From Eumji Island to Udo, Discovering Jinhae’s Sea from the 136 m Solar Tower

The Island off Myeong-dong Transformed by the Opening of Eumjigyo Bridge in 2005

Jinhae Marine Park was developed around Eumjido Island off Myeong-dong, at 62 Myeongdong-ro, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do. The total project area is 82,505㎡, consisting of 76,048㎡ on Eumjido Island and 6,457㎡ of reclaimed public waters. As part of the Southern Coast Tourism Belt project, Changwon City used the decommissioned Jinhae warship, leased free of charge from the Navy Headquarters, to create a park combining the maritime, historical, and educational functions of the naval port city of Jinhae.

The park's physical beginnings were the opening of the Warship Exhibition Hall and Naval Battle History Experience Hall on March 12, 2005, followed by the opening of Eumjigyo Bridge on November 25 of the same year. Eumjigyo Bridge is 250 m long and connects Myeong-dong with Eumjido Island. The Marine Life Theme Park was added on April 28, 2006, Changwon Solar Tower on October 10, 2013, the Fish Ecology Learning Center on May 1, 2015, and the Jinhae Warship Exhibition Experience Hall on September 22, 2023.

Jinhae Bay Seen from the 27th and 28th Floors of the 136 m Changwon Solar Tower

Changwon Solar Tower is the centerpiece of the Marine Solar Park, developed from April 2010 through December 2012. The tower is 136 m high, with an observation deck 120 m above ground, and has a total solar power capacity of 600 kW, combining 450 kW in the tower building and 150 kW in the exhibition building. Its sail-inspired exterior is fitted with more than 2,000 solar modules, making it distinctive as a structure designed to combine a power-generating facility with observation and exhibition spaces rather than serving simply as an observation tower.

The first floor of the tower building has an information desk and lobby, while the second floor is an energy exhibition hall. The 27th floor, reached by elevator, has a 120 m-high observation deck, a glass-floor experience, and trick art. The 28th floor has a Solar Book Café and a slow mailbox. According to the official information, the observation deck offers views of Busan New Port, Geoga Bridge, and the waters of Jinhae Bay. If you are afraid of heights, it is better to skip the transparent-floor experience on the 27th floor and plan your route mainly around the indoor space on the 28th floor.

09:00–18:00 · Closed on Mondays: 3 Fees to Know Before Buying Tickets

The current official visiting hours for indoor attractions are 09:00–18:00, with ticket sales ending at 17:00. The park is closed every Monday, although outdoor facilities remain open; if Monday is a public holiday, it closes the following day. Seasonal and temporary closure notices may change, so it is safest to check the closure information on the official Jinhae Marine Park website https://www.cwsisul.or.kr/_jhmapark/ before setting out. The information phone number is 055-712-0425.

Individual admission to Changwon Solar Tower costs 3,500 won for adults, 2,500 won for middle and high school students, and 1,500 won for elementary school students. Combined admission to the Marine Life Theme Park and Fish Ecology Learning Center costs 2,500 won for adults, 2,000 won for middle and high school students, and 1,500 won for elementary school students, with separate group rates applying to groups of 20 or more. Visitors aged 65 or older, children under 6, and registered national merit recipients and people with disabilities are eligible for free admission, so it is advisable to bring supporting documents.

• Solar Tower individual admission: Adults 3,500 won / Middle and high school students 2,500 won / Elementary school students 1,500 won
• Marine Life Theme Park and Fish Ecology Learning Center combined individual admission: Adults 2,500 won / Middle and high school students 2,000 won / Elementary school students 1,500 won
• Changwon resident rates apply when Changwon residency registration and identification can be verified.

From the 2005 Naval Battle History Experience Hall to the Jinhae Warship in 2023: An Exhibition Route through a Naval Port City

The Naval Battle History Experience Hall is a two-story above-ground facility with a total floor area of 1,880.67㎡ that opened on March 12, 2005. The first floor contains a history of Jinhae, a Yi Sun-sin study room, a turtle ship exhibition, the Defenders of Territorial Waters interactive exhibit, and a nursing room. The second floor contains the Jinhae warship naval battle experience room, an outdoor terrace, and a rooftop garden. Even for an itinerary focused on coastal scenery, it is a suitable first indoor stop for understanding how Jinhae developed as a naval base and port city.

The Jinhae Warship Exhibition Experience Hall opened on September 22, 2023. The patrol vessel Jinhae, the subject of the exhibition, is 88 m long, 25 m wide, and weighs 1,237 tons. It entered service on September 30, 1988, and was decommissioned on July 31, 2020. It participated in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong in 1999 and the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong in 2002. Through spaces such as the sailors' dining room, galley, medical room, combat information center, captain's cabin, and wheelhouse, the exhibition shows life inside the vessel under the theme “24 Hours of Sailor Life.”

