Sokcho, South Korea

Sokcho (Korean: 속초; (Korean pronunciation: [sʰo̞k̚.tɕʰo̞])) is a city in Gangwon Province, South Korea. It is located in the far northeast of Gangwon. This city is a major tourist hub, and a popular gateway to nearby Seoraksan national park. Sokcho is home to the lakes: Yeongrangho and Cheongchoho that are naturally created by the Sea of Japan It was under DPRK control from 1945 to 1950, but on August 18, 1951, the South Korean army captured it.

Sokcho originally was a part of Dongye from roughly 3rd-century BC to around early 5th-century. Sokcho started from just a fishing village with a few people around Cheongchoho. In 1905, it became one of the major ports because of its geological feature. Since Cheongchoho lake is adjacent to the Sea of Japan, big ships were able to come in and out with ease. Later on, Sokcho, linked with Seoul by air and road, the city became a mineral transfer port in 1937. Upon the division of the Korean peninsula into two countries following World War II, Sokcho was on the North Korean side of the border, but since the Korean War armistice (1953), it has been a part of South Korea.