Jeongdongjin
Encyclopedia
Jeongdongjin is a famous town near Gangneung
Gangneung
Gangneung is a city in Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 229,869 . Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of eastern Gangwon Province. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, like Jeongdongjin, one of the most famous towns in Korea...

, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 and one of the most popular sites in Korea for watching the sunrise on New Year's Day. It is eighteen kilometers south-east of Gangneung on the east coast of Korea.

History

In ancient times, at Jeongdongjin the King held a memorial service for the Dragon King
Dragon King
The four Dragon Kings are, in Chinese mythology, the divine rulers of the four seas . Although Dragon Kings appear in their true forms as dragons, they have the ability to shapeshift into human form...

 of the four seas. At the beginning of the Korean War, the beach was a landing area for the 766th Independent Infantry Regiment from North Korea. The North Korean submarine from the 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident
1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident
The 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident occurred on September 18, 1996, near the South Korean town of Gangneung. The incident was one of the more serious instances of North Korean espionage involving naval forces....

 is on display at Jeongdongjin, which is south-east of An-in beach where it ran aground.

Modern day

Fishermen sailing from the small harbor catch Pacific saury
Pacific saury
The Pacific saury, Cololabis saira, is a member of the family Scomberesocidae. This saury, which is a food source in some East Asian cuisines, is also known by the name mackerel pike.- Name :...

, abalone and sole. A ceremony asking God to protect the town, combined with ceremonial prayers for a large catch of fish, is held twice a year in Jeongdongjin. The day of the first full moon of the lunar year and Dano are also festive occasions.

Jeongdongjin is a picturesque area with a quaint railway station alongside the sandy beach. Long a favorite spot among the locals, the area gained wider popularity after being chosen as the filming location for the popular soap opera Moraeshigae (meaning Sandglass) in 1994 and has since become a favorite haunt for drama lovers on the weekends.

The highlight of Jeongdongjin, however, is the sunrise. The early morning sun rising over the ocean and outlining the train station and surrounding pines is a sight that has been described as "straight out of a fairy tale." During the New Year, Jeongdongjin Sunrise Park is the location of the Sunrise Festival and the ceremonial ‘turning of the hourglass’, signifying the changing year. At the year 2000 millenium, the sunrise festival was an especially grand event.
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