Rocky islands rising from the sea: are the Gogunsan Islands Jangjado Island, Seonyudo Island, Munyeodo Island and Sinsido the Lofoten of South Korea?
For anyone who has ever visited the Lofoten in Norway, Jangjado and the other islands connected via Sinsido to the mainland will offer a familiar sight. When I was planning my trip and looked at the area on Google Maps and KakaoMap it reminded me immediately of the Lofoten. Especially the aerial pictures of the stony islands rising up from the sea, connected by bridges made me think about my visit to Reine in Norway a few years back.
But it’s not fair to describe the Gogunsan Islands: Jangjado Island, Seonyudo Island, Munyeodo Island and Sinsido only in comparison with the Lofoten: they’re islands in their own rights, offering unique and very Korean experiences.
If you love the Lofoten, then visiting these islands in the western part of South Korea comes highly recommended.
Jangjado, Seonyudo, Munyeodo and Sinsido are part of the so-called Gogunsan Islands, with Gunsan meaning “a group of mountains”, perfectly describing the landscape of the islands. In the Goryeo period, the islands were referred to as the naval base of Gunsan (Gunsan-jin).
Later, in Joseon times, the word Go “Old” was added to Gunsan, as the naval base was relocated inland to what is now the city of Gunsan. If you leave the group of islands by the seawall to Gunsan, you can see the big harbor for yourself.
You enter the island group via the sea walls connecting Sinsido Island to the mainland, making the islands easily reachable for tourists. When I visited there were two, but more access roads are being built as we speak: one of them coming from Gunsan, a city to the west of Iksan and Jeonju and one coming from Byeonsanbando National Park.
Driving all the way to Jangjado Island, the last island in line only takes half an hour. But first stop at the photo area on Munyeodo Island, just before reaching the red Seonyu bridge to Seonyudo Island, to take a picture of the scenery.
When you pass the Jangjayo bridge to get to Jangjado Island, you can use the free parking lot to the right of the rotund to park your car near the tourist office. In the busy season you might have to use the paid parking lot.
From the parking lot, it is a short walk to one of the most scenic sights in the area. No red wooden houses as in Reine, but colorful Korean houses and cafes. If you feel like walking uphill, you can climb up the stairs to reach the top or opt to explore the sea walkway instead.
Along the road you can find many food trucks and restaurants, which are closed out of season (or perhaps just on weekdays), to try some local specialties. For those loving hotteok (Korean pancake), 호떡당커피 is a very good cafe selling hotteok with fillings like nuts, cheese or vegetable filling. From the terrace, you have a good view of the harbor and fish drying on the land.
On your way back there is another very good photo spot on the right side of Seonyudo Island, just before you reach Seonyu bridge to Munyeodo Island. Enjoy the scenery of Seonyudo Island, which is very much like a painting, and take in all the small islands surrounding it and also the alcoves with wooden walkways you can explore if you have enough time.
Do the Gogunsan Islands also remind you of the Lofoten?
More about this area
- Visit the Gogunsan Islands as part of a roundtrip in the lesser-known south and west of South Korea
- Visit Jeonju and other Highlights of South Korea
- Explore Seoul, the capital of South Korea
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