
- Very crowded: about 110,000 people at Jeongdongjin on 1 January 2026 (300,000 across Gangneung, 19% more than a year earlier), and about 50,000 at Jeongdongjin in 2023. Crowds and traffic peak between 07:00 and 08:00.
- Best time to go
- Arrive on 31 December for the 20:00 programme and the midnight rotation, stay overnight nearby, and be on the beach well before the 07:39 sunrise; leave by train rather than car if you can.
- What to bring
- Scarf, gloves, hat and a windproof layer, since it is coldest and windiest around sunrise (Gangneung saw morning lows of about −10°C at New Year 2021), plus a warm drink and a charged phone for train tickets.
- Toilets
- Gangneung added temporary toilets for the 2025–26 crowds and stepped up cleaning after the event.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Evening of Thursday 31 December 2026 to the sunrise on Friday 1 January 2027. The event is tied to the calendar (programme on New Year's Eve, hourglass rotation at midnight, sunrise session on 1 January), but Gangneung City had not announced a 2026–27 programme as of 19 October 2026; KTO's listing for 2025–26 was last updated on 24 December 2025. | expected | The sunrise time for 1 January 2027 was not checked; KASI gave 07:39 for Jeongdongjin on 1 January 2026. |
| 2025 | 31 Dec – 1 Jan 2026 | ended | Run by Gangneung City at Gyeongpo Beach and Jeongdongjin Sandglass Park, with an event management headquarters at each site for crowd and vehicle control. |
| 2024 | 31 Dec – 1 Jan 2025 | ended | Scaled back during the national mourning period after the Jeju Air crash at Muan: Gangneung cancelled the fireworks at both venues and reviewed cuts to other events. Whether the stage performances and the hourglass rotation went ahead was not confirmed. |
| 2023 | 31 Dec – 1 Jan 2024 | ended |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
- Jeongdong-Simgok Badabuchae-gil (정동심곡바다부채길)After
A 3 km coastal trail on a former military patrol road at the foot of the cliffs between Jeongdong and Simgok ports, through the Jeongdongjin coastal terrace (Natural Monument No. 437); adults ₩5,000. In winter it is open 09:00–16:30 (last tickets 15:30), so after the sunrise have breakfast and walk it before your train back; opening on 1 January is not confirmed. It closes in weather warnings and high-sea advisories; no toilets on the trail.
Getting there: Jeongdong ticket office at Jeongdong port, a short way from Jeongdongjin Station; on foot or a short taxi ride
- Getting awayAfter
About 110,000 people were at Jeongdongjin for the 2026 sunrise, and in 2023 the car parks and coast roads jammed after sunrise and most KTX trains from Gangneung to Seoul sold out. Leave by train rather than car, book the return with your outbound ticket, and if trains from Jeongdongjin are full, take a taxi north to Gangneung Station, which has more trains. Check them in the Korail+ app (코레일+).
Questions travelers ask
When is the Jeongdongjin sunrise festival 2026–27?
Expected on the night of Thursday 31 December 2026 into Friday 1 January 2027; Gangneung City had not announced the programme as of 19 October 2026. In 2025–26 it ran 20:00–00:30 on 31 December plus a sunrise session 06:00–08:00 on 1 January.
What time is sunrise at Jeongdongjin on New Year's Day?
07:39 on 1 January 2026, according to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (07:47 in Seoul). The 2027 time had not been checked; crowds and traffic peak between 07:00 and 08:00.
Is the Jeongdongjin sunrise festival free?
Yes. KTO lists admission as free; the performances, the countdown, the hourglass rotation and the sunrise need no ticket.
Can I get there by train in time for the sunrise?
Probably not on a regular train the same morning: in the timetables checked up to October 2026 no train from Seoul reached Jeongdongjin before sunrise. Arrive on 31 December and stay overnight, or take a special New Year train if Korail runs one; in 2026 passengers on KTX special sunrise trains got off at Jeongdongjin and Gangneung. Korail's timetable changes on 1 November 2026, so check the times for your date in the Korail+ app (코레일+).
When do train tickets for 31 December go on sale?
Since 1 October 2026 Korail sells tickets two months before departure, so 31 December 2026 seats open around the end of October, in the Korail+ app or on Korail's website. Special New Year trains are announced separately; in 2024 Korail announced them on 20 December.
Where should I park at Jeongdongjin?
