Japanese
MOOiJUNG
무이정
A small yoshoku kitchen: hamburg steak, Napolitan pasta and butter rice, Japanese-Western style.
Saemaeul새마을
Small lanes behind Sokcho Beach, first built for families the 1968 storm surge left homeless.
- Next to
- Sokcho Beach, south end
- Since
- 1968
- From the cruise terminal
- 3.1 km, about 1 hr on foot
- Return
- Taxi back recommended
Places on the street
Tap a place to find it on the map.
Japanese
Udongdang
우동당
Cold bukkake udon with firm, chewy noodles, a few turns from the beach.
Korean
Jindam
진담
Handmade kalguksu at a 14-seat counter, with a chicken bowl that ends in sticky rice.
Burger
Beach Burger
비치버거
Handmade beef burgers a minute from the beach. The owner's pick is the pineapple-topped Hawaiian.
Pizza
Gaga's Pizza
가가스피자
New York-style pizza by the slice, from slow-cooked chili to mushroom cream, with draft beer.
Korean
Yet Bukcheong Abai Sundae
옛북청아바이순대
Abai Village's sausage and stuffed squid on the beach road, with solo sets that put a little of each on one tray.
Cafe
Sonz
손즈 브런치바
Brunch built on Gangwon produce by a chef trained in Montreal. By evening it becomes a wine bar, reservations only.
Cafe
Bickie Bakeshop
비키베이크샵
Brunch around Gangwon potatoes in an orange house: potato lasagna and chewy potato dumplings in Gorgonzola cream, from nine.
Cafe
Zanzan Sokcho
잔잔속초
Sokcho Coffee blends poured into the owner's own pottery, with handmade mugs and ceramics to take home.
Cafe
Hoho Aunt
호호앤트
A couple-run espresso bar on the main road: Hoho Latte, salt cream cold brew and Basque cheesecake baked in-house.
Cafe
Re:Breathe
리브리드
A café hidden down a narrow lane: a cream latte made with Gangwon potatoes, roll cakes and Sokcho souvenirs.
Shop
Aurora Dance
오로라댄스
Handmade lights and mobiles in an old house. Open on weekends, with drop-in making sessions.
Shop
Heeheehyomhyom
희희횸횸
A local artist's Sokcho characters on postcards, magnets and stationery, upstairs.
Upcycle
Jogae Jupging
조개줍깅
Shell and sea-glass mobiles and keepsakes, downstairs on the main road at the lanes' edge.
Shop
Goyangi Golmok 415
고양이골목415
Cat-themed goods and Sokcho souvenirs in a grandmother's old house. Part of the proceeds helps local street cats.
Guesthouse
Sokcho Romance Pension
로망스 펜션
A dog-friendly pension, large dogs included: terrace rooms and two-bedroom stays with yards.
MOOiJUNG, 1 of 16
Saemaeul: quick answer
Saemaeul (새마을, "new village") is a grid of low houses and narrow lanes just inland from the south end of Sokcho Beach, first built as housing for families who lost their homes to a storm surge in 1968. New kitchens, cafés and studios now sit between the older homes, laundries and noodle shops. Come for lunch after the beach and walk the lanes slowly.
From 1968 to now
1968
1968
A village rebuilt after the sea
In October 1968 a storm surge struck the east coast and many Sokcho families lost their homes. Disaster-relief housing went up on this stretch of Joyang-dong. Accounts differ on the size, from 440 to more than 800 houses. The families who moved in called their neighborhood Saemaeul, the "new village".
Half a century of low lanes
The grid of small houses and narrow lanes has stayed. Long-running naengmyeon shops and laundries still sit between newer doors.
2020–2024
2020–2024
Regeneration, not redevelopment
An urban regeneration program repaired old houses, lanes, streetlights and parking and opened a community center. It kept the houses instead of clearing them for new buildings.
2020s
2020s
Udon, surf and small shops
Udon and Thai kitchens came first, then a surf shop and gelato, then cafés, guesthouses and small shops. Korean press now calls it the "Seongsu of Sokcho", after Seoul's warehouse-café district.
2025–2026
2025–2026
A neighborhood that speaks for itself
In November 2025 the city designated Saemaeul an alley shopping district (골목형상점가), which gives its merchants' association an official voice. In August 2026 the neighborhood held its own festival, the 68 Saemaeul Neoul Festival, named for the year it began.
Know before you go
Getting there
Walk inland from the south end of Sokcho Beach; the lanes start within a few minutes. From the cruise terminal, the Port to Beach walk follows the coast through Abai Village and past Cheongho Beach and ends here, about 3.1 km and an hour on foot.
Getting back
Taxi back recommended, especially if you have an all-aboard time to keep.
Opening days
Most places here are small and set their own days off and break times. Some close midweek, and some open only on weekends. Check each place's hours on its page before you walk over.
It's a neighborhood
People live in these lanes. Keep your voice down, and ask before you photograph homes or people.
Frequently asked questions
What is Saemaeul in Sokcho?
Saemaeul is a neighborhood of low houses and narrow lanes behind the south end of Sokcho Beach, in Joyang-dong. It was built in 1968 as disaster-relief housing for families who lost their homes to a storm surge. Its name means "new village". Today small restaurants, cafés and studios have opened between the homes, and the city designated it an alley shopping district in 2025.
How do I get to Saemaeul from the Sokcho cruise terminal?
Walk the coast south through Abai Village and past Cheongho Beach to Sokcho Beach. Saemaeul starts just inland from the beach's south end. It's about 3.1 km and an hour on foot, and HeySeorak's Port to Beach walk follows this line. Taking a taxi back is recommended.
Where can I eat in Saemaeul?
On HeySeorak you'll find MOOiJUNG for Japanese-Western yoshoku plates, Udongdang for cold bukkake udon, Jindam for handmade kalguksu, Beach Burger for handmade beef burgers, Gaga's Pizza for New York-style slices, Yet Bukcheong Abai Sundae for Abai Village sausage and stuffed squid, Sonz for brunch built on Gangwon produce, and Bickie Bakeshop for potato lasagna and potato dumplings in Gorgonzola cream. For coffee, Zanzan Sokcho pours Sokcho Coffee blends into the owner's own pottery, Hoho Aunt is a couple-run espresso bar with desserts made in-house, and Re:Breathe, down a narrow lane, makes a cream latte with Gangwon potatoes. All of them have English menus. Many places close one weekday or take a mid-afternoon break, so check hours first.
Where can I buy souvenirs in Saemaeul?
Four small shops sell work by local makers, most of it made by the people who run them. Heeheehyomhyom has postcards, magnets and stationery with the artist's own Sokcho characters. Jogae Jupging, on the main road at the lanes' edge, turns shells and sea glass into mobiles and keepsakes. Aurora Dance shows handmade lights and mobiles on weekends. Goyangi Golmok 415 mixes cat-themed goods with Sokcho and Yangyang souvenirs and handmade fabric pieces from Yangyang. Each has an English shop guide on HeySeorak.
Where can I stay in Saemaeul?
Small guesthouses and pensions sit between the homes, a few minutes' walk from Sokcho Beach. On HeySeorak you'll find Sokcho Romance Pension, a dog-friendly stay that welcomes large dogs, with terrace rooms for two and two-bedroom stays with their own yards. Its stay page lists the rooms, pet fees and booking routes; check the dog rules for your room before you book.
Walk here
Nearby
Reviewed by HeySeorak editorial team · updated .