"Korea's Best Diving Is Jeju" — A Veteran Instructor's Guide to Korean Waters
A Korean diving column compared the East Sea, Ulleungdo, Jeju, and the South Sea — and named Jeju the country's best dive site, with Beomseom's "Train Rock" as its top point. The full breakdown, plus year-round diving tips.
The Korean diving column "Deep Dive" surveyed all of Korea's waters and named Jeju Island the country's best dive site — "Korea's underwater garden." Korea has four diving regions — the East Sea, Ulleungdo, Jeju, and the South Sea — and among Jeju's five site areas, the Seogwipo waters (Munseom, Beomseom, Seopseom) are the flagship, with Beomseom's "Train Rock" (Gicha-bawi) singled out as the island's best point.
The column's key points
- Korea's four dive regions: East Sea (most accessible, 5–10m visibility), Ulleungdo (clearest water, but the ferry only sails when weather allows), Jeju (the best), South Sea (charming but silty) — the West Sea is skipped for visibility
- Jeju's five site areas: the Seogwipo waters (Munseom·Beomseom·Seopseom — the flagship) · Seongsan · Biyangdo/Geumneung · Udo · Chujado
- Beomseom's Train Rock: coral-covered reefs lined up like train cars — named Beomseom's best point
- Jeju's strengths: world-class soft coral colonies, rare nudibranchs, and Korea's largest concentration of dive centers
- Season: diveable year-round — prime time June–November (18–28°C; September feels like Southeast Asia), and December–February still works in a wetsuit (above 15°C)
- One memorable line: "You can go to Jeju whenever you want — Ulleungdo, not so much"
What this means for divers and travelers
As an instructor guiding Beomseom dives daily, the line that matters most is "you can go to Jeju whenever you want." Ulleungdo's ferry doesn't sail half the year. Jeju is the only world-class Korean dive destination you can actually plan — flights run daily, and dives can be booked around your vacation dates. In dive travel, nothing beats that.
The column's pick for Beomseom's best point — Train Rock — is exactly the point we guide daily on our own boat. Certified divers can meet that coral-covered ridge on a fun dive; first-timers can reach the edge of that world on a discover dive.
We can also confirm the column's warming-sea observation from the field: with winter temperatures rarely dropping below 15°C anymore, southern species like anemonefish are genuinely settling into Jeju's waters. Jeju diving is becoming a true year-round sport.
FAQ
Where is the best scuba diving in South Korea?
The Korean diving column 'Deep Dive' compared the East Sea, Ulleungdo, Jeju, and the South Sea, and named Jeju Island the country's best dive site — for its world-class soft corals, year-round diveable water temperatures, and the fact that you can actually plan a trip there.
What is Beomseom's Train Rock (Gicha-bawi)?
A chain of coral-covered reefs lined up like train cars — the column named it Beomseom's best dive point. Certified divers can visit it on a boat fun dive from Seogwipo.
Can you dive in Jeju in winter?
Yes. From December to February the water rarely drops below 15°C, so wetsuit diving remains possible — and warming seas are making winters even more stable. Prime season is June to November at 18–28°C.
Source: Newsworks (Deep Dive column)
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