Jeju Beaches Open at Night...Extended Hours Amid Heatwave and Tropical Nights

Extended Hours for Hyeopjae and Iho Tewoo Beaches Until 9 p.m.
Samyang and Woljeong Beaches Open Until 8 p.m.
211 Safety Personnel Deployed On-Site

Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, has decided to extend the operating hours of major beaches within its jurisdiction starting from the 15th, in response to the ongoing record-breaking heatwave and persistent tropical nights. Beginning July 15, the operating hours for Hyeopjae Beach and Iho Tewoo Beach will be extended from the previous hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., while Samyang Beach and Woljeong Beach will be extended until 8 p.m. To ensure safety, the city will deploy a total of 211 safety personnel on site, focusing on the prevention of nighttime accidents.

Jeju City has decided to extend the nighttime operating hours of Samyang and Woljeong Beaches until 8 p.m. starting from the 15th. Recently, vacationers visiting Samyang Beach in Samyang-dong, Jeju City at dusk have been cooling off by playing in the water. Photo by Park Changwon.

According to Jeju City on July 15, this decision to extend nighttime operating hours is a proactive administrative measure responding to a surge in visitors to the beaches during night hours, as the perceived daytime temperature has exceeded 33°C since mid-July and the tropical night phenomenon has persisted.

The total number of targeted beaches is four. Hyeopjae Beach and Iho Tewoo Beach, which are relatively well-equipped with lighting facilities on the sand, will have their hours extended by two hours, operating until 9 p.m. Woljeong Beach and Samyang Beach will have their hours extended by one hour, closing at 8 p.m.

The remaining four designated beaches in Jeju City—Geumneung, Gwakji, Hamdeok, and Gimnyeong—will continue to operate as usual from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To dispel concerns over marine safety accidents related to nighttime operations, Jeju City has deployed a large-scale team of safety personnel.

Since May, the city finalized recruitment of staff across various roles, including safety managers, private safety personnel, and administrative assistants, and completed pre-operation safety education. Starting on the first day of the extended hours, a total of 211 professional safety management personnel have been assigned intensively to the sites to conduct patrols and rescue activities.

This decision to extend nighttime operations at Jeju City’s major beaches is being positively received for providing a space for citizens to rest during tropical nights and for absorbing some of the city’s summer cooling demand. However, due to the characteristics of nighttime waters with low visibility, there is a rising risk of accidents from safety complacency, such as entering the water while intoxicated or straying outside designated zones.

Because securing visibility is challenging at night and limits the ability of rescue personnel to respond instantly, all visitors are advised to exercise extra caution, and thorough safety monitoring by administrative authorities appears increasingly necessary.

In particular, preventive measures such as the regular inspection of lighting towers and other visual safety infrastructure, real-time monitoring of swimmers crossing dark sea boundaries, and the maintenance of emergency communication networks between the police, fire department, and related agencies will be essential for establishing a multi-layered safety net.

Yang Woochun, Head of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at Jeju City, stated, “We will focus our administrative resources on on-site safety management so that citizens and tourists can enjoy the summer nights at the beach with peace of mind. As the visibility of safety staff can be limited during nighttime hours, we ask that visitors refrain from risky behaviors such as entering the water after drinking or leaving the safety zone, and actively cooperate with on-site control.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.