Uljin County is Korea's crab capital, but with so much more

Uljin County in North Gyeongsang is the prime spot for delicious snow crabs, hosting an annual snow crab festival and offering various activities to enjoy, including exploring K-drama filming locations and taking a soak in natural hot springs.

Sellers of Uljin snow crabs prepare for the morning auction at Hupo Port in Uljin, North Gyeongsang. It's called "daegae" in Korean for having long, slim legs that resemble daenamu, or bamboo trees. [GNC 21]

[A Night Away] ULJIN COUNTY, North Gyeongsang — It's that season again, when snow crabs caught along the shores of the peninsula are at their meatiest, and there’s no other place to enjoy this delicious crustacean than in Uljin County in North Gyeongsang.

Though people often associate Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang as the home of snow crabs, Uljin is in fact the prime spot for catching these crabs, called daegae in Korean.

Yeongdeok has been better known as a snow crab destination because it used to act as a transportation hub, where all the crabs were brought to be distributed to the inland regions. But actually, even the snow crabs sold right in Yeongdeok would have been caught in Uljin.

About 23 kilometers (14 miles) east of Hupo Port in Uljin lies an underwater reef called Wangdolcho. This fertile fishing ground is a major habitat for snow crabs. Fishermen from nearby areas like Yeongdeok also go to catch snow crabs there. If a boat from Yeongdeok catches them, they're called Yeongdeok snow crabs, and if a boat from Uljin catches them, they're Uljin snow crabs.

Uljin County is trying to win back its source of pride by branding itself as the go-to place for the country’s freshest snow crabs.

Fishermen of the East Sea are allowed to catch snow crabs from late December through the end of April, but the end of February to early March is when the crab meat is said to be the most juicy, soft and sweet. Those caught too early or too late in the season usually don’t taste as good and aren’t as plump.

That's precisely why Uljin County organizes its annual “Uljin Snow Crab Festival” around late February, to celebrate this famous local specialty. This year’s festival was held from Feb. 22 to 25, and some 50,000 people attended the event, participating in a variety of activities like crab catching and sampling free pieces of steamed crab.

Children participate in a game of catching snow crabs at Uljin Snow Crab Festival, which ran from Feb. 22 to 25. [GNC 21]

The festival may be over now, but the crab festivities are far from done. Early morning, auctions and street markets are set up almost every day during the crab catching season, selling the crustaceans at an affordable price. The area is great to visit during this time of the year as well, not just for the crabs but also for a dip in Uljin's famous natural hot springs, while the weather is still brisk. The town also boasts various trekking courses for both experienced and beginner hikers.

Day 1 1 p.m. Begin with a bucket of seafood

Haemul kalguksu, or seafood knife-cut noodles at Mangyangjeong Haemul Kalguksu in Uljin, North Gyeongsang [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

One drawback of traveling to Uljin is that it doesn’t have a KTX highspeed train station. The best way to visit, other than by car, is to take the KTX to Gangneung Station and then get a bus from there to Uljin.

Kick start your Uljin experience with the smell of salt sea in the air and sea food in your mouth, by trying the town’s famous haemul kalguksu, or seafood knife-cut noodles. At the town’s famous kalguksu restaurant Mangyangjeong Haemul Kalguksu, seafood noodle are served in a large pot for two or more people. Ordering four servings of haemul kalguksu will come in a bucket-like pot so large and loaded with a variety of seafood that it will take up most of the table space. One serving of haemul kalguksu here costs 12,000 won ($9).

2 p.m. K-drama spots in Uljin

A filming location of a Korean drama series “Into the Storm” (2004), starring Song Yoon-ah, and Kim Seok-hun. It is a great spot for some photographs. [GNC 21]

After filling up with a satisfying bowl of noodles, walk it off by checking out K-drama filming locations nearby. A filming location for a two-decade old drama “Into the Storm” (2004) sits on a hill commanding the sea. It takes about seven minutes to get there on foot from the kalguksu restaurant. Even people unfamiliar with the drama will find it’s worth a visit, as the filming location, which was used as the lead character's house, looks out to the beautiful East Sea. It’s a great photo spot, regardless of its ties to the drama.

Traces of hit drama series “Uncontrollably Fond” (2016) starring Kim Woo-bin and Suzy can also be found in Uljin. Le Cafe Marli, which takes about 10 minutes to get to by car from the “Into the Storm” filming location, is where the press conference scene in the drama was shot, in which Kim plays a top actor and Suzy a documentary producer.

