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Selection of Fishery Products, Fishing Village Travel Destinations, Marine Life, Lighthouses, and Uninhabited Island of the Month for October
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2026.10.15.
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Selection of Fishery Products, Fishing Village Travel Destinations, Marine Life, Lighthouses, and Uninhabited Island of the Month for October
① Fishery Products of the Month – Loach and anchovy
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) selected loach and anchovy as Fishery Products of the Month for October.
The loach is a freshwater fish belonging to family Cobitidae of the order Cypriniformes. It mainly lives in slow-current areas such as rice paddies or reservoirs. Its body is long and slender, and it breathes not only through its gills but also through its intestines. It is written as “鰍魚” in Chinese characters; the character “鰍” (chu) is a combination of “魚” (eo) meaning fish and “秋” (chu) meaning autumn, and is known to be related to the characteristic of becoming plump and delicious during the autumn season.
Loaches are rich in retinol—which helps maintain skin and eye health—and essential fatty acids that support cardiovascular health.
The representative loach dish is Chueotang. Cooking methods vary by region, such as grinding the loach and boiling it with dried cabbage or boiling with its shape intact. It can also be enjoyed in various dishes such as crispy fried loach or loach tofu made by stuffing loach into tofu.
Anchovies are marine fish belonging to the family Engraulidae of the order Clupeiformes and are found along the entire coast of Korea. The body is slender and long and slightly flattened laterally, growing up to about 15 cm.
Anchovies are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help support brain and cardiovascular health; they are also good for bone health because of their high calcium content. Because you eat the whole fish including the small bones, you can get a range of nutrients at once.
A representative dish made with anchovies is anchovy ssambap, which is popular in the southern coastal region. This dish is made by braising fresh anchovies in spicy sauce and then wrapping them in leafy greens with rice; the anchovies’ savory taste blends well with the spicy seasoning. Anchovies are also enjoyed grilled, in raw fish salads, stews, and as salted seafood, while dried anchovies are widely used in stir-fried dishes or to make broth.
Detailed information on fishery products—including October’s Fishery Products loach and anchovy—is available on the Eosik Baekse website (www.korfish.co.kr).
② Fishing Village Travel Destinations of the Month - Rural Fishing Experience Villages in Okgye, Geoje in Gyeongnam Province and Sonjuk, Yeosu in Jeonnam Province
With the arrival of full-fledged autumn, MOF selected Okgye Village in Geoje-si, Gyeongnam Province and Sonjuk Village in Yeosu-si, Jeonnam Province—where visitors can enjoy a relaxing break by the blue sea and experience the unique charm of fishing villages—as fishing village travel destinations for October.
Rural Fishing Experience Village in Okgye, Geoje in Gyeongnam Province is located on Chilsando, which is connected to the main island of Geoje by a bridge. This island village is conveniently accessible by car, offering a variety of marine leisure activities. The village will operate weekend fishing grounds where you can experience the bountiful autumn sea firsthand from Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11 and from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, October 25. Travelers can enjoy a variety of experiences such as mudflats, yachting, kayaking, fish traps, and net fishing. This is a special fishing village trip unique to Okgye Village for an autumn weekend, where visitors can experience the sea firsthand.
Sonjuk Rural Fishing Experience Village in Yeosu, Jeonnam Province preserves the unique island charm, where the blue Dadohae Archipelago harmonizes with flower paths and tranquil stone walls meticulously tended by the residents. Visitors can enjoy island trekking to appreciate the island’s forest and sea scenery fully, with the approximately 1 km long Sonjuk Beach stretching along the northern side of the island. Visitors can also experience the living fishing village ecosystem up close with traditional tidal-flat fishing, catching sea snails, and nighttime shore foraging on the tidal flats exposed during low tide. Sea fishing enjoyed on the coastal rocks is a must-try experience here, too. This year in particular, through a public-private partnership project developed and operated by the Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Agency (FIPA) to increase local income, the village will develop bookstay-based content and improve accommodation facilities, offering travelers an even more diverse range of attractions. The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo is also being held in October, so we recommend taking an island trip from Yeosu along with the expo.
Detailed information regarding the Fishing Village Travel Destinations of the Month—including village introductions, experience programs, accommodations and restaurants, nearby tourist attractions, and transportation—is available on the Sea Travel website (www.seantour.kr).
③ Marine Life of the Month – Sargassum macrocarpum
MOF selected Sargassum macrocarpum as Marine Life of the Month for October.
