Crabs, coastline and caves: Exploring Korea’s Uljin in winter

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Crabs, coastline and caves: Exploring Korea’s Uljin in winter

Published: 17 Feb. 2026, 15:00 Updated: 18 Feb. 2026, 08:29

WOO JI-WON
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Snow crab fishermen unload containers of freshly-caught snow crabs in Uljin, North Gyeongsang, on Jan. 30. [GNC 21]

ULJIN, North Gyeongsang — Most coastal towns quiet down in winter. But in Uljin, on the eastern edge of North Gyeongsang and roughly halfway between Gangneung and Busan, the county is at its most charming when it’s cold.

From emerald shallows near the shore to midnight blue waters further out, the sea shifts into a layered palette of blues. Winter is also the perfect time to catch snow crab, the county’s signature specialty, at its meatiest.

Inland, a limestone cave formed 250 million years ago remains steady, offering quite a spectacle and warmth against the chill. The steamy hot spring in Onjeong-myeon feels especially inviting in the coldest months.

Even after one of Korea’s most devastating wildfires tore through the county's 14,000 hectares (34,595 acres) of forest and destroyed 219 homes in 2022, the region did not lose its raw beauty.

People walk towards National Ocean Science Museum’s underwater observatory in Jukbyeon-myeon, Uljin. [GNC 21]

Improved rail connections have made the journey to Uljin a breeze. The KTX-Eum now runs along the Donghae Line and stops at Uljin Station three times daily — a first for the county. From Seoul, travelers can now reach Uljin in about 3.5 hours by taking a regular KTX to Pohang and transferring to the Donghae Line, or take a two-and-a-half-hour KTX ride to Gangneung for about 1.5 hours before continuing by bus or rental car.

With upgraded transportation, experiencing Uljin’s quiet yet resonant charm has never been easier — especially with the county’s signature Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab Festival returning on Feb. 27.

Snow crab reels one in with its claws

Uljin starts waking up around 8:30 a.m. at Jukbyeon Harbor — and much earlier for snow crab fishermen who have already been out at sea since the early morning hours. As soon as the temperature drops in December, they head 23 kilometers (14 miles) offshore, lowering traps more than 300 meters (984 feet) deep into the East Sea.

Workers spread freshly-caught snow crabs across the auction floor at Hupo Port in Hupo-myeon. [GNC 21]

Here, where much of the nation’s snow crab is caught and sold, generations overlap. Sons take over their fathers’ work, which they inherited from their own fathers. Unless the weather turns harsh, fishing happens nearly every day until May.

When the boats return, snow crabs — Uljin’s representative catch — are spread across the auction floor, where a crowd of middlemen and store owners has already claimed their spots. Crew members sort out the crabs measuring less than nine centimeters (four inches), as only larger ones qualify as Uljin crab.

Middlemen scribble bids onto small wooden boards and discreetly present them to the auctioneer. The highest bid wins, and one knows the deal is done when the crabs are loaded back into carts. Without a break, the next batch is spread across the floor.

On this day, a 500-gram (18-ounce) snow crab sold for around 17,300 won ($12). A 1-kilogram red crab — often called honggae and known for its deeper red hue — went for about 38,000 won.

Snow crabs measuring over 9 centimeters in vertical length are spread across the floor. [GNC 21]

Visitors cannot bid, but they can follow the fresh crabs to restaurants around Hupo Harbor to get the taste of it. By 10 a.m., many snow crab restaurants open. After just ten to fifteen minutes in large metal steamers, with no seasoning and no salt, they are ready to be devoured.

The crabs are the most plump and heavy with meat in February, when the weather is at its coldest. Owing to it, the mild, slightly sweet and clean-tasting flesh slips out intact easily with just a few tilts. Red crab has a stronger flavor, saltier and richer in umami.

A restaurant owner holds freshly steamed snow crabs and red crabs at a local restaurant, Wangdolhoe Soosan. [GNC 21]

But the only way to properly end the meal is to add hot rice to the crab’s innards — savory and deeply satisfying — before carefully spooning the mixture back into the shell.

These prized crabs will be celebrated at the Uljin Snow Crab and Red Snow Crab Festival, running from Feb. 27 to March 2 at the Wangdolcho Plaza in Hupo-myeon, with performances and activities centered on the county’s defining dish.

But snow crab is just the opening act in Uljin's kitchen.

