Summers in Korea can tend to get hot; at least for someone that grew up in the Midwest. One of the easiest ways of staying cool in previous years was to hit the beach. With COVID-19 going on, is it still safe? Let’s take a look at Daecheon Beach. Located in my city of Boryeong, I was able to check out what’s going on at the beach. 

Daecheon Beach is a popular destination for those that can’t make the trip to Busan. Whether you take a bus or train from Seoul, your trip will take you between 2-2.5 hours. You can catch a train or bus from Yongsan Station and the Central City Bus Terminal respectively. 

When you arrive, there will be checkpoints set up with the heat cameras and thermometers to take your temperature. After you’re done, they will ask you if you’re headed to the beach. They’ll give you a wristband that you need to spend the day at the beach. 

From my understanding, a lot of the other beaches in Korea such as those in Busan require some sort of reservation, but for Daecheon Beach there’s no requirement for one. 

The easiest way to get to the beach is to take the 100 or 101 bus. These go directly to the beach and the seaport and stop right outside of the train station and bus terminal. 

Once you get out to the beach area, you can stop off at almost any point, but I recommend stopping off at Mud Plaza. This will get you in the middle of the beach where you can snag a good spot.  

If you’re driving, there will be checkpoints set up at the different routes to the beach. Here they’ll have you stop so that your temperature can be taken and will give you a wristband accordingly as well. 

In addition to the temperature checks, how has COVID-19 affected beachgoers? One of the first things you’ll see are signs reminding you to maintain social distancing. You’re expected to stay at least two meters (just over six feet for those back home) from other groups. 

When you’re out of the water, you’re also supposed to wear your mask as well. For this reason, I’d recommend bringing some spares along or some cloth ones so that they can dry in the sun. 

Both the skybike and zipline tower are open to visitors. These are located past Mud Plaza, and you can easily spot the zipline tower from a distance. At the top, there’s also a cafe where you can get a good view of the entire beach. 

For those looking to eat at the end of the day, you can find a large selection of restaurants and cafes along and near the beachfront. Many of these have outdoor seating or are well ventilated as well. 

One thing to note is that currently there is a ban on eating and drinking on the beach after dark. I’m not sure how regularly the beach will be patrolled, but keep this in mind to avoid getting a ticket. 

Looking at other parts of the world, Korea seems to have COVID-19 under control, but we all have to do our part to keep each other safe. New clusters can pop up throughout the country, and new cases arrive from overseas each week. While we adjust to this new normal, we can still enjoy the summer as long as we do what we can to stay safe. 

What are you planning for your South Korea travel itinerary? Let me know in the comments below. If there’s somewhere you want me to visit or get more information, let me know as well.