Jeju (제주) , formerly Cheju, is an island off the southern coast of South Korea.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is the premier tourist destination in Korea. Scenic beaches, waterfalls, cliffs and caves lie in harmony, and the mild weather makes Jeju island an even more ideal tourist destination. Mt. Hallasan in Jeju island has flora and fauna of both temperate and tropical varieties, coexisting on the mountain. The Jungmun Tourist Complex is a comprehensive tourist resort and provides top-quality accommodations and tourist facilities.
Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. Its capital is the city of Jeju.
Cities
Talk
As the tourist trade in Jeju has grown larger in recent years, it is increasingly common to find some taxi drivers who speak English, Japanese and even Chinese, especially in Jeju City itself. However, you shouldn't rely on this as a means of getting around, and it would be wise to learn some basic Korean phrases for travel purposes.
People who speak Korean fairly well should be forwarned that natives of Jeju island speak a dialect of Korean that is almost unintelligible from the standard dialect spoken in the Seoul area. While most Jeju natives can understand standard Korean, many cannot speak it. This means that if you ask for something in Korean, they will understand you but you may find it incredibly difficult to understand the reply.
All staff in the tourist industry are required to speak standard Korean, so this will not be a problem in places such as bus terminals, the airport, and most districts in the city itself.
Get in
By plane
Jeju international airport has a total of 17 direct airlines (12 local, 6 international), which links major cities employing 130 aircraft. In a week they fly 6 times to Tokyo, 4 times to Osaka, 2 times to Beijing, and 3 times to Hong Kong. 94% of travelers use those air lines to visit Jeju.
They take off and land 143,000 times in a year including Boeing 747's using the 3km runway and jeju Airport can handle 7.64 million passengers, a year.
Based on mid & long term airport expansion plans, 375.5 Mil. USD will be invested to expand the air port till 2020. During the first phase of the project up to 2010, they are going to expand the capacity of the taking off and landing to 177,000 times and enlarge major facilities so that they could handle 18.64 million passengers, a year
By boat
Ferry services from the mainland are also available, but they are comparatively infrequent and slow. There are daily services from Busan (11 hours, from W32,000 in 3rd class), Mokpo (5.5 hours, from W19,950) and Incheon. (12 hours)
Jeju port has 6 direct sailing routes employing 12 ships weighting 600~5,600 tons. They operate ships 6 times a week between major local ports including Busan and Incheon with a capacity of carrying 2,401,000 passengers a year. 6% of total travelers are coming in and out of Jeju by sea.
They are going to expand the anchoring capacity from the current 17 ships weighting over 1,000 tons up to a maximum of 20,000 tons to 20 ships weighting over 1,000 tons and up to amaximum of 80,000 tons by the year of 2011.
Get around
Unlike the rest of Korea, there are no trains on Jeju island. Buses and Taxis are the main method of public transportation, although some locals prefer bicycles to cars, especially in areas outside of the Jeju-shi metropolitan area.
See
Jeju Fire Festival (Jeongwol Daeboreum)
This is Jeju's biggest tourist attraction.
The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival originates from the traditional harvesting of the grasses found in the local domestic farm animal pastures, which were annually set in fire each winter by the villagers as a way to exterminate harmful insects. This festival reveals Jeju Island 's unique traditions, while allowing for modern commercial sighting.
The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival has been held annually since 1997. With the 2007 11th annual Festival, the event promises to spread its wings to become the best representation festival of the international free city of Jeju.
The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival can best be symbolized by imagining spouting lava as it shoots over the crest of a volcano. Such characteristics associated with a volcano can be found in the 2007 festival, bringing together such traditional folk resources as fire, horses, the moon, and mountain peaks. Citizens of Laizhou City, in China, and the city of Santa Rosa, in the United States, will also hold special performances, further promoting the sister-city ties which they have with the Jejusi. A photography interchange exhibition will also be co-hosted by the Korean Photographer's Association, Jeju Branch, and the Chinese Photographer's Association, further boosting the mood of the festival.
During the period of the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival, every effort will be made to promote the Jejusi's image, through its tourism resources and native produce and products. The citizens of Jeju thus hope to spread their wish of an island of peace.
