Jeongdongjin Station

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Jeongdongjin Station
File:Jeongdongjin Station.jpg
Korean name
Hangul 정동진역
General information
Location Gangdong-myeon, Gangneung-SI, Gangwon-do
South Korea
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Operated by Korail
Line(s) Yeongdong Line
Construction
Structure type Aboveground
History
Opened November 6, 1962

Jeongdongjin Station (Hangul: 정동진역) is a railway station on the Yeongdong Line of Korail, the station closest to the beach in South Korea, and a popular cross country train destination from Seoul, for sunrise viewing.[1][2] It is listed in the Guinness World Records as the closest station and tracks to a beach anywhere in the world.[3]

Location

The station, situated on the seashore of the East Sea,[2] in Jeongdongjin in Gangneung, Gangwon-do,[4] is the second station on the Yeongdong Line of Korail, in Gangwon-do, as it travels south along South Korea's eastern coast. It is located south of the Gangneung Station, where Yeongdong Line starts, and north of the third stop at Mukho Station, Donghae, Gangwon-do.[1]

From Seoul, Cheongnyangni Station to Jeongdongjin is five hours, by direct train route.[1]

History

The station opened in 1962 and was established originally for passenger and freight transport. However, as the coal industry prospered and the line started transporting more anthracite coal from a nearby mine, the passenger numbers dropped, as people started moving to other cities. In 1996, the station discontinued passenger services.[1]

In 1997, passenger services resumed, which was largely credited to the growing popularity of a Korean drama, The Hourglass, which aired on television in 1995.[1][5][6] The political crime series was considered one of the highest-rated TV productions in Korean drama history, and made locations, where the scenes were filmed, into popular tourist spots. One of those was at the beach-front train station, where a character, "with the wind breezing through her hair, waited at the platform for her train with the thrashing ocean waves behind her, before being taken into custody by the police right as her train arrived."[4][7] In 2012, there were more visitors than train passengers at the station, who paid a small entrance fee of 500 won, to walk along the tracks and take photos.[4]

The 1997 Asian financial crisis was also attributed to the resurgence of visitors to the station and the area. With many unemployed workers laid off, the first sunrise at Jeongdongjin was symbolically equated with hope and success, and visitors came seeking hope for a better future.[1] Other local attractions, associating the sunrise with "time" are the "Hourglass Park" and a "Time Museum"; also, a rail bike trail,[6] the yearly "Jeongdongjin Sunrise Festival" in late December,[8]Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht,[9] and other tourist activities, are nearby.[1]

Trains servicing

In addition to Korail's regular Mugunghwa-ho[6] passenger trains, which stop at the station, in 1997, Korail started operating a "sunrise train", which ran from Seoul to Jeongdongjin, to take passengers solely to see the sunrise, and which operations were called a success, with approximately 2 million travelers by 1999.[1][7][9]

Korail's regional tourist train, the Sea Train started operating on the Yeongdong Line in 2007, and stops for picture taking at the station.[10][6]

And, Korail's Aura line of the Haerang luxury train service, launched in November, 2008, also makes a stop at the station, on its three-day journey from Seoul and back.[11]

Present popularity

File:Jeongdongjin station and train.jpg
Jeongdongjin Station and seaside.
File:Overlooking Jeongdongjin, South Korea, view from Sun Cruise Hotel and Resort 3.jpg
View of Jeongdongjin Station from Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht.

In 2007, it was said, "It would probably be difficult to find a South Korean who does not know the Jeongdongjin Railway Station situated on the seashore of the East Sea. Some people think that this is the most romantic and beautiful place in the whole country."[2] In 2014, Jeongdongjin itself, was said to be one of the most popular travel destinations for Koreans, in particular a coming of age for college freshmen, as well as a cheap travel route for Seoul dwellers to travel by train to see the sunrise and return home without staying overnight.[1][9] And, in 2016, thousands of tourists continued to gather for the first sunrise of the year.[3]

Operations and changes

  • November 6, 1962: station opened.[1]
  • January 1, 1988: package handling stopped.
  • January 1, 1996: passenger services stopped.[1]
  • March 15, 1997: terminal structure changes, passenger handling resumed.[1]
  • July 16, 2002: Saemaul-ho train servicing stopped.
  • September 30, 2005: cargo handling stopped.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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