Jon Dunbar is a copy editor at The Korea Times, as well as editor of the Foreign Community page and curator of the Korea Times Archive. If you have suggestions for possible articles, or wish to contribute articles yourself, contact jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr.
Hanagae offers beach for city dwellers
Two people search for sea life on the tidal flat at Hanagae Beach on Muui Island. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar and Hong Seo-hyun
Not enough Seoulites know there are actual beaches accessible through the metro system. All it takes is a visit to Incheon International Airport, a transfer to the maglev, and then one more bus connection. The number of beaches within the Seoul Metro public transit network's reach increased by one in 2018, with the addition of Muui Island's Hanagae Beach.
Hanagae only received its beach designation last year, and the opening of Muui Bridge earlier this year made the beach even more accessible.
The beach is on the western side of Muui Island, facing away from the airport and toward the sunset. It stretches about 800 meters along a small cove here, part of which is underneath a towering zipline called Sky World. There are restaurants and stores crowded around the one beach entrance, and about 50 beachside cabins for visitors to spend the night. Camping is also permitted. There are typical beach facilities including public washrooms and showering facilities, as well as a concrete stage for special events.
A man carries two infants at Hanagae Beach on Muui Island. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
The water is shallow, with waves never getting too threatening. When the tide is out, it goes out far, exposing a solid sandy surface whose outer edge is far from the beach. Hanagae's tidal flat is one of the country's largest, with its name literally meaning “one big tidal flat.” The ground is solid underfoot, allowing easy walking a great distance from shore without sinking in.
“One of the things that Hanagae is famous for is… when the tide goes out, you can catch clams here,” Lee Yeong-seok, head of a 51-member co-op representing local businesses, told The Korea Times. “And when the tide comes back in, you can swim in the water.”
A boy uses a shovel to dig in the tidal flat at Hanagae Beach on Muui Island during low tide. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
Day and night, people venture out with pails and shovels to dig in the sand for a variety of edible marine creatures, including clams, crabs and snails.
“Even if a lot of people are visiting, they can catch anything and kids can have fun here,” Lee said. “They'll catch a lot where there are many things to catch, and they won't catch a lot where there aren't many things to catch.”
A small sea creature travels across the tidal flat of Hanagae Beach on Muui Island while the tide is out. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
Summer is peak season here, but after the beach going crowds thin out they're replaced by hikers in the fall. Hikers can follow a coastal walkway up over the waters, and trails lead to nearby Guksa Peak and Mount Horyeonggok. There are even several interesting and amusingly named geological formations to visit, such as Hamburger Rock.
“The sunset view here is great as well, and it's really wide,” Lee added. “You can't see this anywhere else.”
The sunset at Hanagae Beach / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
However, the beach community he represents has struggled with the changes, as more tourists means more cars and less parking.
“Now that the bridge has been built, there are a lot of people coming in,” Lee said. “People used to come by boat, so they didn't bring many cars. Now, the number of cars coming in has risen by dozens.”
The influx of visitors should be a good thing for the local economy, but with the beach designation, they had to stop collecting entrance fees from visitors.
“It's quite tough for us,” Lee admitted. “I thought that when our beach got official designation as a beach, we would get additional support. But it's not like that at all.”
But rather than give up or shut themselves off from outsiders, Lee has urged the local businesses to roll out the welcome mats.
“At our weekly co-op meetings, I remind everyone we should never charge customers too much, and that we must always treat them nicely, and make sure all the food served is fresh,” he said.
Lee Yeong-seok, head of the Hanagae beach co-op, speaks during a punk festival on June 16. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
Lee, who holds a three-year elected term, coordinates with government officials and anyone else who can bring more people in. According to him, Hanagae will be eligible for additional government support only after three years of holding official beach designation.
In the meantime, he looks toward drawing more Koreans and foreigners to the island.
This year already, the beach hosted “IT'S A FEST,” a
on June 15 and 16 organized by bands from Seoul, with acts flying in from Malaysia, Singapore and China, as well as the long-running Muuido Summer Sea Dance Festival on Aug. 3.
People at Hanagae Beach cool off with water guns during a punk music festival on June 16. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
“We need more of those festivals,” Lee said. “The music festival was great, and the foreigners really seemed to have a good time. They spent a lot of money and stayed at our residences, and the festival ultimately was a benefit to our island and our co-op. Next year, though, if the district office is able to give us funding, we will be able to make a better festival.”