Gangmun Beach is located in Gangmun-dong and is home to a small nearby harbor called Gangmun Port, where visitors can enjoy fresh raw fish caught at dawn at nearby sashimi restaurants, and the area is conveniently close to well-maintained accommodation facilities as well as the Gyeongpo tourist district. From Gangmun Beach, visitors can take a boat ride of approximately 5 to 10 minutes to a diving point where boats anchor above waters 5 to 30 meters deep, offering a chance to admire a vast underwater landscape filled with natural rock formations, sea anemones, and large fish, making it a popular destination for scuba diving enthusiasts, and it also provides underwater diving experiences especially designed for honeymoon couples who wish to create lasting memories. In addition, Gangmun Port is home to 16 fishing boats that regularly catch flounder, greenling, octopus, small clams (jjebok), sea urchins, sea squirts, and sea cucumbers, while seasonal catches include flatfish and large clams in spring, Spanish mackerel in summer and autumn, and rockfish in winter, and fishing enthusiasts can also enjoy catching dace and greenling at the harbor.

Gangmun Beach is connected to Gyeongpo Beach but tends to be less crowded, and while Gyeongpo Beach is widely visited by tourists, Gangmun Beach is more commonly frequented by local residents of Gangneung, with the road passing through Gangmun Live Fish Town and across Gangmun Bridge leading directly to the beach, and beyond the beach, a pine forest trail known as the Ttangjaebong Walking Path continues for approximately 3 kilometers all the way to Anmok Beach.

If you cross the road from the famous Chodang Tofu Village in Gangneung, you will immediately arrive at Gangmun Beach, where a sign reading “Gangmun Jinttobaegi Village” stands at the entrance, and “Jinttobaegi” is known as a regional term in the Yeongdong area referring to a Sotdae, a traditional wooden totem pole erected at the entrance of a village to pray for peace and prosperity. In Gangmun Village in Gangneung, a ritual called Seonangje is held three times a year for the Jinttobaegi, which is believed to bring safety, abundant harvests, and plentiful fishing, although the exact origin of the term “Jinttobaegi” is not clearly known and is said to originate from local folk beliefs. The Sotdae standing tall toward the sky in Sotdae Park creates a sense of calm and stability upon entering the village, and stories about the Sotdae as well as passages from “Gwandong Byeolgok,” a classical work by the poet Jeong Cheol that includes verses about Gangneung, are engraved on stone monuments to kindly explain the cultural background to visitors. As is common along the East Coast, visitors can see squid hung out in long rows to dry in the sea breeze like laundry, and as you walk through the alleys, you will encounter the gently curved Sotdae Bridge, which appears to draw a boundary between the river and the sea, and when crossing the bridge, the view of the ocean feels much closer and different from the view from the shore, while in the middle of the bridge there is a spot where visitors can toss coins and make wishes, making it a meaningful place to send hopes across the vast sea. One of the reasons Gangmun Beach has gained popularity is that it was featured as a filming location in the MBC drama “She Was Pretty,” starring Park Seo-joon and Hwang Jung-eum, where a memorable romantic scene was filmed, and at night, the Sotdae Bridge is reborn as a beautifully illuminated structure glowing in various colors, making it a must-visit destination for couples traveling to Gangneung. Gangmun Beach is also designated as a coastal plant protection area where local residents actively work to preserve the ecological environment, and during the summer season, facilities such as water fountains, showers, and restrooms are provided for the convenience of beachgoers, and when visiting Gangmun Beach, locals in Gangneung recommend trying rockfish seaweed soup, which is commonly served along the East Coast but is said to be especially delicious in Gangmun, making it a delightful culinary experience that enhances your trip.