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MOF Announces September Selections for Maritime and Coastal Highlights Showcasing seasonal seafood, fishing villages, and marine life as well as a historic lighthouse and an uninhabited island
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2026.09.07.
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MOF Announces September Selections for Maritime and Coastal Highlights
Showcasing seasonal seafood, fishing villages, and marine life as well as a historic lighthouse and an uninhabited island
① Seafood of the Month: Dotted Gizzard Shad, Leather Carp
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries—headed by Minister Hwang Jong-woo—announced the selection of dotted gizzard shad and leather carp as the featured seafood for September.
A member of the herring family Clupeidae, dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus) inhabits the coastal waters of Korea, Central and Southern Japan, and East China Sea. Typically reaching 20 to 30 centimeters long with a laterally compressed body, it has a bluish-black back and a silvery belly. Its body is covered with relatively large cycloid scales that shed easily, with its head completely scaleless.
Often consumed whole with the bones, dotted gizzard shad is a rich source of dietary calcium along with protein and essential amino acids that support overall nutritional replenishment. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA, helping support cardiovascular and cognitive health.
Autumn gizzard shad is renowned for its rich, savory flavor and can be enjoyed grilled, as raw fish, or in spicy dressed salads at its peak during this season. In particular, whole grilled gizzard shad seasoned with sea salt is a signature dish that highlights the fish's distinct savory aroma and taste.
As a freshwater fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae, leather carp was first introduced to Korea from Israel in 1973. It has established itself as a staple inland aquaculture species following successful domestic farming. Annual domestic production reached approximately 1,700 metric tons in 2025, ranking fifth among inland fish species.
Nutritionally, it contains a variety of beneficial components including essential amino acids, taurine, and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help support nutritional intake.
It has a noticeably mild muddy odor compared to typical freshwater species, contains virtually no fine bones, and features a firm, elastic flesh that provides a pleasantly chewy texture. The fish can be enjoyed in various ways such as raw fish, spicy fish soup, braised dishes, and grilled fish. In particular, thinly sliced raw leather carp served with vinegared red chili paste is a classic dish that allows diners to enjoy both its clean taste and chewy texture.
Detailed information on the seafood of the month—dotted gizzard shad and leather carp—is available on the seafood promotion portal Eosikbaekse at www.korfish.co.kr.
② Featured Fishing Villages of the Month:
- Jeongok-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village (Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province)
- Seondo-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village (Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province)
MOF designated Jeongok-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province and Seondo-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province—where visitors can embrace the autumn ocean scenery and take part in diverse hands-on coastal activities amid cooler weather—as featured fishing village destinations for September.
As an easily accessible getaway near the Seoul metropolitan area, Jeongok-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province offers open ocean vistas and distinctive marina landscape. Visitors can experience various maritime activities including traditional stone-weir fishing (doksal) and sailing, as well as boat excursions to Ippado Island departing from Jeongok Port. The seafood market at Jeongok Port also provides locally harvested marine products such as swimming crabs, webfoot octopuses, and shrimp, making it an ideal destination for autumn outings with family, couples, or friends.
Seondo-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province is a coastal village known for expansive mudflats set against scenic sunsets over the West Sea. In autumn when the summer heat has subsided, visitors can comfortably stroll along the tidal flats and savor the evening glow. The village offers mudflat harvesting experiences wherein visitors can gather surf clams and razor clams across the vast tidal flats; at low tide, one can walk out to the uninhabited Ssangseom Islets along the exposed mudflat pathway. Glamping facilities located near the village also provide convenient accommodations to unwind while taking in the autumn coastal ambiance.
Comprehensive details on the featured villages—including community overviews, experiential programs, lodging, local dining, nearby attractions, and transportation—are available on the official coastal tourism portal at www.seantour.kr.
③ Marine Species of the Month: Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)
MOF designated puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) as the featured marine species for September.
Puncture vine is an annual halophyte that inhabits coastal sandy beaches. While widely distributed across temperate and tropical zones globally, domestic populations in Korea are restricted to limited coastal areas along the East Coast including Gangneung and Pohang as well as parts of Jeju Island.
