환영하다, Welcome to Jeju, or Quelpaert island
Unspoilt nature, a few lovely cities and the largest mountain in Korea: you will find it all on Jeju Island.
This island was created by volcanic eruptions of the Hallasan volcano, which, at 1950 metres, is also the largest mountain in South Korea. But don’t worry, climbing it is easy. Even the older inhabitants on the island climb it regularly.
Jeju Island was inhabited even before the Western era began. More than 2,000 years later – since 2007 – the entire island has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Not surprising, when you see the beauty of the Hallasan National Park. The beaches on the island also compare favourably to the Insta-famous beaches of Boracay or Tulum. Hamdeok beach is a great place to unwind. And if you are looking for adventure, the lava caves are for you.
Cities
The capital of Jeju is the city of the same name Jeju(Korean: Jejusi(제주시, 濟州市)). This city is located on the northern part of the island and is the largest city, with 338,000 inhabitants. The second city, Seogwipo, covers the southern part of the island. Seogwipo was formed in 2006 by the merger of the original Seogwipo, Kujwa and Taejong.
Natural
Jeju is an volcanic island and was formed in its entirety by volcanic eruptions hundreds of millions of years ago. It consists largely of basalt and other igneous rocks. The highest mountain on the island is the extinct volcano Hallasan. At 1950 metres, it is the highest mountain on the island and in the whole of South Korea.
Society and culture
Due to the island’s relative isolation, Jeju’s culture and language has developed independently of that of the mainland. There are numerous local legends about the island and probably the most prominent is the so-called dol hareubang(Stone grandfather) who is carved out of blocks of lava.
Another aspect that distinguishes the culture on Jeju is the family structure where the woman is the head of the family. Matriarchy is particularly prevalent on the islands of Udo and Mara, but is also found in the rest of the province. The best example of this family structure can probably be attributed to the haenyeo(sea women), who were often the head of the family as they provided the income. These women dive all year round, without special equipment, looking for all kinds of shellfish.
In recent years, the number of active haenyeo has fallen sharply.
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History
Jeju has a long history and was inhabited before the beginning of the western era. Throughout the centuries it has been part of several empires and has been the subject of disputes between Korea and Japan.
Due to its isolated location, the island has experienced very different developments from mainland Korea. This is clear from the different customs and habits, the different religious customs and the island’s very different dialect which has retained many of the ancient forms of the Korean language.
Because of its isolation from the mainland, Jeju became a place where exiles and undesirables were sent. It was only at the end of the 19th/beginning 20th century that regular connections with the mainland established.
As a result of these circumstances, the inhabitants of this island and the surrounding islands were and still are highly discriminated against, and the history of the islands is barely covered in South Korean history books 21st century.
