Gyeongsang

Gyeongsang wraps the south-east coast of the Korean peninsula along the Strait of Korea between the Japanese island of Tsushima and the working harbours at Busan, Ulsan, and Pohang. Busan is the country's second city and largest port, with Haeundae Beach on the eastern flank, Gwangalli Beach across the headland, and the working container terminals of the Port of Busan New Port wrapping the western coast. The tide here is a moderate semidiurnal signal modulated by the Strait of Korea geometry. Mean range at the Busan harbour gauge is about 1.2 metres, climbing past 1.7 on the largest spring tides and dropping near 0.4 on neaps. Two highs and two lows of comparable size about twelve and a half hours apart. Down the south-west coast of Korea at Mokpo and the Yellow Sea flats the range grows to 4 metres or more on the same lunar phase — among the largest swings on the East Asian coast — but the Strait of Korea side at Gyeongsang sees the smaller signal that the Tsushima Current modulates. The defining seasonal cultural feature is the Haeundae winter sand-sculpture festival from late January through February when the city builds large-scale sand sculptures along the beach corridor that draw winter tourism even when water temperature drops near freezing. The summer sea-bathing season runs from June through August with the Haeundae Sand Festival in early summer and the Busan International Film Festival drawing global crowds in early October. The Jagalchi Fish Market on the western side of Busan is the largest seafood market on the Korean peninsula and the morning auctions read the boat-return calendar from the Strait of Korea grounds. Songjeong surf works on typhoon-season swell from August through October. Tsushima ferry departures, the New Port container terminals, and the Beomeosa Buddhist temple in the inland mountains all read different parts of the working calendar. The Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA) publishes the authoritative tide tables.