Jeju island English speaking tour guide

*Notice-This article is written by non-native English speaker.

Hi! today I wan to introduce a movie titled ‘Ji-Seul’ directed by O Muel.

‘Ji-Seul’ means ‘potato’ in Jeju dialect. People fill up the stomach with potato when there is only little food around. However, the story of this movie is about the Massacre April 3rd occurred in Jeju island from 1947 to 1950.

Many years have passed since one of the most tragic incident in Korean history swept across Jeju island. Simply known 4.3 Massacre.

In 1945, The world war 2 was finished won by US and allies.

Thanks to that, Korea became independent from brutal colonization of Japan.

However, as usual, all of the domestic problems started on that point. We became independent but not completely. Korea’s independence had splited into two countries, South and North.

Korea couldn’t afford to set up a proper independent government by ourselves due to lack of experiences and finance, so that South went to under the influence of U.S and North was controled by Soviet Union.

U.S represented ‘Lee Seung-man’ while Soviet Union made ‘Kim il-sung’ stand before people.

Then Korea was splited by two ideologies ‘capitalism and communism’

Lee Seung-man wanted to own his government without North Korea but he soon faced
huge resistance by people. People wanted an unified independent government not splited one.

It caused lots of commotions in everywhere in South Korea and the people who involved were put down by police and soldiers indiscriminately. And…….Jeju island was the center of the commotion

The police and Soldiers from main land infiltrated into Jeju island and to start brutal put down the uprising. The killing were committed under a policy of “driving out communists” and It also destroyed the bonds of trust between communities.

Jeju people were too innocent and ignorant to know about ideology, so called capitalism or communism. However, people were just killed by the name of rioters.

More than 30,000 innocent people were killed by the soldiers, who didn’t know the reason people have to be killed. In that time total population in Jeju island was about 120,000.

If you want more information, click here

By the way……. this movie is not a documentary on the massacre. It doesn’t show any political color. It Just shows the brutal massacre from the perspective of Jeju local people.

Before enter the cinema I thought this movie is just low budget well-made B movie but 10 min after movie started I was just being absorbed into the movie. The story is really compelling as well as beating sound, unforgettable scenes and music. Most of all the dialogue in Jeju dialect which is humorous in contrasted with the such tragic situation is superb.

I admire the director’s passion and effort to the movie. Not because it teaches us lesson such as ‘not forget the tragic from the past’ but because this movie shows what happened in that time in our neighbors perspectives.

If my comments still doesn’t appeal to you…… How about this?

The movie ‘Ji-Seul’ awarded a grandprix prize in the Sundance Movie festival.

*Notice- This article is written by non-native English speak.

The place you are seeing on the picture is ‘Suweolbong’. Actually Suweolbong is a kind of hidden beautiful place in Jeju island even though it is UNESCO designated Geo-Park. Many tourists miss this place. There are 9 UNESCO designated Geo-parks in jeju island included Suweolbong.( Sanbangsan Lava dome, Yongmeri coast, Jusangjeli columnar-Jointed lava, Seokwipo formation, Chenjuyeon waterfall, Sungsan ilchulbong, Manjanggul lava Tube, Mt Halla)

Today I want to introduce a hidden place named “Suwelbong” Tuff Ring. ‘Sewelbong Tuff Ring’ is locate in western side of Jeju island. Around 18,000 years ago in this place hot ascending magma explosively interacted with groundwater, then depositional structures and a tuff ring composed of volcanic ash had been accumulated to build up a magnificent cliff. As time went by the crater has been eroded step by step and only 10% has remained so far. Suweolbong is well -known as a text book of research of process of volcano in world wide. Volcanic ash spread around Suweolbong became rich soil for plants, which provided ground of life for humans in the Neolithic Period. By those reasons many relics of the Neolithic age have been found in this area. So it is very important place for geology and history on Jeju island.

When you come down to the side of the cliff, there are caves and water is flowing through holes. Each cave contains some water on the bottom. People in this area believe that this is holy water. Some times they come to this water to give a ritual to the god of sea. Even though giving a ritual to the god of sea is regarded a kind of shamanism I think it as a kind of beautiful Jeju custom.

Some parts of cliff have been eroded a lot and it makes some holy spiritual animal shape. What do you think this rock looks like? May be Dragon? Once you go down on the Suweolbong, there is a tracking course to Chakwi-do islets which were once part of ’Suweolbong’.

It takes around 20 minutes on food. One thing you can’t miss is that the contrast between the color of cliff and lava rocks on the shore. Lot’s of black pentagon or hexagon shaped lava rocks are found on the way. It will be a nice and cool walking especially on the sun set. When you walk down on the path you will see the excavations by Japanese military. It was probably used as arsrnal during world war 2. Jeju was last defending line of Japan in those times. There are more than 500 Japanese military excavations around jeju island.

