Jeju Island is one of South Korea’s nine provinces. Officially known as the Jeju Special Autonomous Province, Jeju Island offers a temperate climate that rarely drops below freezing. Visitors enjoy Jeju Island it for its unique environment, eccentric gardens, and relatively low cost.
5 Fun Facts About Jeju Island, South Korea
1. Jeju’s traditional history lies solely on a legend. The legend tells of the first progenitors of the Jeju people who founded the Kingdom of Tamna. According to legend, three demi-gods emerged from Samseong-Hycol (the northern slopes of Mt. Halla) in which they had found a box which contained a lion watching over another box in the shape of an egg. The lion from Beoknang told them that the king’s daughters had no one to marry though they were of age and heard that the three demi-gods were about to be legendary founders of the Tamna State. The three demi-gods married the three daughters of the king and from that point on had established their homes and families from that time onward.
2. Jeju Island is a volcanic island. A key landmark is Halla Mountain, commonly known as Halla-son. At 6,400 ft high, Halla-son is the tallest mountain in South Korea.
3. Because of the isolated nature of the island the people of Jeju have developed a culture and language that is fairly distinct from Korea’s mainland.
4. Going against the traditions of the Confucian patriarchal structure, the Jeju society has a small population with a matriarchal family structure, and is especially found among the haenyeo (“sea women”), who were often the heads of families, because of the controlled the income on men’s labor. These women would free-dive to harvest abalones, conchs and other marine products. In the 1960’s 21% of women on the island were free divers, providing 60% of the island’s fisheries revenue.
5. You may see a Bangsatap, which is a round tower made of many stones. There are many and you can mainly see them in the country. They are traditionally made to protect oneself from bad luck in their village.
Enjoy the tours, enjoy the hotels, and enjoy the atmosphere. Jeju Island will definitely be one of the best experiences of your life.
Have you visited Jeju Island? What was your favorite place to see? What do you recommend?
This post is written by Megan Bryde, a forever student of the world while also finishing up her bachelors in English at Truman State University this semester.
Involved in too many activities, she sings as loud as she can, writes, cooks, bakes, and drinks a lot of coffee. Check out her blog and LinkedIn page to see more about what she does.
Megan is currently completing an internship with VentureTime Travel and aspires to be teaching English someday.
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