Seongjin Live Fish
성진활어
A two-unit sashimi house on Daepo Port run by a Busan native who married into a Sokcho fishing family twelve years ago. She took over her in-laws' long-running raw fish shop, rebranded it as Seongjin, and over the years moved it from the old shoreline shacks to a parking-lot stall to its current expanded spot in the Daepo Fishery Market. A remodel last year stripped the place of the usual raw-fish-house clutter and left something that foreign guests keep mistaking for a café: high ceilings, clean lines, ocean view. The full-course sashimi sets are the house specialty, and she was the first vendor on the strip to introduce them.
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Interviewed by HeySeorak on 📖 Owner story included
Best For
Groups, special meals, and first-time seafood lovers
Area
Daepo
Price
₩₩ Mid-range
Info
Daepo Fishery Market Bldg B, Unit 3, 71 Daepohang-himang-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon
강원특별자치도 속초시 대포항희망길 71 대포항수산시장 B동 3호
Open every day. Saturday opens 30 minutes earlier and closes 30 minutes later.
The Story
The owner grew up in Yongho-dong, Busan, and lived there for more than thirty years before a trip to Gangwon introduced her to her husband. She married him, moved to Sokcho, and for a while stayed home raising their child while her in-laws ran a sashimi house on Daepo Port. Twelve years ago she came in to help with serving and never left. The family rebranded the shop as Seongjin Hwal-eo, moved from the old shoreline shacks to a parking-lot unit, and eventually expanded into the current two-unit space in the Daepo Fishery Market. Last year they remodeled — ripped out the tired raw-fish-house interior and left something that feels more like a café than a port stall.
“매운탕을 저희는 그날 잡은 생선 뼈로 직접 끓여 비린내 없이 진한 국물이 나와요. 저희의 시그니처 메뉴입니다.— 'We make our spicy fish stew using the bones of fish caught that very day, resulting in a rich broth with no fishy smell. It is our signature dish.'”
— Owner, Seongjin Live Fish
What They Stand For
No filler. Other places pad platters with corn and lettuce and side nonsense; Seongjin's plates are just seafood — king scallop, regular scallop, sea squirt, sea cucumber, abalone — laid out without a mattress of vegetables underneath the sashimi to hide the portion. The kitchen refuses to outsource the spicy fish stew the way most of the port does. The owner boils it herself, every time, from the bones of fish they killed that morning. She makes the mulhoe sauce in-house too. Quality before volume, but the portions are still generous — guests should leave full.
Behind the Signature
Seongjin was the first shop on this strip of Daepo Port to sell full-course sashimi sets. In the early days the format didn't land — diners wanted a single platter and a bottle of soju, not a progression of dishes. It took years for the course format to catch on, and now it's what every competing shop offers too. The other half of the house signature is the spicy fish stew. It's made from bones of fish that were swimming that morning, simmered in-house without a drop of fishy smell. When foreign guests ask for it without the chili, the kitchen makes a white-broth jiri on the spot — and those bowls always come back empty.
Local Tip
Seongjin occupies units 2 and 3 of Building B inside the Daepo Fishery Market complex, right on Daepo Port. The two-unit remodel opened the ceiling and added an ocean view — foreign guests have walked in thinking it was a café. Take bus 9 or 9-1 to Daepo Port, or park at the Daepo 1st Public Parking Lot and walk in. It's a natural stop on the way back from Seoraksan.
Seasonal Note
Red snow crab is off-limits during the July–August closed season. Snow crab runs year-round thanks to Russian imports. Rising sea temperatures have been shifting the East Sea catch — the owner mentions even octopus turning up in local nets now, a species that used to belong further south. What's in season changes faster than it used to.
For Travelers
Foreign guests come often and almost always leave happy — the owner says every nationality except a few Chinese visitors has loved the seafood without hesitation. The spicy fish stew turns into the white-broth jiri on request, and foreign tables tend to scrape those bowls clean to the bottom. The menu shorthand works: point at 'Crab, Rice, Sashimi, Steam' and the kitchen serves a full course in order. A party of twelve foreign guests came through recently and left raving. The remodeled interior helps — people walk in expecting a quiet café and get dinner instead.
Start with these dishes
The best first order for understanding what makes this place worth visiting.
Whole Fish Spicy Stew
통매운탕
A spicy stew made by cooking one whole live fish from head to tail.
Snow Crab Set (Medium)
대게 SET (중)
A two-crab set with one snow crab and one red snow crab, so diners can enjoy both flavors in one order.
Red Crab Set (Medium)
붉은대게 SET (중)
A red crab set with three whole red snow crabs.
How to order here
A simple flow for first-time visitors who want to order confidently.
Step 1
Start with the house specialty
If you are unsure, begin with Whole Fish Spicy Stew. Seafood-focused places usually do their best work with the freshest catch or most popular set.
Step 2
Confirm portion and pricing
Ask whether dishes are sized for one person or for sharing. If they sell market-price seafood, double-check the price before you commit.
Step 3
Round out the meal
Pair the main order with Snow Crab Set (Medium) or a lighter side so the table gets both a signature item and something easy to share.
More from the menu
View full English menu →Wild Assorted Sashimi (Small)
자연산 모듬회 (소)
Wild assorted sashimi served with seafood such as abalone, sea squirt, scallop, and sea cucumber.
Farmed Assorted Sashimi (Small)
양식 모듬회 (소)
Farmed assorted sashimi served with seafood such as abalone, sea squirt, scallop, and sea cucumber.
Helpful guides
Practical reads to help you make the most of your visit.
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