A south coast port city with the sea and islands of Hallyeohaesang National Park, the Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong naval headquarters with its National Treasure Sebyeonggwan Hall, and Hansando Island, linked to Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Express and intercity buses run from Seoul, Busan and other cities, and it is known for seafood such as chungmu gimbap, kkulppang (honey bread) and oysters.
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Oysters are in season from November to March, and dodari ssukguk (flounder and mugwort soup) is only served for about two months in early spring. The Tongyeong International Music Festival is held every year from late March to early April, and the Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival every summer, around the 7th day of the 7th lunar month (the anniversary of the victory). The cable car may open early or run late in May, August and October. Dates change each year, so check the city tourism site (utour.go.kr).
Korea Tourism Organization says express buses to Tongyeong leave from Seoul Express Bus Terminal, and intercity buses leave from Seoul Nambu Terminal and Dong Seoul Terminal. Express and intercity buses to the same place may use different terminals. Book express buses at kobus.co.kr and intercity buses at txbus.t-money.co.kr or bustago.or.kr. Tongyeong City's transport guide lists only flights, buses and cars, with no rail route.
The city tourism site lists routes from Tongyeong Bus Terminal to Busan, Gimhae International Airport, Changwon, Jinju, Geoje, Daegu, Daejeon, Incheon International Airport and more. Check timetables with Tongyeong Bus Terminal (1688-0017) or the intercity bus booking sites.
Sacheon Airport (also called Jinju Airport) in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, has routes to Gimpo and Jeju (Korea Tourism Organization). Tongyeong City lists a bus route between Tongyeong Bus Terminal and Sacheon Airport; check times with the terminal. Flight routes can change without notice.
Tongyeong City says city buses heading into town from the bus terminal (Nos. 100, 200, 300, 401, 500, 600) take about 15 minutes to the Buksin Market stop. For the cable car, bus No. 141 runs between the terminal and the cable car stop.
The regular fare is KRW 1,650 by transit card or KRW 1,700 cash (fares from 1 September 2025). With a card you get one free transfer to another bus within 30 minutes of getting off (60 minutes in outlying towns, 30 at some stops). Cash rides and the same route number don't count, so tap your card when you get off.
Tongyeong Cable Car says bus No. 141 runs from Tongyeong Intercity Bus Terminal to the cable car stop (the operator also lists Nos. 101, 104 and 105 from the terminal). A taxi from the terminal takes about 20 minutes and costs around KRW 10,000 when traffic is light.
Tongyeong City's sea transport guide lists ferries from Tongyeong Port to Hansando (Jeseungdang), Yokjido (via Yeonhwado and Udo) and Somaemuldo (via Bijindo and Daemaemuldo), among others. Sailings change with the weather, so check with the ferry company or terminal before you go.
Jungang Market faces Gangguan Port, with Dongpirang right next to it. Dongpirang is about a 10-minute walk from Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong (Sebyeonggwan), so the central sights are easy to link on foot.
Good for: Exploring on foot, markets, night views
Gangguan is a harbour where fishing boats moor, with Jungang Market in front and Dongpirang on the hill beside it. Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong and Sebyeonggwan are within walking distance. Chungmu gimbap restaurants cluster around Gangguan. Tourist information: 055-650-0580.
Good for: Cable car, island views, water sports
Mireukdo is linked to the town by an undersea tunnel, Chungmu Bridge and Tongyeong Bridge; it is a Special Tourist Zone and part of Hallyeohaesang National Park. It has the Mireuksan cable car, the excursion boat terminal, and water sports such as yachting and kayaking.
Good for: Island day trips, historic sites, coastal scenery
Reach them by ferry from Tongyeong Port. Hansando has Jeseungdang, Somaemuldo has the lighthouse islet view, and Yokjido and Yeonhwado have dramatic sea cliffs. Plan around the ferry times.
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Tongjeyeong was the headquarters commanding the navies of Gyeongsang, Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces for 292 years, from 1604 to 1895. Sebyeonggwan, a National Treasure first built in 1605, is 9 bays wide and 5 deep and is ranked with Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbokgung and Jinnamgwan in Yeosu among the largest Joseon wooden buildings. Open 09:00–18:00 March–October and 09:00–17:00 November–February; adults KRW 3,000, teens KRW 2,000, children KRW 1,000 (free under 6 and 65 and over). Free on the last Wednesday of each month ('Culture Day').
