⛴️ Coastal Ferries: Jeju, Ulleungdo, and the Islands Between
Korea isn’t just a peninsula — hundreds of inhabited islands sit off both coasts, and a surprising number of them are reachable by public ferry. Until recently, booking one as a foreign visitor meant wrestling with Korean-only sites. That’s changing fast.
What Just Changed
As of September 2026, Klook — already the first international OTA to offer Korean coastal ferry bookings — signed an agreement with the Korea Shipping Association to expand its foreign-visitor ferry booking system to more regional routes, with a fuller rollout expected in Q4 2026. Right now, Klook already covers several of the most tourist-relevant routes, with support for 15+ languages and 40+ currencies — a real fix for what used to be a language-and-payment headache.
Currently bookable through Klook: Pohang–Ulleungdo, Ulleungdo–Dokdo, Wando–Jeju, and Mokpo–Jeju.
Main Routes at a Glance
| Route | Why Go | Travel Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wando or Mokpo → Jeju | Bring your own car, or just prefer sailing over flying | ~2h40m (Wando, the faster option) |
| Pohang → Ulleungdo | Dramatic volcanic island, far less touristed than Jeju | Several hours, weather-dependent |
| Ulleungdo → Dokdo | A day-trip add-on once you’re already on Ulleungdo | Short hop, weather-dependent |
How to Book
- Klook — the easiest option for the routes it currently covers, especially if you’d rather not navigate a Korean-only site
- 가보고 싶은 섬 (island.haewoon.co.kr) — a Korean ferry booking portal covering many smaller regional island routes not yet on Klook
- 한국해운조합 공식 예매 사이트 (island.theksa.co.kr) — the official association booking site
- Route-specific operator sites (e.g., Hanilexpress for the Wando–Jeju route) — sometimes necessary for a specific ship or schedule
If your route isn’t on Klook yet, one of the Korean sites above will have it — just budget extra time for the language barrier, or ask your accommodation for help booking.
Good to Know
- Bring your passport — required for booking and boarding, same as domestic flights
- Weather cancellations are common, especially for Ulleungdo and Dokdo — build a buffer day into your itinerary if that leg matters to your trip
- Vehicles can be shipped on the Wando/Mokpo–Jeju routes if you want your own car on the island, but this needs separate booking and usually a vehicle registration document
- Boarding cutoff times are strict — arrive at the terminal well ahead of departure; late arrival generally means losing your booking, not a rebooking
Quick Tips
- Check the current status of Klook’s expanded route list before assuming a smaller island route is covered — the rollout is still in progress as of late 2026
- Ferries are far more weather-sensitive than trains or flights — always have a backup plan for the day of travel, especially outside Jeju
- If you’re set on Ulleungdo, pair it with Dokdo as a single trip rather than treating them as separate visits — the connecting hop is short once you’re already there