Browsing through the Korean Tourism Organization’s website, I found a listing for a place in Ulsan called Daewangam Park. It looked like an interesting place to visit and so I did some more research about things to do in Ulsan, and I found out that there is an ancient wall carving located in the area. The carving is called the Bangudae Petroglyphs. So with these two destinations on my sightseeing list, I made my way to Ulsan.

Daewangam

Ulsan is located on the coast in South Gyeongsang Province. It is known for being Korea’s industrial center because it has the world’s largest vehicle assembly plant at Hyundai Motor, the world’s largest shipyard operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the world’s largest oil refinery owned by SK Energy. (source Wikipedia)

Daewangam Park Lighthouse

Upon arriving at the bus terminal of this industrial city, I quickly located the tourist information center and asked for help with finding the right buses I would need to use during my visit. I also picked up a really well made city guide book. The guide book is impressive and I recommend picking one up if you go to Ulsan.

Daewangam Park Scenery

The bus that I needed to take to Daewangam Park was easy to find, but knowing where to get off at was a little harder. I double checked with the bus driver if the bus I got on would go to Daewangam Park and he said yes, so I assumed it would be obvious when we arrived, but it wasn’t. Luckily for me, the bus driver informed me when we arrived. For anyone reading this article, I recommend getting off at the Ilsan Beach bus stop and walking from there since it will be easier to identify the stop.

Haenyeo diver (해녀) and fisherman

Daewangam Park exceeded my expectations. There are a few things you can do there. First, you can walk around the peninsula while taking in the picturesque coastal scenery and you can visit an old lighthouse. It’s not a long walk and not strenuous at all. Second, you can cross a footbridge to get to a beautiful set of rocks just meters from the shore. Third, you can enjoy fresh seafood harvested by Haenyeo women divers (해녀) from the nearby waters or just bring your own picnic, like I did, and eat it while sitting on the rocks or under a shady tree.

Fresh seafood on the coast

I feel like I was extremely lucky with the weather while I was visiting Daewangam. The skies were blue and the sun was warm. It probably was the perfect day for doing exactly what I did.

Ilsan Beach

From Daewangam Park you can access Ilsan Beach, so even though it wasn’t on my list of things to visit, it made sense to check it out. From Ilsan Beach, you can see some of the giant machinery used to operate the nearby port. This kind of thing doesn’t make me feel like going swimming; nevertheless, the beach had some good points worth mentioning.

Ilsan Beach

Ilsan beach is a wide sandy beach with a boardwalk; however the boardwalk was under construction when I was there. It appeared to me that the entire area directly adjacent to the beach was being developed, a good sign of things to come. The area around the beach is full of places to play. Things such as batting cages and coin operated claw games were everywhere. I also saw many bars, restaurants and motels, making Ilsan beach a suitable place to visit for an overnight trip.

While I had originally intended to visit the ancient wall paintings, I decided to save that for my next trip to Ulsan. I would have had to go clear across to the other side of the city which would have taken about 2 hours. I could have done it, but I was content with what I had already enjoyed.

Sitting at my desk and looking back, a trip to Daewangam and Ilsan Beach is definitely something I’d do again, particularly with a big group of friends. The area is an odd combination of natural beauty, industrial complex, and beach-party atmosphere.

Resources
Ulsan (Wikipedia)
Ulsan Online (Foreigner Information Site)
Ulsan City
Daewangam Park (Korea Tourism Organization)
Bangudae Petroglyphs (Wikipedia)

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