The plant typically reaches a height of 10 to 20 centimeters, with prostrate, reddish-brown stems spreading laterally across the ground up to one meter. From June through August, it bears solitary yellow flowers featuring five petals with characteristically wavy, notched margins.
The fruit ripens between July and September and splits into five segments, developing sharp, spiny projections that resemble spiked maces. This distinctive structure enables the burrs to attach to animal fur or feet, facilitating broad seed dispersal. In traditional Korean medicine and folk remedies, the dried fruit is known as baekjillyeo and used for medicinal purposes.
Information on puncture vine—along with data on diverse marine organisms—can be accessed via the Marine Bio-Resource Information System at www.mbris.kr and the Marine Environment Information Portal at www.meis.go.kr.
④ Lighthouse of the Month: Jukdo Lighthouse on Chagwido Island
MOF designated Jukdo Lighthouse located on Chagwido Island in Gosan-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province as the featured lighthouse for September. Erected in 2015, the lighthouse emits a white flashing light every six seconds, serving as a navigational aid for vessels transiting the western waters off Jeju Island.
Home to Jukdo Lighthouse, Chagwido Island is the largest uninhabited island in Jeju and Natural Monument No. 422 celebrated for its scenic natural landscape and precipitous coastal cliffs. In 1952, residents of Gosan-ri carried stones by hand to build the initial structure to support the safety of local fishing boats. With the structure deteriorating over time, it was modernized into its current form in 2015.
The surrounding Hangyeong-myeon area offers a range of attractions, including Chagwido Island, where visitors can walk while enjoying the autumn silver grass swaying in the Jeju wind; Suwolbong Peak, a world-renowned research site for hydrovolcanic formations; and the Jeju Gosan-ri Prehistoric Site, Korea's oldest Neolithic settlement.
Largehead hairtail harvested in Jeju is currently in season and is often referred to as silver hairtail because line-catching methods keep its lustrous silver skin intact. Because hairtail spoils quickly after being caught, it is generally difficult to enjoy raw. In Jeju, however it is prepared in diverse culinary styles including raw fish slices, grilled fish, braised dishes, stews, and soup simmered with pumpkin and napa cabbage. Hairtail is characterized by its white, tender flesh rich in protein, essential amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids, which are known to support cognitive and cardiovascular health as well as child development.
Details on the featured lighthouse are available on the Lighthouse and Sea portal at lighthouse-museum.or.kr/sea, and tourism information for surrounding destinations can be found on the official Jeju tourism portal Visit Jeju at visitjeju.net.
MOF designated Hyeongjedo Island—a semi-conserved uninhabited island* situated in Nam-myeon, Yeosu City, Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City—as the featured uninhabited island for September.
* Semi-conserved uninhabited islands are recognized for their high conservation value, where certain activities such as construction, structural installations, land alteration, flora and fauna harvesting, outdoor cooking, and camping are prohibited and public access is restricted when necessary.
Located approximately 150 meters off the eastern coast of Geumodo Island south of the Yeosu Peninsula, Hyeongjedo Island rises to an elevation of roughly 30 meters and encompasses an area of 6,017 square meters, remaining clearly visible from Geumodo Island. The name Hyeongjedo is said to come from the island's appearance: it is split down the middle, resembling an elder and younger brother facing each other.
Shaped over time by wave erosion, Hyeongjedo Island features varied topographical and geological formations including sea cliffs, vertical joints, sea caves, polygonal columnar joints formed by rapid lava cooling, and honeycomb rock weathering.
Despite the barren environment dominated by rugged bedrock, the upper reaches of the island are home to black pine, Yeddo hawthorn, and spindle tree with coastal species such as seaside aster, tiger lily, and sand sedge taking root across the lower terrain. A 2023 on-the-ground ecological survey further confirmed the island’s high biodiversity, documenting grey herons, grey-tailed tattlers, and brown-eared bulbuls, as well as Eurasian otter droppings.
Comprehensive data on Hyeongjedo and other uninhabited islands along with local tourism information can be accessed through the Uninhabited Islands Information System of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries at uii.mof.go.kr and the Yeosu Tourism and Culture portal at yeosu.go.kr/tour.