Do
Eat
The people of Jeju have evolved various lifestyles, depending on whether they live in fishing villages, farm villages, or mountain villages. Life in the farm villages was centered on farming, as it did around fishing or diving fishery in fishing villages, and did around dry-field farming or mushroom/mountain-green gathering in the mountain areas. As for agriculture, the production of rice is little. Instead, beans, barley, millets, buckwheat, and dry-field(upland) rice are the major items.
The most well known fruit is the mandarin orange. It has been grown here as early as the era of the Three Kingdoms. Mandarin orange, were offered as presents to kings along with abalone as special products of Jeju.
Foods from Jeju mainly made with saltwater fish, vegetables, and seaweed, and are usually seasoned with soybean paste. Salt water fish is used to make soups and gruels, and pork and chicken are used to make pyeonyuk (sliced boiled meat). The number of dishes set on a table is small. And few seasoings are used. And usually, small numbers of ingredients are required to make dishes native to Jeju.
The key to making Jeju-style foods is to keep the ingredient's natural flavor. The taste of the food is generally a bit salty, probably because foods are easily spoiled due to the warm temperature. In Jeju, there is no need to prepare Kimchi for the winter. It is quite warm during the winter and Chinese cabbages are left in the field. When they do prepare Kimchi for the winter, they tend to make few kinds and small amounts.
Sleep
Do check out the log home rental located near a shore line at www.jejuloghome.com
Stay safe
While South Korea in general is a remarkably safe country, the crime rate on Jeju is even lower. In fact, Jeju has the lowest crime rate in the whole country. Violent crime is almost non-existent, although just like in all tourist hubs, there are a number of pickpockets.
Jeju-do (transliterated Korean for Jeju Province, short form of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province) is the only special self-governing province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. Its capital is the city of Jeju.
In 2007, the island was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nomenclature
In Korean, do is the phonetic trancription of two distinct hanja (Chinese characters) meaning "island" (島) and "province" (道). However, Jejudo can refer to the island. Jeju-do can refer to the government administrative unit. The table below also includes the name of Jeju City, the provincial capital.
Historical names
Historically, the island has been called by many different names including:
When Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, Jeju became known as Saishū, which is the Japanese reading of the hanja for Jeju. During this time and previously, the island was usually known as Quelpart to Europeans.
The name "Quelpart" apparently came from a corruption of the Korean word for "mandarin orange field," "gyulbat." When European explorers pointed to the fruit groves, asking for the name of the island, the natives mistakenly gave the name of the crop field rather than the name of the island.
Before 2000, when the Seoul government changed the official Romanization of Hangul, Jeju-do was spelled Cheju-do. Almost all written references to the island prior to that use that spelling.
Geography
Jeju Island is a volcanic island, dominated by Halla-san: a volcano 1,950 metres high and the highest mountain in South Korea.
The island was created entirely from volcanic eruptions approximately 2 million years ago, during the time period from the Tertiary to the beginning of the Quaternary period, and consists chiefly of basalt and lava. It has a subtropical climate, warmer than the rest of Korea, with four distinct seasons. Half of the summer is rainy, and the winter is fairly dry.
History
According to the founding myth of Samseonghyeol, Jeju was uninhabited until three divine men emerged from the ground at Moheunghyeol, now located on the northern foot of Hallasan.
Jeju was an independent country called Tamna until it became a protectorate of Silla in AD 662. In 938, after the fall of Silla, Tamna became a protectorate of Goryeo. In 1105, Tamna lost its autonomy and became a province of Goryeo. King Uijong of Goryeo changed the island's name from Tamna to Jeju.
In 1271, Jeju became the base of the Sambyeolcho Rebellion against the Mongols. After Sambyeolcho was defeated in 1273, the Mongols placed Jeju under direct rule, and it became Goryeo territory again in 1367.
Jeju was colonized by Japan in 1910 along with the rest of Korea. After the defeat of the Japanese in World War II, Jeju became an official part of the new Republic of Korea. Jeju was then a part of South Jeolla until 1946, when it became a province of its own.
