Dive to Korea
KOEN
Dive site
East Sea · Uljin (Hupo)

Wangdolcho

Wangdolcho

A massive offshore underwater reef (seamount) about 23 km east of Hupo in Uljin. Three peaks — Bukjjam, Jungjjam and Namjjam — rise from south to north, and cold-current, warm-current and pelagic species mingle here, making it the East Sea's signature offshore dive site.

Advanced levelDepth 3–60mBoat divingBest season TBD
01Overview

Twice the size of Yeouido,
an offshore underwater reef

A large offshore underwater reef (seamount) about 23 km east of Hupo. The peaks are shallow at 3–10 m while the surroundings drop steeply to 40–60 m. Spanning about 15 km² (twice the size of Yeouido), it mixes cold-current, warm-current and pelagic species, with 126 marine species recorded.

Offshore reefThree peaksSteep western slope
Bukjjam · Jungjjam · Namjjam
02Terrain · Depth · Conditions

Wangdolcho by the field data

Depth
3~60m
Peaks 3–10m · surroundings 40–60m
Visibility
Reportedly good offshore · measurement pending
Water temp
data pending
Current
Exposed offshore · source pending
Best season
data pending

※ Visibility, water temperature, current, tides, average depth and best season are all unconfirmed (data pending). As an exposed offshore feature, it is strongly affected by weather and sea state.

03Marine life

A golden fishing ground where 126 species mingle

Cold-current, warm-current and pelagic species mingle in one place (a 2006 survey confirmed 126 species, with at least 200 estimated). A variety of seaweeds and crustaceans are also found here.

Seaweed & KelpSeaweed & Kelp
04Getting there

From Seoul to the entry point

~3.5~4h
Seoul → Uljin (Hupo)

About 3.5–4 hours by car.

Hupo Port
Board at Hupo Port

Offshore departure point.

~23km
Hupo Port → Wangdolcho

About 23 km east by boat.

Nearest airport · data pending
05Access & permits
Permit status to be confirmed

Access-permit information is data pending. As an offshore-departure site, confirming with a local shop in advance is recommended.

06Safety
Nearest chamber
To be confirmed (data pending)

The nearest chamber information is unconfirmed. In an emergency, prioritize the 119 / DAN hotline.

Hazards
  • Long offshore transit (~23 km)
  • Deep water (40–60 m)
  • Open-sea currents & changing weather
RegionEast SeaNearby dive shopsEast Sea · Uljin shops
Limitations · to be confirmed
  • Visibility, water temperature, current, tides, average depth and best season are all unconfirmed — data pending. Nearest chamber and access permit are also pending.
  • Nearest airport not yet confirmed. ‘One of Korea's top-3 sites / ~10,000 divers a year’ is an aggregate claim, reflected only as general description.
Always free

Into the offshore East Sea's
kingdom of life

Plan your dive at Wangdolcho.

View East Sea regionEast Sea dive shops