Showcasing seasonal seafood, fishing villages, and marine life as well as a historic lighthouse and an uninhabited island
- Featured selections for September: dotted gizzard shad and leather carp as seafood of the month; Jeongok-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province and Seondo-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province as fishing village destinations of the month; puncture vine as marine species of the month; Jukdo Lighthouse on Chagwido Island as lighthouse of the month; and Hyeongjedo Island as uninhabited island of the month.
① Seafood of the Month: Dotted Gizzard Shad, Leather Carp
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries—headed by Minister Hwang Jong-woo—announced the selection of dotted gizzard shad and leather carp as the featured seafood for September.
A member of the herring family Clupeidae, dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus) inhabits the coastal waters of Korea, Central and Southern Japan, and East China Sea. Typically reaching 20 to 30 centimeters long with a laterally compressed body, it has a bluish-black back and a silvery belly. Its body is covered with relatively large cycloid scales that shed easily, with its head completely scaleless.
Often consumed whole with the bones, dotted gizzard shad is a rich source of dietary calcium along with protein and essential amino acids that support overall nutritional replenishment. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA, helping support cardiovascular and cognitive health.
Autumn gizzard shad is renowned for its rich, savory flavor and can be enjoyed grilled, as raw fish, or in spicy dressed salads at its peak during this season. In particular, whole grilled gizzard shad seasoned with sea salt is a signature dish that highlights the fish's distinct savory aroma and taste.
As a freshwater fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae, leather carp was first introduced to Korea from Israel in 1973. It has established itself as a staple inland aquaculture species following successful domestic farming. Annual domestic production reached approximately 1,700 metric tons in 2025, ranking fifth among inland fish species.
Nutritionally, it contains a variety of beneficial components including essential amino acids, taurine, and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help support nutritional intake.
It has a noticeably mild muddy odor compared to typical freshwater species, contains virtually no fine bones, and features a firm, elastic flesh that provides a pleasantly chewy texture. The fish can be enjoyed in various ways such as raw fish, spicy fish soup, braised dishes, and grilled fish. In particular, thinly sliced raw leather carp served with vinegared red chili paste is a classic dish that allows diners to enjoy both its clean taste and chewy texture.
Detailed information on the seafood of the month—dotted gizzard shad and leather carp—is available on the seafood promotion portal Eosikbaekse at www.korfish.co.kr.
② Featured Fishing Villages of the Month:
- Jeongok-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village (Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province)
- Seondo-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village (Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province)
MOF designated Jeongok-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province and Seondo-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province—where visitors can embrace the autumn ocean scenery and take part in diverse hands-on coastal activities amid cooler weather—as featured fishing village destinations for September.
As an easily accessible getaway near the Seoul metropolitan area, Jeongok-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province offers open ocean vistas and distinctive marina landscape. Visitors can experience various maritime activities including traditional stone-weir fishing (doksal) and sailing, as well as boat excursions to Ippado Island departing from Jeongok Port. The seafood market at Jeongok Port also provides locally harvested marine products such as swimming crabs, webfoot octopuses, and shrimp, making it an ideal destination for autumn outings with family, couples, or friends.
Seondo-ri Fishing Experience and Recreation Village in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province is a coastal village known for expansive mudflats set against scenic sunsets over the West Sea. In autumn when the summer heat has subsided, visitors can comfortably stroll along the tidal flats and savor the evening glow. The village offers mudflat harvesting experiences wherein visitors can gather surf clams and razor clams across the vast tidal flats; at low tide, one can walk out to the uninhabited Ssangseom Islets along the exposed mudflat pathway. Glamping facilities located near the village also provide convenient accommodations to unwind while taking in the autumn coastal ambiance.
Comprehensive details on the featured villages—including community overviews, experiential programs, lodging, local dining, nearby attractions, and transportation—are available on the official coastal tourism portal at www.seantour.kr.
③ Marine Species of the Month: Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)
MOF designated puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) as the featured marine species for September.
Puncture vine is an annual halophyte that inhabits coastal sandy beaches. While widely distributed across temperate and tropical zones globally, domestic populations in Korea are restricted to limited coastal areas along the East Coast including Gangneung and Pohang as well as parts of Jeju Island.
