Janghohang, 'Korea's Naples,' transforms into maritime adventure festival for five days

Jangho Beach in Samcheok — known alongside neighboring Yonghwa Beach as "Korea's Naples" — will transform into a live-setting maritime water adventure for five days beginning Monday.

The Korea Tourism Organization and the Samcheok Tourism and Culture Foundation are behind the event. The Janghohang Water Adventure festival runs through Friday, offering adventure-style programs twice daily at 10 a.m. and noon.

Janghohang is celebrated for its scenic beauty, fresh raw fish and a maritime cable car, and has gained a reputation by word of mouth as a snorkeling haven among rocky islets and coastal outcroppings.

The Janghohang Water Adventure is an experiential tourism program inspired by the maritime pioneering spirit of Silla-era General Isabu. Set against the port's clear waters and coastal scenery, it offers a range of maritime activities including canoeing and snorkeling.

The program is designed so participants naturally absorb General Isabu's spirit of challenge and exploration as they navigate and discover the sea firsthand. It will operate as distinctive tourism content combining Samcheok's historical resources with Janghohang's maritime tourism assets.

The program was selected for the Korea Tourism Organization's 2026 Smart Consulting Competition Powered by Big Data. Building on consulting work carried out last year to boost tourism at Janghohang, this year's initiative translates those findings into tangible tourism content — aiming to give visitors new things to do, extend their stays and invigorate local tourism.