A local couple in Sokcho turned their love for coffee into a family-friendly hostel. Here's what makes White Station Hostel stand out.
Property type: Hostel
Address: 17-1 Mirinegil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
Room types: 2-bed, 3-bed, 4-bed, 6-bed
Amenities: Humidifiers, rooftop terrace, shared kitchen, lounge, café, parking, complimentary breakfast and café discounts
Nearby attractions: Sokcho Beach, Oeongchi Beach, Jodo Island, Daepo Port, Sokcho Lighthouse Observatory
Q. Hello! Tell us about your property and yourselves.
Husband) Hi, we're Choi Young and Park Young-mi, the couple running White Station Hostel in Sokcho. We opened in October 2017 with 10 private rooms — 2-, 3-, 4-, and 6-bed configurations. A lot of people ask if the 6-bed rooms are dorms, but every room here is fully private with its own bathroom.
We did consider dorms at first, but not everyone's comfortable with shared sleeping quarters. Making the 6-bed rooms private means families or groups can book them out, which works out great.
The hostel has lounge spaces on the 2nd and 3rd floors, plus a rooftop terrace. The first floor is Black Station, our café — guests who want to hang out with us usually come down here.
Lately, we're seeing more young professionals in their late 20s through 40s coming to unwind without feeling self-conscious around others.
Q. You left your previous careers to start a hospitality business. What made you take the leap?
Husband) It was pretty serendipitous. I've always loved coffee — spent about 10 years studying it at home with a roasting machine while working my corporate job. Originally, I wanted to open a café.
But over the past few years, Korea's coffee market got dominated by big chains. In Sokcho especially, customers gravitate toward beachside spots and care more about ambiance than the brew itself. Then the expressway connecting Sokcho to Seoul opened, foot traffic jumped 1.5x, and we thought: now or never.
Wife) A café alone wouldn't generate enough income, so we brainstormed other revenue streams. I stumbled onto a guesthouse startup community online, and that's how we got into hospitality.
We're both Sokcho natives, born and raised. Most of the new lodgings and cafés here are run by outsiders. We felt like no one knew this place better than we did — and we were confident we could connect with guests in a way others couldn't. Initially, we thought the café would be our main business, but a year in, the hostel became the star and the café turned into an extension of the lounge. (laughs)
Q. A family-friendly hostel is a unique concept. What sets White Station apart?
Wife) You can see it on our signage: we emphasize "Family-Friendly Hostel & Guesthouse." We have two kids ourselves, and finding a place for a family of four was always a headache. Hotels are usually priced for two people, condos and pension houses get pricey, and resorts are often far from town with fewer things to do nearby.
We wanted to solve those pain points, so we spent about 4–5 years planning and built the place from scratch. The building has a staggered ㄷ-shaped hallway design — rooms don't face each other directly across the corridor. We ended up with fewer rooms than initially planned, but guests appreciate the privacy and openness.
From the rooftop, you can see Seoraksan, Ulsanbawi Rock, and Cheongcho Lake — the sunset view is especially stunning.
Husband) Since Sokcho's a tourist town, we picked a downtown location. The beach is 10 minutes away, so in summer, guests swim and come back sandy. To keep the rooms clean, we installed a foot bath station on the first floor. Changing the water daily is a chore, but guests love it — and it keeps the rooms spotless.
There's a motel district nearby, but motels don't really suit families, you know? We're competitively priced with those places, but offer a cleaner, more comfortable experience.
Q. Tell us about the names — "White Station" (the hostel) and "Black Station" (the café).
Wife) We agonized over the name. There are so many lodgings in Korea, and every name we liked was already taken. (laughs)
We wanted something unique to us. One day, my second kid was playing on his PlayStation, and it hit me: we could use "station" as our theme.
We'd be running both a café and a hostel, so we thought: café = black (coffee), hostel = white (clean vibes). "Black Station" for the café, "White Station" for the hostel. We checked online — no overlaps! That made the decision easy. It also meant we could paint the entire building white without overthinking it. There's a White Beach Station in Boracay, Philippines, but hopefully people won't confuse us! (laughs)
Q. Sokcho locals know best. What makes Sokcho special?
Wife) Sokcho has it all: ocean, mountains, lakes, even hot springs. It's a truly unique place, both domestically and internationally. That natural diversity is our biggest draw. People come here to unplug and recharge in nature. If we can add more things to see and do, we think visitors will keep coming back.
