17 km "Hwaseong Golden Coastal Road" Embracing Red Sunsets Emerges as a West Sea Walking Destination

Hwaseong Offers a Three-Section Coastal Trail from Jebu Marina to Gungpyeong Port
Enjoy Scenic Views of the Sea, Salt Fields, and Fishing Villages at a Glance
1,400 Parking Spaces and Shuttle Buses Available
Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun: "Developing Hwaseong as a Leading Marine Tourism City"

The "Hwaseong Golden Coastal Road," where visitors can enjoy the red sunsets over the West Sea, mudflats, salt fields, and fishing villages as they walk along, is emerging as a new destination for walking enthusiasts.

The sunset over Hwaseong's Golden Coast Road. Provided by Hwaseong City.

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun) announced on August 14 that as the weather has recently become cooler, the temporarily opened Golden Coastal Road, which was made accessible last June, has been attracting a continuous flow of visitors.

The Golden Coastal Road is a 17 km-long marine exploration trail stretching from Jebu Marina, at the entrance to Jebudo Island, to Gungpyeong Port. The name is inspired by the golden hue that the sunsets over the West Sea cast upon the sea.

With a total project cost of around 49 billion won, the path was constructed to a comfortable width of 2.25 meters. It consists of a 4.4 km-long maritime and coastal deck, and a 12.6 km scenic coastal roadway. Walking the entire route takes approximately four hours, but visitors can also choose to stroll only certain sections at their discretion.

The trail is divided into three sections, each offering distinct scenery.

Aerial photo of Hwaseong Golden Coast Road. Provided by Hwaseong City

The first section, "Sunset Scenery Trail," extends 5 km from Jebu Marina to Songgyo-ri and takes about 70 minutes to walk. Visitors can enjoy views of the West Sea's sunset and ocean scenery, as well as explore the nearby Jebudo Bada Yeollim-gil and the West Sea Jebudo Marine Cable Car. If you wish to use the Jebudo Sea Road, be sure to check the tidal schedule and passable times in advance.

The second section, "Salt Sea Trail," spans 4.5 km from Songgyo-ri to Gongsaeng Salt Field. This section is made up of 2.3 km of coastal deck and 2.2 km of scenic coastal road. Visitors can experience the serene views of Gongsaeng Salt Field, where traditional sun-dried salt has been produced for over half a century, along with mudflats and quiet fishing villages.

However, since this section passes through a military control area, access to the coastal deck is restricted after 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. After this time, visitors must use the designated detour route as indicated by signposts.

The final section, "Gungpyeong Tourism Trail," is a 7.5 km stretch from Gongsaeng Salt Field to Gungpyeong Port, taking about 100 minutes to walk. Along this route are an observatory, photo zones, and Baekmiri Fishing Village Experience Resort. At Baekmiri, guests can participate in mudflat experiences such as clam digging, collecting moon snails and crabs, and goby fishing.

The view of Hwanggeum Coastal Road in Hwaseong. Provided by Hwaseong City.

Last month, Hwaseong City responded to visitors’ feedback by installing temporary benches along the trail and providing eight air circulators to prevent heat-related illnesses. Major hubs such as Jebu Marina, Songgyo-ri, Gongsaeng Salt Field, Baekmiri, Gungpyeong Tourist Site, and Gungpyeong Port offer parking spaces for approximately 1,400 vehicles in total.

Paid shuttle buses, "Golden Coast 01" and "Golden Coast 02," are also in operation to assist travelers on foot. These buses depart from the West Sea Cable Car/Jebu Checkpoint and Jeongok Port, circulating through Jebudo Island, Songgyo 1-ri, Salgoji Entrance, and Seohae Maru, before returning to Gungpyeong Port.

Additionally, the city will provide "Koreeyo Umbrellas" for rent at key points along the Golden Coastal Road. Visitors can use the umbrellas during their walk and return them at designated points or community offices at the end of each section.

If weather conditions worsen due to strong winds, high waves, or heavy rain, access to the coastal decks will be entirely restricted. During heat wave advisories, some sections may also be off-limits for safety reasons.

Citizens walking along Hwaseong's Golden Coast Road at sunset. Provided by Hwaseong City

Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun of Hwaseong Special City stated, "The Golden Coastal Road serves as a key tourism axis connecting prominent West Sea sites such as Jebudo, Baekmiri, and Gungpyeong Port. It will bring new vitality to local small businesses and fishermen and will help make Hwaseong a leading marine tourism city in Korea."

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