Saemaeul (새마을) is a small neighborhood behind Sokcho Beach where young business owners are turning old houses and tucked-away rooms into kitchens, shops and studios. Come for a meal and the people making things here: Gangwon ingredients on a brunch plate, a local landmark drawn as a character, shells turned into objects for home.
If you like independent food and design, allow two to three hours for lunch, browsing and a beach walk. Start where Saemaeul-gil meets Haeoreum-ro at the beach's south end. The Saemaeul map shows that entrance and each shop; the stories below help you choose which doors to open.
Jump to: The neighborhood · Three local stories · Walking plan · Visit tips · FAQ
Why Saemaeul is called the Seongsu of Sokcho
The nickname refers to Seoul's Seongsu neighborhood, known for creative businesses finding new uses for older buildings. Saemaeul's version unfolds on a smaller, residential scale. Low roofs and narrow lanes sit alongside restaurants and makers' shops. Some entrances lead upstairs; others take you below street level.
Those roofs carry a history. Saemaeul began as housing for families displaced by the 1968 storm surge, and its name means “new village.” NewsPim's August 2025 report describes how neighborhood regeneration and young entrepreneurs helped bring new activity to the area while its low walls and lanes remained.
It is a place local people visit as well as live in. Sorak News reported interest from younger residents and tourists, with business owners in their twenties and thirties helping shape the district. That mix is more useful to understand than the nickname alone: you are walking through a working neighborhood, where someone's new project may share a wall with someone's home.
Three people shaping Saemaeul, Sokcho
Sonz: a Seongsu connection you can taste
At Sonz (손즈 브런치바), the connection to Seongsu is personal. After culinary school and professional cooking in Montreal, the owner spent a year in a Seongsu casual-dining kitchen. She then chose a lane off Saemaeul-gil for her own restaurant.
Her starting point is Gangwon produce. In HeySeorak's interview, she described sourcing potatoes from a neighbor who farms in Yangyang and working through each pairing before putting it on the menu. Peri-peri shrimp pasta gets a savory finish from dried pollock crumble. Pulled-pork brioche comes with a gondre dip, bringing a regional wild green into an otherwise familiar brunch plate.
One or two dishes change roughly every couple of months. That gives the restaurant a reason to matter beyond a first visit: the next meal can follow the season. English service is available, and the owner can also share nearby food recommendations.
Find it: Building B, 20 Donghae-daero 3930beon-gil. Plan for brunch or lunch; the evening wine bar takes advance reservations.
Heeheehyomhyom: a local artist redraws her hometown
Artist Hyom wanted Sokcho to have characters of its own. Her brand, Heeheehyomhyom (희희횸횸), began in 2019 and moved to its Saemaeul shop in March 2026. The postcards, magnets and stationery give familiar places a face.
Dalgomi imagines moon bears still hiding deep in Seoraksan. Rangbeomi starts with a different thought: what if Yeongnangho's Beombawi Rock were a tiger resting by the lake? The designs work as small everyday objects, but knowing their local references makes them more personal than a souvenir carrying only a city name.
Ask which place inspired the character you choose. Hyom uses a translation app for explanations; when she is in the shop, she writes buyers' names in Hangul calligraphy on the bags. The conversation gives you another way to see a landscape you may already have visited.
Find it: Second floor, 17 Saemaeul 9-gil. Look for the red-and-white sign and take care on the high steps.
Jogae Jupging: finding character in an imperfect shell
After moving to Sokcho in 2021, the artist behind Jogae Jupging (조개줍깅) tried surfing and began picking up shells on days by the sea. Her first mobiles were for home. Five pieces placed in another local shop found an audience; after three years of markets and consignment, she opened her own shop in 2024.
The detail that stays with us from her interview is how her eye changed. At first she looked for perfect shells. Later, broken edges and slight differences in color became part of a piece's appeal. Resin let her turn fragile finds into objects people could use.
Today the shop includes mobiles, mirrors, magnets and other keepsakes, alongside paper goods using her own images. Look at the individual pieces: their differences are the point. Browsing is separate from the reserved Custom Zone experience, where adults can make a resin piece of their own.
Find it: Basement, 3940 Donghae-daero, below Hoh & Ant cafe.