Sargassum macrocarpum is a perennial brown alga distributed along the coasts of Korea and Japan, growing attached to underwater rocks. New branches begin to grow around October, and they can grow to 2 to 3 meters long if they survive winter and spring.
Thick branches have irregular protrusions on the edges, and they are characterized by elongated, sawtooth-shaped leaves. It also has oval-shaped air bladders that allow it to remain upright toward the water's surface.
“Sargassum forests,” formed by dense colonies of Sargassum macrocarpum, provide habitats for a wide variety of organisms, much like forests on land. It plays an important role in maintaining coastal biodiversity by providing food, shelter, and spawning grounds to various marine organisms including fish.
Researchers have also identified antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components in Sargassum macrocarpum extract, so they are also exploring its use in various fields such as cosmetics.
Detailed information on marine life including Sargassum macrocarpum is available on the Marine Life Resources Integrated Information System website (https://www.mbris.kr) and the Marine Environment Information portal (https://www.meis.go.kr).
④ Lighthouse of the Month – Jumunjin Port No. 2 Breakwater Lighthouse
MOF selected Jumunjin Port No. 2 Breakwater Lighthouse located in Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung-si, Gangwon Province as Lighthouse of the Month for October. Known by the nickname Squid Lighthouse, the lighthouse serves as a safe guide for ships passing through Jumunjin Port by flashing a green light once every six seconds. Built in 1986, it was rebuilt last September into its current squid shape to match the local characteristics and replace aging facilities; thus creating a new attraction for travelers.
In Jumunjin, various tourist attractions can be enjoyed together: the Jumunjin Fisheries Market, the largest fish market on the East Coast; the Yeongjin Beach Breakwater, a filming location for the drama Goblin; Hyangho Beach, the filming location for the album cover of BTS, the first K-pop group to reach number one on the US Billboard album chart; and the Choe Seon-pyeong House, a cultural heritage material of Gangwon-do.
As one of the representative fishing ports on the East Coast, Jumunjin Port is a place where warm and cold currents meet, resulting in an abundance of squid, sand lance, herring, and anchovies. Squid, a local specialty of Jumunjin, is large with chewy texture and sweet flavor in autumn. A widely enjoyed seafood, squid is commonly served raw, in mulhoe (spicy cold raw fish soup), steamed, or stir-fried; in this region, people also enjoy squid sundae made by stuffing the squid body with filling and steaming it. A low-fat, high-protein food, it is also rich in taurine and is known to benefit the liver function and promote recovery from fatigue.
Detailed information about this Lighthouse of the Month is available on the National Lighthouse Museum's Lighthouse and Sea website (lighthouse-museum.or.kr/sea), and tourist information around the lighthouse is available on the Visit Gangneung website (visitgangneung.net).
⑤ Uninhabited Island of the Month – Miyukdo Island (Jeongcheori Island)
MOF selected Miyukdo Island (Jeongcheori Island) located in Pungdo-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province as uninhabited island of the month for October.
Miyukdo is an island located at the southern end of the Yukdo Archipelago, which consists of six small islands including Malyukdo, Jongyukdo, and Yukdo. It was named as such due to its position at the tail end of the archipelago. It is also called Jeongcheori Island because its shape resembles the pointed end of a chisel, a tool used to break iron or stone.
Although small, Miyukdo has a unique appearance that leaves a lasting impression at a glance. In the middle of the island, two rocky peaks rise side by side; when viewed from the side, they resemble the two humps of a two-humped camel. The large northern peak is about 40m high, the island covers 10,413㎡, and its north-south length spans about 400m.
The coast consists mainly of rocks and pebbles. Over time, waves and wind eroded the rocks, forming steep sea cliffs, small sea caves, and pillar-like rocks throughout the island. The rock surface in particular has small, honeycomb-like holes (tafoni), allowing you to observe the diverse forms sculpted by nature.
Trees such as Korean hornbeam, sumac, and black pine grow on the rocky slopes, and one can also see various grasses such as goosefoot, silver grass, and wormwood. Various seabirds including cormorants, great cormorants, black-tailed gulls, and Vega gulls also use Miyukdo as a resting place.
Information on uninhabited islands including Miyukdo and nearby tourist attractions is available on MOF's Uninhabited Islands Comprehensive Information Center (https://uii.mof.go.kr) and Ansan-si Cultural Tourism (https://www.ansan.go.kr/tourinfo).