No official parking plan was found. A travel writer interviewed by YTN advises against the small car parks by the sunrise plaza, where he was once stuck for 30–40 minutes, and suggests a large roadside car park about 10 minutes' walk away. Going by train avoids the jams.
What is the hourglass rotation?
Sandglass Park's 8 m hourglass, billed as the world's largest, was installed for the millennium in 2000 and is turned over once a year at midnight on 31 December; YTN counted the 2025 rotation as the 25th.
How crowded does it get?
About 110,000 people watched the first sunrise of 2026 at Jeongdongjin and 300,000 across Gangneung. Expect packed beaches, full car parks and sold-out trains back to Seoul on 1 January.
What is the weather like during Jeongdongjin New Year Sunrise Festival?
December in Gangneung: average high 8 °C (46 °F), low 0 °C (31 °F), 37 mm of rain (Gangneung station, about 15 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals). January in Gangneung: average high 5 °C (42 °F), low −3 °C (27 °F), 48 mm of rain (Gangneung station, about 15 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Near or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
21 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2026 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- ktriptips (KTO TourAPI mirror) — 정동진 해맞이 축제 (contentId 674023)kto — 2025–26 dates 31 Dec 2025–1 Jan 2026; hours 20:00–00:30 and 1 Jan 06:00–08:00; free; venues Gyeongpo Beach and Jeongdongjin Sandglass Park; stage performances, hourglass rotation, fireworks, traditional games, wish tree; host Gangneung City, phone 033-640-5130, homepage gn.go.kr/tour; access by train to Jeongdongjin Station; listing updated 24 Dec 2025
- 여기유 — 병오년 해맞이 행사 (Gangneung)other — 2025–26 title 병오년 해맞이 행사; 31 Dec 2025–1 Jan 2026, 20:00–00:30 and 06:00–08:00; free; same programme and organizer as KTO
- twig24 — 호미곶·정동진… 해맞이 명소에서 맞는 이색 새해 이벤트 (31 Dec 2025)news — Sandglass Park and Gyeongpo, 31 Dec 20:00 to 1 Jan 00:30: performances, traditional games, countdown, fireworks; red-horse photo zone; rotating hourglass; event management headquarters at both sites for vehicles and crowds
- YTN via Daum — "정동진 가세요? 주차는 여기에"… 25년 차 여행작가 '해맞이' 노하우 (31 Dec 2025)news — KASI sunrise 1 Jan 2026: Jeongdongjin 07:39, Seoul 07:47; hourglass installed around the 2000 millennium, rotated at midnight 31 Dec, 25th rotation; programme 20:00–00:30; small car parks, stuck 30–40 minutes, park about 10 minutes away; trains recommended; coldest at sunrise; Buchae-gil and breakwater walk
- Kukinews — 동해안 대표 해맞이 도시 강릉, 병오년 첫 일출 30만명 소원빌어 (1 Jan 2026)news — 300,000 sunrise visitors (Gyeongpo 130,000, Jeongdongjin 110,000, Anmok and others 60,000), about 19% up; peak 07:00–08:00; 31 Dec sunset events; horse photo zone at Gyeongpo to 5 Jan; KTX special sunrise trains to Gangneung and Jeongdongjin; two HQs; 38 police at 15 sites; temporary toilets
- Herald Economy — "새해 해맞이 서울~강릉 6시간" 한국도로공사 새해 특별교통대책 (29 Dec 2025)news — Korea Expressway Corporation special measures 31 Dec 2025–4 Jan 2026; Seoul to Gangneung up to 4 h 10 m, Gangneung to Seoul up to 6 h on New Year's Day
- Sateconomy — 전국 지자체·롯데월드 등 새해 행사 줄줄이 취소…제주항공 참사 애도 (30 Dec 2024)news — Gangneung dropped the fireworks planned at Gyeongpo Beach and Jeongdongjin Sandglass Park for 31 Dec 2024 and reviewed cuts to performances and other events, in mourning for the Jeju Air crash
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 애도 속 차분했던 호미곶 해맞이 (1 Jan 2025)news — National mourning period after the Muan Jeju Air crash led to cancelled New Year sunrise events on the east coast
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 을사년 '푸른 뱀' 기운 품고 새해 첫 일출여행 떠나요 (16 Dec 2024)news — Jeongdongjin sunrise festival held every year; hourglass 8 m tall, billed as the world's largest; flipping the hourglass, performances; sunrise where the railway meets the sea at Jeongdongjin Station
