KMK: Ulsan Korea’s Industrial Playground

Ulsan. Summers in Korea can make a hot, sweaty mess out of the best of us. Luckily, Korea has its fair share of beaches to cool off those sweaty pits and escape the sweltering heat. The beaches of Busan and Gangwon province are among the best known in the peninsula. However, there are some less-traveled coastlines with a lot of beautiful scenery and cultural sites to experience. One of my favorites : Ulsan.

KICK ASS KOREA reason 8

Ulsan, a small city of about one million inhabitants, is located just above Busan and in the Southeast corner North and South Gyeongsang provinces. Getting there is relatively easy as it has its own KTX station and express buses. Travel time from Seoul is about 2.5 hours and 4.5 hours respectively.

Ulsan has a lot of great beaches that are a little less crowded and a bit cleaner than those in Busan. However, they do have their fair share of visitors, especially during the peak vacation season. There’s Jujeon Mongdol Beach with black pebbles lining the water and Solgae Beach with fine, white sand. The last time I visited, I went to Solgae Beach, which is a bit smaller, but a little off the beaten path. There were lots of tents and covered platforms bordering the beach front. With our tent, grill, and other supplies, we had a fantastic feast right in front of the beach. It doesn’t get much better than that!

If you absolutely hate the beach and sunshine, I pity you, but there are definitely are sights to be seen! My first recommendation would be Tondo Temple, just outside of Ulsan in Yangsan, established in the year 646. The grounds of the temple are very well-kept and very lush during the summer months. It’s well worth a leisurely stroll for some great photo ops. Paraeso Falls is also a nice alternative to the ocean. It’s about an hour hiking expedition to get to the actual falls, but very worth it. You can even go for a dip under the waterfall if you’re up for it. I’d suggest going there early to avoid the crowds. It’s not a huge waterfall, so it could get cramped later into the day. Then there is, Daewangam Park, next to Jujeon Beach. The park has paths that lead to the Ulgi Lighthouse and Daewangam Island, which really rocks! Pun intended. From the elevated Daewangam Island, there is a nice view of the sea and other formations scattered around it.

Finally and most importantly : the eats. Whenever I travel, restaurants and cafes are usually the first things I search for in my desired destination. No joke! Every time I go to Ulsan, I get really excited to eat Eonyang bulgogi. While technically it is bulgogi and the marinade is approximately the same, the preparation method is quite different, lending to a different taste. The beef is specially selected from a female cow who has birthed no more than 3 calves and is a bit more finely chopped than the bulgogi you may know. It is also doesn’t touch a frying pan, but it cooked over direct heat, often with a few julienned carrots or garlic knobs on top. Especially in the town of Eonyang, just outside of Ulsan and also the location of the KTX station, there is an Eonyang bulgogi restaurant on almost every corner. Another hidden gem that I found with the help of a local friend, was a little creamery/ice cream shop called “Bon Milk”. The proprietor is a family that owns a farm with cows whose milk creates the cool and refreshing ice cream served there. The menu is simple and straight forward : milk flavored ice cream or black sesame. You can also get a combination of both in a cup or cone. The black sesame/milk combo was out of this world. I have never had ice cream that tasted so fresh. They also sell packaged products including infused homemade milk jam/spread in black sesame, blueberry, and strawberry. I also noticed some fresh milk and various cheeses. Ulsan and its surrounding areas have a lot more to offer than beef and ice cream, but these were my top picks from the last adventure there.

Ulsan is definitely for a person who is up for an adventure. There are plenty of lovely places to visit and delicious things to eat. I’d say the major disadvantage of traveling in Ulsan is that everything is pretty widely spaced out. There are buses, but they don’t run terribly frequently, so a lot of detailed scheduling would be required to get from A to B. Ideally, a car would get you places the most efficiently. Other than that, Ulsan is a great place to unwind and escape the city when you have the chance!