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Gangguan or Mireukdo?

Both make a good Tongyeong base, and they suit different trips. Gangguan gives you the old harbour, Jungang Market, Dongpirang's murals and the harbour at night; Mireukdo gives you the cable car, the luge, the concert hall and the sunsets. Here is how to choose.

The verdict

For a first visit, a food-led trip, history or island day trips, choose Gangguan: VisitKorea calls it the perfect starting point for Tongyeong, Jungang Market faces the harbour with Dongpirang next door, Tongjeyeong is about ten minutes' walk from Dongpirang, and the ferries leave from Seoho-dong on the same waterfront road. For the cable car and luge, a family trip, a concert or a resort-style stay, choose Mireukdo: the cable car and Skyline Luge stand opposite each other, city bus 141 runs there from the bus terminal, and Dara Park is the sunset spot. Two nights? Take one of each.

Side by side

Gangguan & Jungang Market and Mireukdo, side by side
Gangguan & Jungang MarketMireukdo
Getting thereBus to Tongyeong Bus Terminal in Jukrim, then about 5.9 km by taxi.Bus to Tongyeong Bus Terminal, then city bus 141 to the cable car, about 20 minutes in smooth traffic.
Transport linksCity buses 101, 301, 231, 600 and 530 to Munhwa Madang (VisitKorea, 2020); 521, 613 and 420 from the terminal to Nammangsan for DPIRANG (VisitKorea, 2025).Bus 141 to the cable car (cable car operator); 101, 121 and 128 (VisitKorea, 2023) to Donam-dong for the Concert Hall; by car via Tongyeong Bridge.
Best forFirst visits, food, night views, naval history, island day trips.The cable car and luge, family days out, concerts, sunsets, resort stays.
EveningsThe harbour night view from the Gangguan bridge benches; DPIRANG from 19:00 to midnight, closed on Mondays.Sunset at Dara Park, concerts at Tongyeong Concert Hall, and the 1932 undersea tunnel, open 24 hours.
Sightseeing within reachJungang Market, Dongpirang, Seopirang, Tongjeyeong, Sebyeonggwan and DPIRANG at Nammangsan.The cable car and Mireuksan's summit, Skyline Luge, Miraesa, the Jeon Hyuck Lim Museum of Art and Dara Park.
Day trips and onward travelFerries from Tongyeong Ferry Terminal in Seoho-dong, on the same waterfront road: Hansando about 30 minutes, Bijindo about 40.Sanyang-eup and the Pak Kyongni Memorial Hall by car; the ferries and the market are back in the city.
FeelA harbour town of moored fishing boats, market stalls and mural lanes.A resort island in Hallyeohaesang National Park, with a mountain, a marina and the sea.

Choose Gangguan & Jungang Market if

  • It is your first or only night in Tongyeong
  • Jungang Market and Chungmu gimbap top your list
  • You want the harbour at night and DPIRANG
  • You are taking a ferry to Hansando, Bijindo or Somaemuldo

Choose Mireukdo if

  • The cable car and the luge are the point
  • You have a concert at Tongyeong Concert Hall
  • You want Dara Park's sunset
  • You prefer a resort, yacht or water-sports stay

Questions visitors ask

Is Gangguan or Mireukdo better for one night?

Gangguan. VisitKorea calls it the perfect starting point for a trip to Tongyeong, and it puts Jungang Market, Dongpirang, the harbour night view and DPIRANG close at hand, with the ferries leaving from Seoho-dong on the same waterfront road. Mireukdo is the better second night, or the better only night if the cable car and luge are why you came.

How are Gangguan and Mireukdo connected?

Mireukdo is joined to the city by an undersea tunnel, Chungmu Bridge and Tongyeong Bridge. The tunnel, built in 1931–1932, is 483 m long and open 24 hours. From the bus terminal, Gangguan is about 5.9 km by taxi, and city bus 141 runs to the cable car on Mireukdo.

Which is better if I arrive by bus?

It depends on your first day. Long-distance buses arrive at Tongyeong Bus Terminal in Jukrim, out of town. City bus 141 runs straight from there to the cable car, about 20 minutes in smooth traffic, which suits Mireukdo; Gangguan is about 5.9 km away by taxi and suits a first evening at the market and the harbour.

Read both in full.

Gangguan & Jungang Market guideMireukdo guide

Sources & review

Editorial review: · Korea Standard Time