Designated Korea's first marine national park in 1968, it stretches from Jisimdo in Geoje to Odongdo in Yeosu, and 76% of its area is sea. The Tongyeong district includes islands such as Hansando, Bijindo and Maemuldo. From the top of Mireuksan you look out over the islands of the Hallyeosu waterway. Free.
Mireuksan (461 m) is Tongyeong's highest peak; from the top you can see the islands of the Hallyeosu waterway and, on clear days, Tsushima. The cable car is 1,975 m long with 8-person gondolas and takes about 9 minutes to the upper station. Round trip: adults KRW 17,000, children KRW 13,000, seniors KRW 14,000; one way adults KRW 13,500. Closed on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month; hours vary by season and weather. On foot, it is about 1 hr 30 min from the Gwaneumsa parking lot to the summit.
A hillside village whose name means 'east cliff'. Murals were painted along its alleys through a mural contest in October 2007, and they are still renewed through contests. From Dongporu at the top you look over Gangguan and Tongyeong Port. Open at all times, free. People live here, so please keep quiet, especially at night.
Gangguan is a harbour where fishing boats moor and replica turtle ships are docked, and it is lovely at night. Jungang Market in front, with almost 400 years of history, sells live and dried fish, mother-of-pearl ware and rice cakes. Opening hours vary by stall.
The island where Admiral Yi Sun-sin commanded the navy for much of the Imjin War, and the site of the Battle of Hansan. On the site of Unjudang, which Yi built after becoming naval commander of the three provinces in 1593, the 107th commander Jo Gyeong rebuilt the hall in 1740 and named it Jeseungdang. Ferries run from Tongyeong Port to Jeseungdang; entry is free.
A small island southeast of Tongyeong Port; the sea cliffs between Somaemuldo and the lighthouse islet are counted among Tongyeong's three finest views. At low tide a path appears and you can walk between the two islands. Ferries leave Tongyeong Port at 07:00, 11:00 and 14:30 on weekdays (check weekends and holidays with the operator). Part of the lighthouse trail (the section down to Yeolmokgae) has been closed since 3 October 2025 until further notice, so you may not be able to reach the lighthouse islet (city tourism site, checked 5 October 2026).
Yokjido lies about 32 km from Tongyeong Port, with 31 km of winding coastline and spots for fishing, island loops and swimming. Ferries run Tongyeong Port–Yeonhwado–Udo–Yokjido. Yeonhwado is about 2 hours from Tongyeong Port by boat and is known for Yongmeori (Dragon Head) Rock, especially just before sunset.
A Tongyeong specialty: rice rolled in laver with no filling, so it keeps fresh for a long time. It comes with radish kimchi made with salted anchovy and spicy seafood side dishes. Restaurants cluster around Gangguan, the ferry terminal in Seoho-dong and the excursion boat terminal in Donam-dong.
Tongyeong's signature snack: a round bun filled with sweet red bean paste, fried, coated in grain syrup and rolled in sesame seeds. It began as a snack that filled the stomachs of fishermen at sea.
Farms between Tongyeong and Geoje produce about 80% of Korea's oysters. Try them raw, as guljeon (pancakes), gulbap (oyster rice), gul gukbap (rice soup), or grilled and steamed. Most restaurants serve fresh oyster dishes only in season, November to March.
Flounder boiled with wild sea mugwort grown in the south coast sea breeze, served for only about two months in early spring. Flounder is said to taste best in April.
Snailfish boiled into a clear soup with almost no seasoning, loved as a hangover cure. It is served from November to February.
A Tongyeong drinking custom: order drinks and seasonal raw fish, seafood, grilled fish and stews arrive course by course. There is no menu; you just give the number of people. Tongyeong City says a basic table starts at about KRW 40,000–60,000 per person, and the lighter 'ban-dajji' about KRW 20,000–30,000. Drinks included and extra charges vary by place.
Amounts are rough figures in local currency. Check exchange rates before you go.
Arrive at Tongyeong Bus Terminal → city bus into town → Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong and Sebyeonggwan → about 10 min walk to Dongpirang → Jungang Market → chungmu gimbap at Gangguan, then night views from Dongporu or the harbour.
Ferry from Tongyeong Port to Jeseungdang on Hansando → back in town, bus No. 141 to the cable car → views over the Hallyeosu waterway from Mireuksan (closed 2nd and 4th Wednesdays; check ferry and cable car times ahead).
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