A Luxury Hotel at Sea Departing from Sokcho... Sokcho-si Recruiting Cruise Experience Group

A total of 300 participants: 150 Sokcho citizens and 150 Gangwon residents
Applications accepted from February 13 to 27... Departure from Sokcho Port on May 12
A 5-night, 6-day itinerary calling at Otaru and Hakodate in Japan

Sokcho-si in Gangwon-do is recruiting the "2026 Sokcho Port Homeport Cruise Experience Group" to expand the base of cruise tourism and to develop Sokcho Port into a cruise hub in the Pan-East Sea region.

Banner recruiting cruise experience participants in Sokcho-si. Provided by Sokcho-si.

The cruise experience program is a project promoted in cooperation with Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, the Gangwon Tourism Organization, and Lotte Tour. It was prepared to allow citizens to experience cruise travel firsthand, thereby enhancing their understanding of the cruise industry and spreading positive perceptions within the region.

The program has been significantly expanded compared to last year, and a total of 300 people will be selected, including 150 residents of Sokcho-si and 150 residents of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. The recruitment period runs from February 13 to February 27, 2026.

The selected participants will board the 110,000-ton large cruise ship Costa Serena, which will depart on May 12, 2026 from Sokcho Port as its homeport. After calling at Otaru and Hakodate, two of the most famous tourist destinations in Hokkaido, Japan, the ship will arrive at Busan Port on May 17, following a 5-night, 6-day itinerary. After arriving in Busan, transportation convenience such as chartered buses to Sokcho will also be provided.

Those selected for the program will only need to pay 1.42 million won per person, which is 50% of the regular price of 2.84 million won (excluding onboard tips and other additional charges).

Applicants must be adults who, as of the date of the announcement, have their resident registration in Sokcho-si and have no disqualifying reasons for overseas travel. Applications must be submitted in teams of two, and registration is available through the Lotte Tour application page linked via the banner on the Sokcho City Hall website.

The final participants will be selected through a public random drawing using specialized software. The results are scheduled to be announced on March 3, 2026 via the Sokcho City Hall website.

Meanwhile, the recruitment of the Sokcho citizen cruise experience group began for the first time in 2024 and is now in its third year. In the first year, 558 people (279 teams) applied for 30 spots (15 teams), and in 2025, when the number of participants was increased to 100 people (50 teams), 694 people (347 teams) applied, demonstrating strong interest. As one of the seven major cruise port cities in Korea, Sokcho-si plans to expand the operation of the citizen experience group to broaden the base of cruise tourism, increase citizens' sense of engagement, and further strengthen Sokcho Port's competitiveness as a homeport.

Mayor Lee Byeongseon of Sokcho-si said, "I hope this experience program will offer unforgettable memories to our citizens and serve as an opportunity for Sokcho Port to establish itself as a center of the cruise industry for the city," adding, "Through this program, I hope our citizens will rediscover the value of Sokcho Port and fully enjoy the pleasures of cruise travel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.