In a series of events from 1948–1954, known as the Jeju massacre, tens of thousands of people were killed. The cause of the killings is still disputed.
Historically, the people of Jeju have been the victim of discrimination owing to its location and isolation. The history of Jeju has been largely omitted from South Korean history books and textbooks.
As an attempt to attract attention to the island, the city of Seogwipo, located in the south part of the island, was made host city for the FIFA World Cup of Football
On 1 July 2006, Jeju was made into the first and (as of 2007) only special self-governing province of South Korea.
Society and culture
Because of the relative isolation of the island, the people of Jeju have developed a culture that is distinct from that of mainland Korea. Jeju is home to thousands of local legends. Perhaps the most distinct cultural artifact is the ubiquitous dol hareubang ("stone grandfather") carved from a block of lava.
Another distinct aspect of Jeju is the matriarchal family structures, found especially in Udo and Mara, but also present in the rest of the province. The best-known example of this is found among the haenyeo ("sea women"), who are often the heads of families. They earn their living from free diving, often all year round in quite cold water, without scuba gear in order to harvest abalones, conchs, and a myriad of other marine products.
Jeju also played host to the World Marching Show Band Championship.
Economy
The projected size of the 2006 budget will be US$1.11 billion (1.11 trillion won), an increase of 10% over the year before of $1.005 billion (1.005 trillion won). The total size of the economy in 2006 is projected to be $8.48 billion, or 8.48 trillion won, with a GDP per capita of approximately $15,000. Jeju is also a home for key functions of Daum Communications Corp. - a leading Korean internet site, and sole owner of Lycos of America.
Tourism
Tourism takes a big part in Jeju's economy. Jeju's temperate climate, natural scenery, and beaches make it a popular tourist destination for both South Koreans and many visitors from Japan, China, northern and southern Asia. Especially, Cheonjaeyeon and Cheonjiyeon waterfalls, Mountain Halla, Hyeobje cave, Hyeongje island are popular places for tourists. Also, tourists enjoy lots of leisure sports in Jeju island including golf, horse riding, hunting, fishing, mountain climbing, etc. Depending on seasons, tourists can enjoy many festivals : penguin swimming contest in winter, cherry blossom festival in spring, midsummer night beach festival in summer, horse festival in autumn and many more. Usually, tourists enter and exit Jeju through Jeju international airport and rents a car in the island. Lastly, tourists can buy numerous products in the island. Tourists can buy not only Jeju's special products including tile fish and mandarin oranges, but also souvenirs or duty-free products.
Power supply in Jeju
The demand for electric power on Jeju is significantly greater than the supply. Power from mainland plants makes up the difference. The island's power-grid is connected to the mainland by the HVDC Haenam-Cheju. However, the majority of the island's electric power needs are met by generators located on the island. As of 2001, there were four power plants on Jeju, with more under planning and construction. The most notable of these are the gas-fired generators of Jeju Thermal Power Plant, located in Jeju City. The present-day generators of this plant were constructed from 1982 onwards, replacing earlier structures that dated from 1968. As elsewhere in Korea, the power supply is overseen by the Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO.
Administrative divisions
Until 2005, Jeju Province was divided into two cities (si), Jeju and Seogwipo, and two counties (gun), Bukjeju (North Jeju) and Namjeju (South Jeju) respectively. The two cities were further divided into thirty-one neighbourhoods (dong), while the two counties were divided into seven towns (eup) and five districts (myeon). The seven towns and five districts were in turn divided into 551 villages (ri).
In 2005, Jeju residents approved, by referendum, a proposal to merge Bukjeju County into Jeju City, and Namjeju County into Seogwipo City. Effective 1 July 2006, the province was also renamed Jeju Special Self-Governing Province with two nominal subdivisions, Jeju and Seogwipo city. In addition to changes in name, the province has been given extensive administrative power that has been reserved for the central government. This is part of plans to create the Jeju Free International City.
Cities
Symbols
Sister provinces
Jeju's international sister provinces are also islands: Hainan Province (People's Republic of China), Hawaii (U.S.), Sakhalin (Russia), and Bali (Indonesia).
External links