- Selecting loach and anchovy as Fishery Products of the Month; Rural Fishing Experience Villages in Okgye, Geoje in Gyeongnam Province and Sonjuk, Yeosu in Jeonnam Province as Fishing Village Travel Destinations of the Month; Sargassum macrocarpum as Marine Life of the Month; Jumunjin Port No. 2 Breakwater Lighthouse as Lighthouse of the Month; and Miyukdo Island as Uninhabited Island of the Month
① Fishery Products of the Month – Loach and anchovy
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) selected loach and anchovy as Fishery Products of the Month for October.
The loach is a freshwater fish belonging to family Cobitidae of the order Cypriniformes. It mainly lives in slow-current areas such as rice paddies or reservoirs. Its body is long and slender, and it breathes not only through its gills but also through its intestines. It is written as “鰍魚” in Chinese characters; the character “鰍” (chu) is a combination of “魚” (eo) meaning fish and “秋” (chu) meaning autumn, and is known to be related to the characteristic of becoming plump and delicious during the autumn season.
Loaches are rich in retinol—which helps maintain skin and eye health—and essential fatty acids that support cardiovascular health.
The representative loach dish is Chueotang. Cooking methods vary by region, such as grinding the loach and boiling it with dried cabbage or boiling with its shape intact. It can also be enjoyed in various dishes such as crispy fried loach or loach tofu made by stuffing loach into tofu.
Anchovies are marine fish belonging to the family Engraulidae of the order Clupeiformes and are found along the entire coast of Korea. The body is slender and long and slightly flattened laterally, growing up to about 15 cm.
Anchovies are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help support brain and cardiovascular health; they are also good for bone health because of their high calcium content. Because you eat the whole fish including the small bones, you can get a range of nutrients at once.
A representative dish made with anchovies is anchovy ssambap, which is popular in the southern coastal region. This dish is made by braising fresh anchovies in spicy sauce and then wrapping them in leafy greens with rice; the anchovies’ savory taste blends well with the spicy seasoning. Anchovies are also enjoyed grilled, in raw fish salads, stews, and as salted seafood, while dried anchovies are widely used in stir-fried dishes or to make broth.
Detailed information on fishery products—including October’s Fishery Products loach and anchovy—is available on the Eosik Baekse website (www.korfish.co.kr).
② Fishing Village Travel Destinations of the Month - Rural Fishing Experience Villages in Okgye, Geoje in Gyeongnam Province and Sonjuk, Yeosu in Jeonnam Province
With the arrival of full-fledged autumn, MOF selected Okgye Village in Geoje-si, Gyeongnam Province and Sonjuk Village in Yeosu-si, Jeonnam Province—where visitors can enjoy a relaxing break by the blue sea and experience the unique charm of fishing villages—as fishing village travel destinations for October.
Rural Fishing Experience Village in Okgye, Geoje in Gyeongnam Province is located on Chilsando, which is connected to the main island of Geoje by a bridge. This island village is conveniently accessible by car, offering a variety of marine leisure activities. The village will operate weekend fishing grounds where you can experience the bountiful autumn sea firsthand from Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11 and from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, October 25. Travelers can enjoy a variety of experiences such as mudflats, yachting, kayaking, fish traps, and net fishing. This is a special fishing village trip unique to Okgye Village for an autumn weekend, where visitors can experience the sea firsthand.
Sonjuk Rural Fishing Experience Village in Yeosu, Jeonnam Province preserves the unique island charm, where the blue Dadohae Archipelago harmonizes with flower paths and tranquil stone walls meticulously tended by the residents. Visitors can enjoy island trekking to appreciate the island’s forest and sea scenery fully, with the approximately 1 km long Sonjuk Beach stretching along the northern side of the island. Visitors can also experience the living fishing village ecosystem up close with traditional tidal-flat fishing, catching sea snails, and nighttime shore foraging on the tidal flats exposed during low tide. Sea fishing enjoyed on the coastal rocks is a must-try experience here, too. This year in particular, through a public-private partnership project developed and operated by the Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Agency (FIPA) to increase local income, the village will develop bookstay-based content and improve accommodation facilities, offering travelers an even more diverse range of attractions. The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo is also being held in October, so we recommend taking an island trip from Yeosu along with the expo.
Detailed information regarding the Fishing Village Travel Destinations of the Month—including village introductions, experience programs, accommodations and restaurants, nearby tourist attractions, and transportation—is available on the Sea Travel website (www.seantour.kr).
③ Marine Life of the Month – Sargassum macrocarpum
MOF selected Sargassum macrocarpum as Marine Life of the Month for October.
