Dongsanpo Beach: Parking 60 m Away, 8,465 Visitors in 2024

Dongsanpo Beach is in Dongsan-ri, Hyeonnam-myeon, Yangyang County, Gangwon Province. The sand runs for 800 m and is 40 m wide. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the beach sits right beside National Route 7, so it is easy to reach. The water stays about knee-deep even 15 m from the shore, which makes it a good spot for small children. The sea is clear enough to see the bottom, and the rocks along the coast have made the area known among scuba divers.

Visitor numbers have been climbing

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries figures show 5,302 visitors in 2015 and 6,957 in 2016. The count dropped to 2,188 in 2017, the lowest from 2015 to 2024, then rose to 3,983 in 2018 and 4,542 in 2019. It reached 5,609 in 2020, 5,510 in 2021, 6,211 in 2022 and 7,392 in 2023. In 2024 it hit 8,465, the highest in that period and 186% of the 2019 level. Numbers are rising year by year, but they are still small next to the famous big beaches of the east coast.

Parking: the closest car parks are all free

Korea's national parking registry lists several public and camp car parks near the beach. These are the five closest. All are recorded as free and open around the clock. The nearest one, at the campground, is only 60 m from the beach.

This is registry data and may differ from what you find on site. Follow local signs in peak season.

Is the water clean?

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries tested the seawater at Dongsanpo 12 times during the 2025 swimming season, and all 12 results were rated suitable. The Korea Tourism Organization also describes the water as pristine and clear enough to see the seabed.

If you need a doctor

The nearest emergency rooms are a long drive away. Gangneung Asan Hospital (강릉아산병원), a regional emergency centre, is 20.2 km away. Gangneung Dongin Hospital (의료법인강릉동인병원), a local emergency centre, is 26.6 km away. Three pharmacies are listed 11.6 km away: Jayeon (자연약국), Haetsal (햇살약국) and Segyero (세계로약국). All three are registered as closed on Sundays, so bring any medicine you may need. In an emergency call 119. For an accident at sea, call the Korea Coast Guard on 122. The nearest coast guard station is Jumunjin (주문진파출소), 11.7 km away.

Where to stay

Within 3 km of the beach there are 48 licensed places to stay. Residence-style lodgings are the largest group at 33, followed by 8 other lodgings, 5 motels and inns, 1 hotel and 1 condo or resort. Pensions and farm-stay minbak are registered under a different system, so they are not counted here. If you want to camp, Dongsanpo Campsite (동산포 캠핑장), a standard campground, is 0.5 km from the beach, and Bukbun Solbat Campsite (북분솔밭캠핑장), an auto-camping site, is 0.7 km away. Further out are Hajo Stay (하조스테이) at 5.4 km and Lala Place & Glamping (라라플레이스&글램핑) at 5.7 km.