The plant typically reaches a height of 10 to 20 centimeters, with prostrate, reddish-brown stems spreading laterally across the ground up to one meter. From June through August, it bears solitary yellow flowers featuring five petals with characteristically wavy, notched margins.
The fruit ripens between July and September and splits into five segments, developing sharp, spiny projections that resemble spiked maces. This distinctive structure enables the burrs to attach to animal fur or feet, facilitating broad seed dispersal. In traditional Korean medicine and folk remedies, the dried fruit is known as baekjillyeo and used for medicinal purposes.
Information on puncture vine—along with data on diverse marine organisms—can be accessed via the Marine Bio-Resource Information System at www.mbris.kr and the Marine Environment Information Portal at www.meis.go.kr.
④ Lighthouse of the Month: Jukdo Lighthouse on Chagwido Island
MOF designated Jukdo Lighthouse located on Chagwido Island in Gosan-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province as the featured lighthouse for September. Erected in 2015, the lighthouse emits a white flashing light every six seconds, serving as a navigational aid for vessels transiting the western waters off Jeju Island.
Home to Jukdo Lighthouse, Chagwido Island is the largest uninhabited island in Jeju and Natural Monument No. 422 celebrated for its scenic natural landscape and precipitous coastal cliffs. In 1952, residents of Gosan-ri carried stones by hand to build the initial structure to support the safety of local fishing boats. With the structure deteriorating over time, it was modernized into its current form in 2015.
The surrounding Hangyeong-myeon area offers a range of attractions, including Chagwido Island, where visitors can walk while enjoying the autumn silver grass swaying in the Jeju wind; Suwolbong Peak, a world-renowned research site for hydrovolcanic formations; and the Jeju Gosan-ri Prehistoric Site, Korea's oldest Neolithic settlement.
Largehead hairtail harvested in Jeju is currently in season and is often referred to as silver hairtail because line-catching methods keep its lustrous silver skin intact. Because hairtail spoils quickly after being caught, it is generally difficult to enjoy raw. In Jeju, however it is prepared in diverse culinary styles including raw fish slices, grilled fish, braised dishes, stews, and soup simmered with pumpkin and napa cabbage. Hairtail is characterized by its white, tender flesh rich in protein, essential amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids, which are known to support cognitive and cardiovascular health as well as child development.
Details on the featured lighthouse are available on the Lighthouse and Sea portal at lighthouse-museum.or.kr/sea, and tourism information for surrounding destinations can be found on the official Jeju tourism portal Visit Jeju at visitjeju.net.
⑤ Uninhabited Island of the Month: Hyeongjedo Island
MOF designated Hyeongjedo Island—a semi-conserved uninhabited island* situated in Nam-myeon, Yeosu City, Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City—as the featured uninhabited island for September.
* Semi-conserved uninhabited islands are recognized for their high conservation value, where certain activities such as construction, structural installations, land alteration, flora and fauna harvesting, outdoor cooking, and camping are prohibited and public access is restricted when necessary.
Located approximately 150 meters off the eastern coast of Geumodo Island south of the Yeosu Peninsula, Hyeongjedo Island rises to an elevation of roughly 30 meters and encompasses an area of 6,017 square meters, remaining clearly visible from Geumodo Island. The name Hyeongjedo is said to come from the island's appearance: it is split down the middle, resembling an elder and younger brother facing each other.
Shaped over time by wave erosion, Hyeongjedo Island features varied topographical and geological formations including sea cliffs, vertical joints, sea caves, polygonal columnar joints formed by rapid lava cooling, and honeycomb rock weathering.
Despite the barren environment dominated by rugged bedrock, the upper reaches of the island are home to black pine, Yeddo hawthorn, and spindle tree with coastal species such as seaside aster, tiger lily, and sand sedge taking root across the lower terrain. A 2023 on-the-ground ecological survey further confirmed the island’s high biodiversity, documenting grey herons, grey-tailed tattlers, and brown-eared bulbuls, as well as Eurasian otter droppings.
Comprehensive data on Hyeongjedo and other uninhabited islands along with local tourism information can be accessed through the Uninhabited Islands Information System of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries at uii.mof.go.kr and the Yeosu Tourism and Culture portal at yeosu.go.kr/tour.
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