Gangjin-gun Becomes a Hot Summer Vacation Spot Driving the 'Anyone Half-Price＋ Travel' Campaign

Special Seafood Discount Event at Maryang Port Until the 31st of Next Month

Beat the Dog Days of Summer Coolly at Maryang Port... Children's Water Playground in Operation

Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 11th that it will hold a special summer seafood discount event at Maryang Nolto Seafood Market from the 20th of this month until the 31st of next month.

During the event period, on the first and third Saturdays of each month, fresh abalone will be specially discounted by up to 40% to help overcome the peak summer heat. On the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, special auctions for various dried seafood will be held, allowing visitors to enjoy fresh and diverse seafood at affordable prices every week.

To celebrate the summer vacation, land-based water play facilities will be operated. Facilities such as water play air bounces, water slides, changing rooms, showers, and shade tents are provided, welcoming children’s visits.

The opening ceremony of Maryang Nolto Fish Market was held on the 27th of last month. [Photo by Gangjin-gun]

Various events will also take place at the Maryang Observatory Cafe, which boasts a dazzling sea view. In June, busking and color day events were held, and in July, an exhibition of paintings drawn by local daycare children with their little hands will be held. Various performances for child visitors, including magic shows and bubble shows, are also prepared.

In addition, information about various other events and the performers of the weekly Saturday concerts can be found on the Gangjin County Office website and the YouTube channel ‘Maryang Nolto TV’. The Saturday concert performances, which are held live, can be watched anytime through live streaming or replays.

Now in its 8th year, Maryang Nolto Seafood Market has been bustling with visitors every weekend since its opening on April 27th. Until October 26th, every Saturday, various booths including restaurants such as sashimi restaurants, seafood corners, dried seafood shops, street food vendors, and the Grandmother’s Market will be operated.

Especially this year, a new AI photo booth that uses AI to change appearance and body shape to create stylish profile images is available for free. At night, visitors can fully enjoy the charm of Maryang’s night sea through LED sea fountains and media facades.

Since its opening in 2015, Maryang Nolto Seafood Market has welcomed over 1.05 million visitors through 2023, recording total sales of 10 billion KRW. It is expected to serve as a catalyst for revitalizing the local economy along with the Gangjin Fishing Masters Fishing Tournament (preliminary round) held at Maryang Port from the 10th (cephalopods) to the 11th (black porgy).

On the 27th of last month, about 7,000 people visited Maryang Nolto Fish Market, bustling with activity. [Photo by Gangjin-gun]

The preliminary round of the Gangjin Fishing Masters Fishing Tournament will accept applications for black porgy from the 15th and for cephalopods from the 18th, closing on a first-come, first-served basis.

In particular, Gangjin-gun’s key regional economic revitalization strategy, ‘Anyone Half-Price + Gangjin Travel,’ has expanded the beneficiary scope from families only to individuals, friends, couples, acquaintances, and clubs, attracting nationwide attention ahead of the peak vacation season.

The Gangjin half-price travel program is open to anyone residing outside Gangjin-gun and applications must be submitted at least one day before the trip. It is a groundbreaking economic stimulus policy that refunds 50% of travel expenses spent in Gangjin up to 200,000 KRW in Gangjin Love Gift Certificates. Notably, tourists who visited Gangjin under this half-price tourism program this year can also reapply.

Gangjin County Governor Kang Jinwon said, “Maryang Port is undergoing a major transformation from a beautiful harbor to a water leisure city,” and added, “As the peak summer heat begins, I hope everyone enjoys a cool vacation at Maryang Port along with the benefits of Gangjin half-price tourism.”