A hot bowl of Gombi soup [GNC 21]

With the sea at its doorstep, the county has a repertoire of warming local soups, including Cod soup. The soup at Useong Restaurant arrives with tender fillets in a deep, savory broth. Gomchi (eel) soup, about 15,000 won per bowl, might surprise with its jelly-like texture. But the unfamiliar mouthfeel paired with clean, refreshing broth is something rarely tasted elsewhere.

Sea from every angle

Few places make the sea feel as immersive as Uljin. The county offers countless ways to watch the water change hue as waves roll in at their own irregular rhythm.

An aerial view of Deunggisan Skywalk [GNC 21]

Yacht, operated by Uljin County Yacht School, heads toward Deunggisan Skywalk. [GNC 21]

At Deunggisan Skywalk, which stands 20 meters high and stretches 135 meters over the water from Gatbawi Park, a 57-meter section is fitted with reinforced glass. Walking along it with protective shoe covers on, the radiant sea unfolds in every direction — ahead, to both sides and even beneath your feet.

For those who wish to feel the sea up close, yachts run by the Uljin County Yacht School provide an inviting opportunity. The one-hour sail, which costs 50,000 won per person, passes Deunggisan Skywalk before looping back. At sunset, the winter water turns molten as the sun casts a warm golden path across its surface.

Even below the surface, the sea can be enjoyed. At the National Ocean Science Museum’s underwater observatory, a 393-meter marine passageway leads to a viewing point seven meters beneath the sea, where marine life drifts past without the need for a submarine. The circular structure allows observation of different species of fish through dozens of windows facing in all directions.

People look out the window to catch sight of fishes and other sea creatures at the National Ocean Science Museum’s underwater observatory in Jukbyeon-myeon, Uljin. [GNC 21]

Then there is a place where one can experience both the beauty of the sea and the weight of the area's history.

At Wolsong Beach, the entrance begins along a quiet, pine-lined path. For much of the walk, it is hard to imagine that sand and open water lie just ahead. To one side, where the trees part, sits Wolsongjeong Pavilion, gazing out over the sea.

Wolsongjeong Pavilion stands among pine trees overlooking Wolsongri Beach. [GNC 21]

First built during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) as a watchtower against Japanese pirates, the pavilion later evolved into a place for contemplation and scenery. Viewed from the pavilion, the beach framed by pine trees looks like a painting.

Beneath Uljin

Inland sits a cave formed a quarter of a billion years ago. Designated Natural Monument No. 155, the Seongnyu Cave contains nine chambers and has pools that are four to five meters deep. Stalactites hang like icicles from the ceiling, and stone pillars and stalagmites rise from the ground.

Stalactities can be been hanging like icicles at Seongnyu Cave. [GNC 21]

In the quiet world of the cave, small fish are seen swimming in a small pond of water, and bats occasionally flicker through the darkness. Bending and squatting are necessary to pass through narrow sections, and safety helmets are mandatory. Only about one-third of the cave's areas are currently open to the public, and the round-trip walk takes less than an hour. The entrance fee is 5,000 won.

After emerging from the cool, dim chambers, warmth calls. One cannot soak in the freezing sea, but one can soak in the steaming waters of Baekam Hot Springs.

What makes a good hot spring? A large mountain nearby suggests mineral-rich water. Seaside hot springs are also considered ideal, as seawater can mix with the spring. The Baekam Hot Springs ticks all the boxes.

That is why the county has long been known as a town of hot springs. History remembers it, too. Yi San-hae (1539-1609) once wrote of its healing waters beneath Mount Baekam, saying that with just a dip in the water, all illnesses could be healed.

Hot spring–fed tubs are available at Wontang Goryeo Hotel in Baekam Hot Springs town. [GNC 21]

Family hot tubs inside Wontang Goryeo Hotel's hotel [GNC 21]

The Baekam Hot Springs lie about 10 kilometers inland from the sea. Bathhouses and hotels have grown around the natural springs since the first facilities were built in 1913, offering visitors a chance to soak in the mineral-rich waters. Many elderly locals come several times a week, often arriving together by bus.

For those driving North to go to Seoul or catch a train at Gangneung Station, stop by Uljin Eodari Bridge. Built in 2015 to commemorate the return and spawning of sweetfish in Namdaecheon Stream, the 243-meter bridge stands out with massive domes resembling the skeleton of a sweetfish from tail to mouth.