Marine Ecology on the First Floor and the Shark Hall on the Third: 2 Indoor Exhibitions for Rainy Days

The Fish Ecology Learning Center is a two-story above-ground facility with a total floor area of 1,864.76㎡ that opened on May 1, 2015. The 1,137.3㎡ first floor has a marine ecology exhibition hall, aquariums, a media zone, an education room, and a fishing playground. The 727.46㎡ second floor has a freshwater ecology exhibition hall, a touch pool, a fish photography gallery, and a video room. The “Life in Korea's Seas” aquarium on the first floor is described as measuring 10 m long, 1.6 m wide, and 1.5 m high.

The Marine Life Theme Park is a three-story above-ground building with a total floor area of 1,925㎡ that opened on April 28, 2006, and was modeled after a conch shell. The first floor features swimming marine life, fossils, and a conch tower; the second floor features benthic organisms, Ocean World Puzzle, a video room, and an underwater exploration team; and the third floor consists of the Shark Hall, Marine Fish Hall, Arctic Hall, Reptile Hall, and Coral Hall. The two facilities can be visited with a combined admission ticket, so on windy or rainy days it is efficient to visit these two places first and then move on to the Solar Tower.

333 Parking Spaces and Eumjido's Uphill Terrain: Decide Where to Park First

The park has a total of 333 parking spaces: 260 in the parking tower, 45 in the outdoor parking lot, 22 around the Solar Tower, and 6 at the Fish Ecology Learning Center. General visitors should normally use the P1 parking tower or P2 outdoor parking lot and then continue on foot. P3 is reserved for visitors with disabilities and others with limited mobility, so parking ordinary vehicles there is prohibited. At the parking tower and outdoor parking lot, paying in advance at an unmanned payment machine before leaving makes exit easier.

Passenger cars and small vans cost 300 won for the first 30 minutes, then 100 won for every additional 10 minutes, with a daily maximum of 3,000 won. Large vehicles cost 500 won for the first 30 minutes, then 200 won for every additional 10 minutes, with a daily maximum of 6,000 won. Compact cars, vehicles for people with disabilities, vehicles for national merit recipients requiring prosthetic equipment, and low-emission vehicles receive a 50% discount. Only 22 parking spaces are available at the top of the Solar Tower, and operating policy gives priority to Udo residents and visitors with limited mobility. If someone in your group has difficulty walking, it is practical to call 055-712-0425 before visiting to ask whether mobility assistance is available.

A 90–150-Minute Walk from Eumjido to the 103 m Udo Pedestrian Bridge

If your exhibition visit includes the Solar Tower, allow at least 2 hours; if you walk to the Udo Pedestrian Bridge, it is better to allow around 2 hours and 30 minutes. Eumjido Island is accessible by car via Eumjigyo Bridge, while Udo is connected by the pedestrian-only Udo Pedestrian Bridge. A visitor record published in March 2026 describes the bridge as a 103 m cable-stayed bridge and notes that a visit takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours even when Udo is the main purpose rather than the Solar Tower.

The official visitor facilities close at 18:00, but the park's outdoor cultural and recreation areas may operate under separate opening principles. However, indoor exhibitions and the observation deck cannot be used after sunset, so anyone planning to buy tickets must arrive before 17:00. On days with strong sea winds, do not leave the Udo Pedestrian Bridge and coastal deck until last; it is better to visit the four indoor facilities first, then check the weather before crossing the bridge.

62 Myeongdong-ro Is Easier by Taxi or Car than by Bus; Ask in Advance About Wheelchair Routes

The official address is 62 Myeongdong-ro, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, postal code 51623. By car, enter from Jinhae-daero toward the Marine Park, pass Eoeun Intersection, turn right toward K Shipbuilding, and then continue about 1.84 km along Myeongje-ro and Jukgok-ro. Because the official information does not provide fixed public transportation stops, routes, or walking times, check a real-time bus route from your starting point in a map app immediately before departure.

Wheelchair and stroller users can use the open-tourism space and nursing room at the Naval Battle History Experience Hall, as well as the indoor exhibitions at the Fish Ecology Learning Center. However, the park includes uphill terrain on an island and outdoor travel between facilities, while parking at the top is limited. If you plan to travel by stroller or wheelchair all the way to the Solar Tower and Udo Pedestrian Bridge, first confirm the slopes and same-day parking information by calling 055-712-0425.

• Address: 62 Myeongdong-ro, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
• Information phone: 055-712-0425
• Official website: https://www.cwsisul.or.kr/_jhmapark/
• Recommended itinerary: 2 hours focused on indoor facilities; at least 2 hours and 30 minutes including the Udo Pedestrian Bridge