- MTN — 갑진년 동해안 해맞이 명소는? (28 Dec 2023)news — 2023–24 edition 31 Dec–1 Jan from 20:00: special stages at Gyeongpo and Sandglass Park; local singers, fireworks, hourglass rotation, 'Welcome Jeongdongjin' hope concert, wish zone; Gyeongpo wish-lighting zone, busking, EDM, countdown
- Munhwa Ilbo — 해돋이 볼 땐 좋았는데… 꽉 막힌 강원 귀경길 교통대란 (1 Jan 2023)news — 1 Jan 2023: Gyeongpo 150,000, Jeongdongjin and Anmok 50,000 each, 300,000+ in Gangneung; first in-person sunrise in about three years since COVID-19; car parks and coastal roads full; most KTX from Gangneung to Seoul sold out
- Seoul Shinmun — 전국 해돋이 명소, 단속 드론까지 동원해 관광객 통제 (30 Dec 2020)news — New Year 2021: Gangneung closed beaches including Jeongdongjin and Gyeongpo; Jeongdongjin Station banned sunrise viewing 31 Dec–3 Jan, rail passengers only; 45 km of coast; dine-in ban 15:00 31 Dec–15:00 1 Jan
- YTN — "해맞이 오지 마세요"...해변 폐쇄에 음식점 내 식사 금지 (24 Dec 2020)news — Eight main Gangneung beaches including Gyeongpo and Jeongdongjin closed 24 Dec 2020–3 Jan 2021; fines up to ₩3 million
- Nocut News — "해맞이 보러 오지마세요"…동해안 한파 속 해변 단속 (31 Dec 2020)news — All Gangneung beaches closed from 29 Dec 2020, about 45 km from Okgye to Jumunjin; about 1,400 officials; morning lows about −10°C
- Kyunghyang Shinmun — '해돋이 기차'타고 새해 설계하세요 (19 Dec 2000)news — Overnight sunrise trains to Jeongdongjin on 30 and 31 Dec 2000 (₩34,000) and a ₩100,000 train from Seoul Station at 22:20 on 31 Dec via Chujeon to the Jeongdongjin sunrise
- WikiTree — 코레일, 연말연시 특별 관광열차로 지역경제 '활력' (20 Dec 2024)news — Korail year-end trains announced 20 Dec 2024: night train from Daejeon at 23:55 on 31 Dec for the Jeongdongjin sunrise; Seoul 23:30 to Donghae; booking on Korail Talk or letskorail.com
- Seoul Station → Jeongdongjin train timetable, 19–25 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-19)other — 4 KTX-Eum a day: 843 10:59→13:07, 845 15:01→17:10, 847 18:20→20:28, 849 19:50→21:57; 2 h 07 m–2 h 09 m; standard adult ₩28,300; Jeongdongjin Station map point 37.6914429, 129.0326875
- Jeongdongjin → Seoul Station train timetable, 24–30 Aug 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-08-24)other — 4 KTX-Eum a day: 840 07:33→09:49, 844 14:30→16:39, 846 19:32→21:49, 848 22:00→00:12; standard adult ₩28,300
- Jeongdongjin Station page (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed)other — Station address 강원특별자치도 강릉시 강동면 정동역길 17 (정동진리 303)
- Jinbu (Odaesan) → Seoul Station train timetable, 18–24 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-18)other — KTX-Eum 848 still running in October 2026: Jinbu 22:29, arrives Seoul Station 00:12
- koreacharts: Gangneung–Seoul train timetableother — KTX 1 h 54 m–2 h 15 m, from ₩27,600, 14 trains, last departure 22:27
- Gangneung → Seoul Station train timetable, 16–22 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — 14 trains a day; last 20:30, 21:33 and 22:27 KTX-Eum 828 (arr 00:25), the same every day
- Korail press release: 코레일-에스알 9월 1일 하나로…안전 최우선, 더 편리한 고속철도의 시작 (31 Aug 2026)official — Integration and integrated running from 1 Sep 2026; KTX and SRT merged into KTX; average KTX fare cut about 10%; Korail+ app (Korail Talk + SRT app) launched 3 Aug
- Korail KTX fare table, effective 1 Sep 2026 (xls)official — Standard class Seoul–Gangneung ₩27,600
- SBS Biz: KTX표, 이제 두 달 전에 산다…10월부터 예매기간 확대 (20 Sep 2026)news — MOLIT and Korail: from 1 Oct 2026 tickets on sale two months before departure (was one month); foreigner web page has 7 languages, with French, German and Mongolian to be added; WeChat Pay/Alipay in development
- Gangneung Danoje Festival — official site (home)official — Directions to Gangneung: KTX about 2 h from Seoul Station; express bus about 3 h from Dong Seoul
- Korea Tourism Organization (English) — Gangneung Danoje Festivalkto — 1330 travel hotline in English, Japanese and Chinese
