Ganjeolgot Cape

Choi2451 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The cape that takes the peninsula's first sunrise every New Year's Day.

Every 1 January tens of thousands of people crowd this headland to watch the year's first sun come out of the East Sea — at Ganjeolgot it rises earlier than anywhere else on the Korean mainland. On ordinary days it is quiet: a white lighthouse, fields of yellow rape flowers in April, and a giant postbox where visitors write letters to their future selves, posted once a year.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Ganjeolgot Cape?

Sunrise; best in April and on New Year's Day

How long do you need at Ganjeolgot Cape?

1.5 hours

What are the opening hours of Ganjeolgot Cape?

Open all day

Did you know

The earliest sunrise point on the Korean mainland.
Ganjeolgot lighthouse, 17m tall, has operated since 1920.
There is a 'letters to the future' postbox more than 5m high.
The New Year sunrise festival draws tens of thousands.

Travel tips

1 January is crowded and cold — arrive early and dress warmly.
In April a field of rape flowers blooms behind the lighthouse.
Buses from Ulsan KTX station take about an hour.

Source: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/

Updated: 2026-08-05