More small spaces to make time for
On weekends, add Aurora Dance (오로라댄스) at 4 Saemaeul 4-gil. Its handmade lights and mobiles come from the artist's Goseong studio to an old house in Saemaeul. Her phrase from our interview, “I make time to play, just for me,” helps explain a room where you can simply look, listen and enjoy the work. The artist's website shows more of her lighting projects. Short making sessions depend on availability; group sessions require arrangements.
If you want a different lunch, these three kitchens offer distinct choices. Follow the linked English menus for dishes and prices.
| Choose this if you want… | Place and address |
|---|---|
| A complete yoshoku plate with rice and accompaniments | MOOiJUNG (무이정), 2 Saemaeul 1-gil |
| Firm, chewy cold bukkake udon | Udongdang (우동당), 60 Saemaeul-gil |
| Handmade kalguksu, including a chicken bowl finished with sticky rice | Jindam (진담), 17 Saemaeul 13-gil |
A Saemaeul walking plan from Sokcho Beach
For a first visit, try Heeheehyomhyom → Sonz → Aurora Dance on an opening day → Jogae Jupging. This connects the upstairs shop, a lunch stop and the makers toward Donghae-daero. Use the neighborhood map for the lanes and exact shop pins.
| Walk between stops | Estimated time |
|---|---|
| Beach entrance → Heeheehyomhyom | 4 min |
| Heeheehyomhyom → Sonz | 3 min |
| Sonz → Aurora Dance | 1 min |
| Aurora Dance → Jogae Jupging | 3 min |
| Jogae Jupging → beach entrance | 7 min |
These are map-based estimates, not timed walks, and exclude browsing, stairs, crossings and meals. Allow extra time to find entrances. Two to three hours is our suggested visit pace, with much of it spent inside the shops. If lunch service is ending soon, eat first and use the map to reorder the stops.
Before you go
- Choose an opening day. Sonz, MOOiJUNG, Heeheehyomhyom and Jogae Jupging list Wednesday closures. Aurora Dance lists weekends. Confirm current hours and restaurant breaks on the linked shop pages before setting out.
- Plan for stairs. Heeheehyomhyom is upstairs and Jogae Jupging is in a basement. Contact the shops about access if stairs are difficult for you.
- Book the experiences that need it. Sonz's evening service and Jogae Jupging's Custom Zone require reservations; a shop visit does not include a workshop booking.
- Respect the homes between the shops. Keep doorways clear, give vehicles room and ask before photographing people or private interiors.
Saemaeul questions, answered
Where is Saemaeul in Sokcho?
Saemaeul is in Joyang-dong, just inland from the south end of Sokcho Beach. Saemaeul-gil and its smaller lanes form the neighborhood. Use a shop's Korean name and address when navigating: Saemaeul is a common name elsewhere in Korea, too.
Is Saemaeul the same as Abai Village?
No. Saemaeul is behind Sokcho Beach in Joyang-dong; Abai Village is a separate neighborhood in Cheongho-dong, associated with displaced families, food and the Gaetbae ferry. The Port to Beach walk connects coastal stops before reaching the Saemaeul area.
Is Saemaeul worth adding to a beach visit?
Yes, if you enjoy small kitchens, artists' shops and conversations about what people make. Pick a meal and two shops, then leave time for the shore. For an afternoon focused specifically on coffee, use our Sokcho cafe guide to choose a stop.
For your first Saemaeul afternoon, choose the maker whose story interests you most and build lunch around that visit. Open the Saemaeul map and choose your stops.
Sources and photo credits
Reviewed by HeySeorak's editorial team on October 1, 2026, using published place records and owner interviews: Sonz (September 23), Aurora Dance (September 24), Jogae Jupging (September 28), and Heeheehyomhyom and Jindam (September 29). MOOiJUNG's interview is from June; Udongdang's record includes a May field visit. These dates do not imply a new visit or same-day opening check.
Neighborhood context: NewsPim, August 19, 2025, and Sorak News, August 25, 2025. Walking estimates use our map's place coordinates and walking-pace model.
The cover is an AI-generated streetscape interpretation, not a photograph of an exact street. The three photographs within the article are HeySeorak originals, approved for use on this site.