( CNN ) -- Cold water and nude beaches do n't necessarily mix well . Add to the equation a very conservative society and the idea of a nude beach seems rather ambitious , if not impossible . In a surprisingly creative tourism push , officials in north east Gangwon Province are aiming to set up South Korea 's first nude beach , with the first clothes to be shed in 2017 . It 's an effort to boost tourism to the peninsula 's east coast beaches , which lose out every year to the west coast in luring summer visitors from the capital Seoul . Although the east coast has more beautiful , sandy beaches , the water tends to be colder , the season shorter and the distance from Seoul is greater than the beaches to the west . The massively popular annual mud festival is also held on the west coast . Skinny dip-friendly . `` This is part of our plans to create beaches with specific purpose , like a beach for families , a beach for couples , a beach for pets , and yes , a nude beach , '' said an official from the municipality 's Pan-East Sea Division at a seminar on Tuesday , according to the Korea Times . Calls by CNN to officials were not answered on Thursday . Somewhat surprisingly , this is not the first time the subject has been broached by government officials . And in the past it 's the public that 's shuttered the idea . Gangwon Province tried to launch a female-only nude beach in 2005 , while Gangneung City also deliberated , but ultimately scrapped , a nude beach idea due to public outcry . The same happened to a Jeju Island proposal in 2009 . Which beach ? Officials have not yet decided which beach may be the first to go nude . They are also deliberating over a trial operation for foreigners only . The premise is foreigners will be much more comfortable with the concept than locals . `` Koreans actually love nude beaches when they 're traveling abroad , but the problem with having one within Korea is the fact that Korean society is so interconnected , '' Seoul-based travel reporter Chun Kyoung-woo told CNN . `` They wo n't be able to comfortably go to a nude beach due to the thought that people they know will find out about it quite easily . '' That threat is reinforced given the country 's has second-highest smartphone penetration rate in the world ( 73 % , just behind United Arab Emirates ' 73.8 % ) and a staggering 82.7 % Internet penetration rate . Early reaction to the concept was skeptical . Twitter user @ amudoan : `` Doubtful that people will actually go . And even if they do , it 'll be 99.99 % guys . '' @ KR_Nanoha tweeted `` why do n't they just call it a men 's sauna ? '' ( Both comments translated here into English ) .
Gangwon Province eyes clothes-free options in attempt to attract tourists . Score: 6 Officials are mulling a possible foreigner-only trial run .