2:30 p.m. National Ocean Science Museum

National Ocean Science Museum in Uljin, north Gyeongsang [GNC 21]

Museum lovers or groups with kids would do well to visit Uljin’s National Ocean Science Museum, located right by Hujeong Beach. It takes about six minutes to get there by car from Le Cafe Marli. The two-story building is filled with different zones that cover various educational topics about the ocean, and there’s a children’s playground right outside the museum. Visitors can also take a walk along the sky bridge that extends out to the East Sea. The location offers a great panoramic view, but drones are forbidden as it’s located right beside the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant — offenders can expect to swiftly be taken in for questioning by police officers and military officials.

3:30 p.m. Soak your feet at Deokgu Valley

Uljin's Deokgu Valley, a moderate hiking trail that takes about an hour to the top [GNC 21]

About a 20 minute drive from the science museum is the town’s famous Deokgu Valley, which has a gentle hiking trail that stretches for about 8 kilometers. It takes about two hours to walk to the hot springs and back, but there's no need to rush: There’s a small fountain of hot water called Wontang in which passersby can dip their feet for a nice hot foot bath. If you want to take a full-body soak in the hot springs, visit Deokgu Hot Springs, located at the starting point of the hiking trail and nestled in the beautiful scenery of Mount Eungbong. The water here is lightly alkaline at a temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit). Deokgu Hot Springs is also known for its beautiful view of the naturally flowing hot springs and crystal-clear valley water.

A visitor dry dipping her feet in Deokgu Valley's Wontang [GNC 21]

7 p.m.Devour those snow crabs

Stopping at one of the crab restaurants is a must for anyone in town. Most restaurants prepare steamed crab the same way, meaning the flavor of the crabs basically depends on the meat of the crab itself.

“The key is knowing which one is of the best quality,” said Lim Hyo-chul, the owner of local restaurant Wangdolhoe Center.

Some may be tempted to pick out the biggest one, but, according to Lim, “the key to picking out the best snow crab is by gently pressing its abdomen.

Snow crabs, both white and red belly at Wangdolhoe Restaurant in Uljin [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

“It should be somewhat firm, but not too much. It should also be quite weighty. Some crabs may be bigger in size, but weigh less, which means it won’t be as meaty as you would expect.”

There are some 90 restaurants selling snow crabs in town, along with octopus and raw fish. Many restaurants also provide delivery or to-go services, and steamed snow crabs can be sent to your doorstep within a day. Two types of snow crabs, white or red belly, may be offered. Generally, white belly snow crabs are sweet, while red ones have a more rounded taste.

Steamed octopus at Wangdolhoe Restaurant in Uljin [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

Octopus is another wintertime treat. Gomchi, a type of cubed snailfish, is another delicacy found in Uljin.

Day 2 7 a.m. The best sunrise

Sunrise witnessed from Mount Deunggi (53.9 meters)

After filling up on snow crabs the night before, some may feel like skipping breakfast, but it would be a shame to miss the town’s best abalone porridge, jeonbokjuk, at Dongshim Sikdang. A bowl of the porridge costs 14,000 won, but the amount of abalone it has in it makes it worth every won.

After breakfast, head to the Hupo Deunggisan Skywalk right in front of the restaurant. This sky bridge stands 50 meters (164 feet) above the surface of the water and extends 135 meters into the East Sea. Some sections of the skywalk have fortified transparent glass, giving you the thrill of witnessing the choppy waves crashing below your feet. Sometimes large fish can be spotted swimming below, so keep a look out for anything below the surface.

Early birds will enjoy visiting the area during sunrise. Walk up to Mount Deunggi to witness the beautiful sunrise above the East Sea. Though it’s technically called a mountain, it isn't very tall — only 53.9 meters above sea level.

Sunrise witnessed from Mount Deunggi (53.9 meters) [YIM SEUNG-HYE]

8:30 a.m. Get a good deal at an auction

At Jukbyeon Harbor, fresh crabs that were usually caught the night before get auctioned off. Unless the weather was too harsh for the boats to go out to sea, the auction is held almost every day at 8:30 a.m. during the crab catching season. Just pop into any local restaurant around the area to ask if the crab auction will be held that morning. This year, one average-size snow crab weighing about 800 to 900 grams (1.8 to 2 pounds) is usually sold for around 17,700 won. When the catch is bad, the price goes up to about 30,000 won per crab. The average visitor isn't allowed to participate in the auction, but it’s still an interesting scene to witness. If you are eager to lay your hands on the best quality crabs, remember which restaurant wins the bid for the fattest-looking crabs, then visit the restaurant later in the day to sink your teeth into the best catch of the day.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]