Abai Village in Sokcho: A Visitor's Guide

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Why Abai Village matters

Abai Village (아바이마을) is a small peninsula-like settlement wedged between the East Sea and Cheongcho Lake, connected to central Sokcho by a slender sandbar. It was founded by refugees from Hamgyong Province in North Korea during the Korean War (1950-53); many crossed the border expecting to return within months and instead settled permanently on this spit of reclaimed land. “Abai” is a Hamgyong dialect word for an older man or father figure, and the village’s food, layout, and older residents still carry that North Korean provincial identity — making it one of the few places in South Korea where a distinct North Korean regional culture survives openly, rather than being a hidden-gem cliché.

Getting there

Abai Village is on the Sokcho side of the harbor mouth, directly across the channel from Sokcho Fish Market (속초관광수산시장) and the Dongmyeong Port area. There is no subway in Sokcho — the nearest rail option is Sokcho’s intercity/express bus terminal, reached by bus from Seoul (roughly 2-2.5 hours from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal) or from Gangneung’s KTX/train station via a connecting bus (about 1 hour). Once in downtown Sokcho, the village is a short taxi or bus ride to the fish market area.

The classic approach is the gaetbae (갯배), a small flat-bottomed ferry that villagers pull hand-over-hand along a fixed chain rather than using a motor. It runs a very short crossing (under two minutes) between the fish market side and Abai Village, and the fare is a token cash amount collected on board. Alternatively, walk or drive around via the Geumgang Daegyo or Sokcho Daegyo bridges if you’d rather skip the ferry queue, though the gaetbae crossing is itself part of the experience and usually the more memorable option.

What to eat and see

The signature dish is ojingeo sundae — squid stuffed with a seasoned mix of pork, vegetables, and glass noodles, sliced and pan-fried or steamed, then usually served with a dipping sauce. It’s a Sokcho variation on standard Korean sundae (blood sausage), swapping intestine casing for squid. Several small, family-run restaurants along the village’s main lane specialize in it, often alongside abai sundae itself and other Hamgyong-style dishes like nangmyeon-adjacent cold noodles. Expect simple, no-frills interiors — this is a place for the food, not the decor.

Beyond eating, walk the narrow residential lanes to see murals and small installations referencing “Goblin” (Dokkaebi), the 2016-17 Korean drama that filmed scenes along Sokcho’s coastline and drew a wave of domestic tourists to the region afterward. The village’s low rooftops, tight alleys, and fishing-net-strewn yards give a sense of the informal, self-built housing refugees put up decades ago. From the Abai Village side, you also get a clean view back across the channel to Sokcho’s fish market and the Seorak mountain range on clear days.

When to go and how long to spend

Late afternoon into early evening works well: you get daylight for the ferry crossing and mural walk, then can eat dinner as the market stalls and restaurants get busy. Two to three hours covers the village, a meal, and a stroll along the lake side. Weekends and peak summer (July-August) bring domestic tourist crowds and longer waits for the gaetbae, so a weekday visit or shoulder-season trip (spring cherry blossoms or autumn foliage tied to nearby Seoraksan) is more comfortable.

Nearby and practical tips

Combine the visit with Sokcho Fish Market itself for fresh seafood and street food, or extend the day toward Seoraksan National Park, roughly 20-30 minutes away by car or bus, if you have a full day in the region. Cash is genuinely useful here specifically for the gaetbae fare and smaller restaurant stalls that may not process cards smoothly. Confirm current gaetbae operating times before heading over, since the ferry can pause in bad weather or high winds off the East Sea.