Donghae completes fishing village revival project spanning Daejin, Nobong and Eodal

The city of Donghae held a completion ceremony Monday afternoon for its fishing village vitalization pilot project in the parking lot in front of the Daejin Port multipurpose center, with officials from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Gangwon Province and local residents in attendance.

The ceremony marked more than a routine facility handover. It was an occasion for residents to share in the results of a fishing village regeneration effort aimed at improving living conditions across the Daejin, Eodal and Nobong areas while injecting new energy into tourism and the local economy.

The three villages lie south of Mangsang Beach and are part of Donghae's coastal fishing community. Daejin is well known as a surfing destination, while Eodal-dong is home to a seafood restaurant district as well as cultural heritage sites including the Eodal Mountain beacon tower.

Donghae has pursued a series of linked initiatives in recent years — including the Mukho Port revitalization project, the Fishing Village New Deal 300 program and the fishing village vitalization project — to improve residential conditions and expand the city's marine tourism infrastructure.

The latest project drew on a total budget of 7.49 billion won ($5.4 million) and comprised 10 sub-projects, including the construction of a fishing village station as a community hub, along with expanded lifestyle and tourism infrastructure such as a village health clinic, a multipurpose plaza, shower facilities and public restrooms.

The Daejin, Eodal and Nobong area boasts coastal scenery and marine leisure resources. The project is expected to transform it into a new marine tourism hub — one that offers residents a better living environment and gives tourists more comfortable conditions for extended stays.

The completion marks the fruition of a long-running fishing village regeneration effort covering the stretch between Mangsang and Mukho Port.

The ceremony took the form of the "Eodaeno Culture Festival" — a community celebration whose name combines the first syllables of Eodal, Daejin and Nobong — bringing together local residents and project participants.

The event featured a project outcomes presentation and a completion ceremony, alongside exhibitions of locally made products, hands-on cultural experiences and celebratory performances, making it a festival to share the meaning of fishing village regeneration.