Donghae (Korean: 동해; Korean pronunciation: [to̞ŋ.ɦɛ̝]) is a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. There are two major ports: Donghae Harbor and Mukho Harbor. The city is located on the Yeongdong Line railroad and the Donghae Expressway. Numerous caverns are found in the city, as in neighboring Samcheok. Hanzhong University was located here.
Donghae has limited food options but "Soma" is quite good. there are actually 2 locations located about a block away. They offer Korean food with a slight western twist (like pizza ddockboki and pork cutlet with pepper sauce), worth a try. The fast food options are limited to KFC, Dunkin Donuts and Lotteria (the Korean McDonalds). They have good pizza at Buena Pizza (try the bacon cheeseburger). Moreover, there are of course the ubiquitous galbi and kimbab restaurants. However, those hoping for authentic western food may be disappointed.
Most of the options here are Hof and Soju bars that are all pretty much the same - they offer beer by the truckload (₩2,500 for 500ml) and soju. Many of them will expect you to order food as well since this is Korean tradition. Just politely say "no thanks" and most will leave you with you beer. Those looking for cocktails have to go to a cocktail bar and these are priced very highly. Your best bet is to head to E-Mart and get a few bottles of cheap booze if you want liquor.
*Love Motels. As with everywhere else in South Korea, there are love motels abound and Donghae is no exception. Don't be fooled by the name however, some of them can be seedy, however some can be quite special with huge beds and themed kitsch. Try the hotel . A room with a pool table can be had for ₩90,000. Most rooms go for ₩50,000 a night (more on weekends). *Jjimjilbang (찜질방). Donghae has a few of these as well. You can sleep in them for ₩6,000 a night (give or take). However its a communal experience and those looking for privacy won't find it here. For those that are willing to try a more authentic Korean experience, they are clean, safe and really cheap. The one close to the very six hotel is the best in town (near E-MART) *
Donghae is a sizable port on the east coast of Gangwon province in South Korea.
Earliest records show that a settlement was built here in 1631 by King Injo of the Joeseon dynasty.
In the 1980s, Mukho-eup, Myeongju-gun, and Bukpyeong-eup, Samcheok-gun, were merged and promoted to the city of Donghae due to their urbanization as a thriving heavy chemical industry, fishing base, and trading port. The name is derived from the nearby East Sea.