- Kyunghyang Shinmun — 청량리~부산 KTX 3시간38분…강릉~부산 3시간54분 (15 Dec 2025)news — KTX-Eum on the Jungang and Donghae lines from 30 Dec 2025; Gangneung–Busan about 3 h 54 m
- 여기유 (listing site) — 정동심곡바다부채길other — About 3.01 km from Jeongdong to Simgok; natural monument; Nov–Mar 09:00–16:30, ticket sales to 15:30 (Apr–Oct 09:00–17:30, to 16:30); adults ₩5,000, youth and soldiers ₩4,000, seniors and children ₩3,000; closed under weather special warnings, restricted in bad weather or military operations; information updated Aug 2025
- WikiTree — 정동진만 보고 오면 손해… 절벽과 동해 사이를 걷는 '3km 바다 트레킹길'news — Trail of about 3.01 km from the Jeongdong ticket office at Jeongdong port to the Simgok ticket office at Simgok port, on a former military patrol road; Jeongdongjin coastal terrace, Natural Monument No. 437, formed about 2–2.5 million years ago; restricted in high-sea advisories or warnings; no toilets on the trail; mesh-deck sections; Jeongdong port not far from the station
- Nocut News — Gangneung September recommendation: 정동심곡 바다부채길 (28 Aug 2026)news — Gangneung City named the trail a recommended September 2026 destination for its 2026–2027 Visit Gangneung Year; coastal walkway along a natural monument (trail open in 2026)
What we could not confirm
- Official 2026–27 programme, hours and hourglass-rotation time: not announced by Gangneung City as of 19 Oct 2026. The city's own 2025–26 notice, linked from KTO's listing (gn.go.kr selectBbsNttView, bbsNo=12, nttNo=201011), could not be opened from this session.
- Sunrise time for 1 January 2027 at Jeongdongjin (KASI) was not checked; the 07:39 figure is for 1 January 2026.
- Korail's special New Year sunrise trains: no details (departure stations and times, sale dates) were found for 2025–26 or 2026–27; only the 2024–25 Daejeon night train is sourced.
- Official parking, traffic control and any shuttle at Jeongdongjin on 31 Dec–1 Jan: none found; parking advice comes from a travel writer quoted by YTN.
- firstHeld 2000 rests on the hourglass being installed for the millennium in 2000 (YTN, which counts the 2025 rotation as the 25th) and Korail's sunrise trains to Jeongdongjin in Dec 2000; whether an organised festival existed earlier was not checked.
- Coordinates and address are those of Jeongdongjin Station (third-party timetable mirror); Sandglass Park's own address, coordinates and the walking time from the station were not verified.
- Japanese and Chinese names not verified (no KTO Japanese or Chinese page was opened).
- Last train back on the festival date under the timetable in force that day: KTX-Eum from Jeongdongjin and KTX from Gangneung to Seoul on 1 January 2027 (Korail posted a notice adjusting the last Gangneung-line KTX-Eum up train on 21 Oct 2026, and a new KTX timetable starts on 1 Nov 2026), and whether any regular train reaches Jeongdongjin before sunrise.
- Whether the Busan–Gangneung KTX-Eum trains on the Donghae Line stop at Jeongdongjin, and taxi or bus times between Gangneung Station and Jeongdongjin.
- Whether Jeongdong-Simgok Badabuchae-gil opens on 1 January and its 2026–27 winter hours and fees (listing site of Aug 2025: 09:00–16:30, last tickets 15:30, adults ₩5,000); no official Gangneung page for the trail was found.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of Jeongdongjin, the venue (최광모, CC0). · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed August and October 2026 KTX-Eum and KTX departure and arrival times for Jeongdongjin and Gangneung, which may not apply after Korail's 1 November 2026 timetable change and its 21 October adjustment of the last Gangneung-line up train; journey times and the check-in-the-Korail-app advice remain. · 2026-10-29 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: removed the remaining clock times (first KTX-Eum arrival at Jeongdongjin, the 2024 Daejeon night-train departure), app name corrected to Korail+ (코레일+), getThere.leaving added; prices: unchanged (free entry).
_20241005_002.jpg?width=960)