Husband) We do promote Sokcho, but guests also ask us for tips — 80% of the questions are about food. Especially seafood. Since we're a fishing port, the catch is fresher and cheaper than anywhere else. Sokcho was also a refugee resettlement area after the Korean War, so there's a strong Hamgyong-do influence — Abai Village has famous Hamheung naengmyeon (cold noodles), Abai sundae (blood sausage), and of course, makguksu (buckwheat noodles).
One more thing: Jeju Island, Korea's top tourist destination, charges admission everywhere. In Sokcho, except for Seoraksan National Park, most attractions are free — the coastal cliff trail, the lighthouse observatory, you name it. Sokcho rules!
Q. What's been your toughest moment running the hostel, and how do you handle problems?
Wife) The hardest moment was an overbooking incident during peak season, shortly after we opened.
Two guests had the exact same name, and we double-booked them. It was mortifying — we almost had to give up our own home for the night. Since then, we triple-check every reservation.
If a guest looks even slightly unhappy, we worry and try to fix it immediately.
Husband) As soon as we start making money, we reinvest it to improve the experience. For example, we swap out bedding seasonally to match the weather.
We also have underfloor heating and system air conditioning, but everyone's comfort zone is different. Winter is especially tricky — heated air gets dry and stuffy, so we put a humidifier in every room. I noticed this myself when staying at hotels, so we wanted to get it right. When guests are happy, we're happy.
Q. A lot of reviews mention how kind you both are. What's your service philosophy?
Wife) We wouldn't say we're exceptionally kind compared to other places, but guests keep telling us we are, which we're grateful for. (laughs)
Seeing people leave refreshed and happy reminds us that kindness is everything. We try to answer questions thoroughly and always greet guests with a smile. We offer a simple breakfast — cereal, toast, etc. — but instead of limiting it to a fixed time, we set it out the night before so guests can help themselves anytime from evening until checkout. No FOMO.
Since we're a family-friendly hostel, a lot of guests bring kids. The colorful drinks in the café always catch their eyes. So we started offering kid-friendly beverages and giving unlimited 10% off on café orders — as many drinks as they want.
We didn't price our rooms sky-high. The place isn't fancy, and we know there's plenty of room for improvement. But guests seem to notice our effort, and that means the world to us.
Q. How do you want people to remember White Station Hostel?
Wife) Guests fill out our guestbook so earnestly. I hope when they come back someday, they can flip through and relive those memories. Comfort and leisure are great, but you know that feeling when you think, "That place was nice — wonder if it's still there?" I want us to stay right where we are, a place people remember fondly over time.
Husband) Of course, we'd love repeat guests who think, "Sokcho = White Station, no question." But people also like trying new places.
Even if you don't stay with us, I hope you'll drop by for a coffee when you're in the neighborhood. Just pop in, say hi — that'd be great.
Some guests visit us every month. Others come back multiple times. We remember them, and we comp their café drinks. Come try my home-roasted coffee! (laughs)
Q. What made you choose ONDA, and what's your experience been like?
Husband) Early on, we knew we needed a booking management system. I was browsing a guesthouse startup community and came across ONDA. I signed up right away.
People recommended other platforms after we started using ONDA, and we tried them out — but there was no reason to switch. ONDA already had all the features we needed, and I could see the platform was constantly improving with updates.
Wife) The big thing for us is the ONDA mobile app. We can manage the system on the go. When a booking comes in, we can instantly block or open rooms from the app — that's the feature we use most.
We also send guests a text on check-in day with property info and parking maps. ONDA's automated messaging makes that super easy.
Q. Any hidden gems or restaurant recommendations near the hostel?
Husband) White Station is close to the Sokcho bus terminal and right in the city center, so most attractions are walkable. Sokcho Beach, Jungang Market, and Daepo Port are all within 10 minutes. Abai Village is about 15–20 minutes on foot. From there, you can take the cable ferry to Dongmyeong Port — totally doable without a car. Recently, a TV show featured foreigners riding the Seoraksan cable car, and we've seen a big uptick in mountain visitors since.
And of course, Sokcho means sashimi. Dongmyeong Port Fish Center gets fish from local fishermen who go out on small boats every day. The catch gets auctioned right in front of the center, then distributed to restaurants, so it's as fresh as it gets. You can dine overlooking the ocean, but we recommend takeout — it's cheaper and you can enjoy it at the hostel. Abai Fish Center is even closer and also serves fresh seafood.