Sargassum macrocarpum is a perennial brown alga distributed along the coasts of Korea and Japan, growing attached to underwater rocks. New branches begin to grow around October, and they can grow to 2 to 3 meters long if they survive winter and spring.
Thick branches have irregular protrusions on the edges, and they are characterized by elongated, sawtooth-shaped leaves. It also has oval-shaped air bladders that allow it to remain upright toward the water's surface.
“Sargassum forests,” formed by dense colonies of Sargassum macrocarpum, provide habitats for a wide variety of organisms, much like forests on land. It plays an important role in maintaining coastal biodiversity by providing food, shelter, and spawning grounds to various marine organisms including fish.
Researchers have also identified antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components in Sargassum macrocarpum extract, so they are also exploring its use in various fields such as cosmetics.
Detailed information on marine life including Sargassum macrocarpum is available on the Marine Life Resources Integrated Information System website (https://www.mbris.kr) and the Marine Environment Information portal (https://www.meis.go.kr).
④ Lighthouse of the Month – Jumunjin Port No. 2 Breakwater Lighthouse
MOF selected Jumunjin Port No. 2 Breakwater Lighthouse located in Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung-si, Gangwon Province as Lighthouse of the Month for October. Known by the nickname Squid Lighthouse, the lighthouse serves as a safe guide for ships passing through Jumunjin Port by flashing a green light once every six seconds. Built in 1986, it was rebuilt last September into its current squid shape to match the local characteristics and replace aging facilities; thus creating a new attraction for travelers.
In Jumunjin, various tourist attractions can be enjoyed together: the Jumunjin Fisheries Market, the largest fish market on the East Coast; the Yeongjin Beach Breakwater, a filming location for the drama Goblin; Hyangho Beach, the filming location for the album cover of BTS, the first K-pop group to reach number one on the US Billboard album chart; and the Choe Seon-pyeong House, a cultural heritage material of Gangwon-do.
As one of the representative fishing ports on the East Coast, Jumunjin Port is a place where warm and cold currents meet, resulting in an abundance of squid, sand lance, herring, and anchovies. Squid, a local specialty of Jumunjin, is large with chewy texture and sweet flavor in autumn. A widely enjoyed seafood, squid is commonly served raw, in mulhoe (spicy cold raw fish soup), steamed, or stir-fried; in this region, people also enjoy squid sundae made by stuffing the squid body with filling and steaming it. A low-fat, high-protein food, it is also rich in taurine and is known to benefit the liver function and promote recovery from fatigue.
Detailed information about this Lighthouse of the Month is available on the National Lighthouse Museum's Lighthouse and Sea website (lighthouse-museum.or.kr/sea), and tourist information around the lighthouse is available on the Visit Gangneung website (visitgangneung.net).
⑤ Uninhabited Island of the Month – Miyukdo Island (Jeongcheori Island)
MOF selected Miyukdo Island (Jeongcheori Island) located in Pungdo-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi Province as uninhabited island of the month for October.
Miyukdo is an island located at the southern end of the Yukdo Archipelago, which consists of six small islands including Malyukdo, Jongyukdo, and Yukdo. It was named as such due to its position at the tail end of the archipelago. It is also called Jeongcheori Island because its shape resembles the pointed end of a chisel, a tool used to break iron or stone.
Although small, Miyukdo has a unique appearance that leaves a lasting impression at a glance. In the middle of the island, two rocky peaks rise side by side; when viewed from the side, they resemble the two humps of a two-humped camel. The large northern peak is about 40m high, the island covers 10,413㎡, and its north-south length spans about 400m.
The coast consists mainly of rocks and pebbles. Over time, waves and wind eroded the rocks, forming steep sea cliffs, small sea caves, and pillar-like rocks throughout the island. The rock surface in particular has small, honeycomb-like holes (tafoni), allowing you to observe the diverse forms sculpted by nature.
Trees such as Korean hornbeam, sumac, and black pine grow on the rocky slopes, and one can also see various grasses such as goosefoot, silver grass, and wormwood. Various seabirds including cormorants, great cormorants, black-tailed gulls, and Vega gulls also use Miyukdo as a resting place.
Information on uninhabited islands including Miyukdo and nearby tourist attractions is available on MOF's Uninhabited Islands Comprehensive Information Center (https://uii.mof.go.kr) and Ansan-si Cultural Tourism (https://www.ansan.go.kr/tourinfo).
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