It’s quite interesting to see spring waters coming out through the rocks. We call the water ‘Yong chen su’. 90% of jeju island is covered by lava rocks and soil, so when it rains it just penetrateds into the ground and after time goes by it comes out near shores. That’s why lots of villages are on shores in Jeju island.

There is a legend for the water: Once upon a time there a brother and a sister. The brother name was ‘Nokgo’ and the sister name was ‘Suweol’. They climbed the cliff looing for the medicinal herb ‘Ogalpi’ to cure her mother. By mistake, the sister ‘Suweol’ was falling down. When her brother heard her scream, he went up on the cliff but she alreday fell down and died. He started to cry, and cry. Since that this cliff has been called ‘Suweol-bong’ and this water got name of ‘the tears of Nokgo’.

*Notice – This article is written by non-native English speaker.

I went to the Olleh daily market in my town Seogwipo today.

The old name of the market was Seogwipo daily market but it has been changed to Olleh market now.

Well…. the name ‘Olleh’ is quite popular in Jeju island these days since the ‘Olleh Trekking’ courses has been developed.

Anyway we have two traditional markets in Seogwipo city.

One is ‘Olleh daily market’ and the other is ‘Five days traditional market’.

Let’s have a look around ‘Olleh daily market’

It is an entrance of the market with loudly neon signs.

They think this loudly neon signs attract tourists but it is not a traditional market any more for me which I went with my mom. However, it became modern and convenient and seems more people like it.

Even though people tend to shopping mall or convenient store to buy things these days, it is no wonder that local market is an important place to buy things.

Small sushi restaurants are quite famous in ‘Olleh daily market’.

They will cook sushi immediately before you and the food is very delicious with low price.

Do you know that? there are so many restaurant got success from here. The famous ‘Twin Sushi Restaurant’ started business from this market.

Do you want to start business? then start from a traditional market.

Do you know ‘So-ju’ ? ‘So-ju’ is Korean traditional rice distilled wine.

Locals get together at the corner of the market and drink ‘So-Ju’ with well sliced sushi in hot summer night. It is a kind of their joy they can get after hard work of the day.

The restaurant’s warm hospitality always put people in a relaxed mood and have time goes so fast as they enjoy night time with drinking alcohol with good food and they forget the hot weather.

It is a life of local people in hot summer night.

You can’t miss street food in a local market.

My mom always got the food in my hand when we went to a market together. Then I always smiled at her with satisfaction. Now my little boy always asked me to buy street food.

Well…. I do same as my mom did.

Fruits store…..

One of the most popular places in a market.

The sign in the store says ‘ Hallabong is cheap’. Hallabong is more like tangelo which is a bog tangerine.

I didn’t ask the price but I assume it is very expensive because summer is not a season for tangelo.

However, if you want to buy fruits I recommend the seasonal fruits such as watermelon or peach.

My town Seogwipo is very famous for tangerines and they are rich in vitamins

In Jeju island we grow most tangerines in Korea and export them to the main land.

The price is 5000 won for 1 small fruit basket. I think it’s reasonable price.

I hesitated to buy them and decided to buy until it comes right season.

The local market was out door but it becomes a indoor market now.

The ceiling is so artistic and it has even fountain in the middle of the walking path.

It looks like shopping mall rather than a traditional market in my eyes. Now you can hardly see people are crowed shouting and busking. However, becoming a indoor market is very useful when it rains.

This is Jeju traditioanl Gal-ot market.

In old time Jeju didn’t have much materials to dye cloth so that in summer time people dyed cloth with persimmon. Now it becomes Jeju traditional working clothes.

This clothes is good breathable and natural friendly and still people enjoy wearing them.

Abalone is one of the best Jeju indigenous product.

They are displayed according to diverse sizes. Abalones are caught by diver-woman traditionally but now they are grown in a sea farm. Natural ones are so expensive these days.

However, abalones are common side dish on the local dining table in Jeju island thanks to sea farm.

This corner is a small version of NamDaeMun market which is the largest clothing market in Seoul.

There are diverse and not expensive clothes you can pick up any time in here. They are very economical and fashionable.

I was very tempted to buy one of them…..

This is Kimchi market.

You can taste all kinds of Kimchi here. They even deliver their kimchi to all over the country.

I think the Kimchi in this store is famous in the entire country.

This is fish market.

Normally in Jeju island we dried fish like this to eat.

Well….. This Olleh market is not much different from other local markets.

I think most of traditional market in Korea become standardized domestically which is I don’t agree with.

I hope we have more unique market in Seogwipo…..

When I was young the market street was jammed with cheerful and happy crowds sounds. The sound of selling and busking was never discontinued.

I miss the sounds which brought me back to memories of happy years.

But it has gone now…….