VISIT JEJU

This is a village that for over 100 years has had a strong citrus scent. Seohong-dong Village, which features a warm sea breeze, clear water and plenty of warm sunshine, is the birthplace of Jeju's first satsuma mandarin. As it is one of the oldest villages on the island, you can get a sense of its long history as you pass through it. If you take the Deulleongmoru Forest Path, which is made up of bamboo and is rare on Jeju, Seogwipo City comes into view from the top, as does the blue sea. This is one of the “Eight Sceneries of Seohong”.

These eight sceneries include the ecological and geologically important Hanon Crater, the Heukdamsol pine trees planted in 1910 to ward off misfortune, and the aforementioned first satsuma mandarin trees of Jeju. If you visit Seohong-dong Village as spring blooms, please be sure to explore as many of these eight wonders as you can.

As life returns refreshed and renewed for spring, why not head out into the calm, quiet serenity of Jeju’s historical sites? Seotal Oreum, for example, is a place that marks the painful history of the Jeju April 3rd Incident, an internecine conflict that began some 70 years ago. From its summit, you can contemplate this history while marvelling at the beauty of the southwest: Songaksan and Sanbangsan Mountain, and Gapado and Marado Island, among other sights.

At the end of winter, yellow canola blossoms can melt your frozen heart. There are many reasons why spring is so pleasant, but a main one is that these new flowers offer the first hints of winter’s withering.
 
Jeju’s yellow canola blossoms, which bloom with Sanbangsan Mountain in the background, are popular with photographers at this time of year. Seaside cliffs and canola fields overlook the white lighthouse at Seopjikoji — an unforgettable memory. Located in the vicinity of Seongsan Sunrise Peak, you can find endless fields of canola flowers. And with many cafes at your convenience, you can even admire and photograph them with a hot cup of coffee and a comfortable chair at the ready.

Life is a mystery in that the beginning and end are bound together. This is reminiscent of how Gangjeongcheon Stream and the ocean meet. Since Jeju Island is volcanic, the porous rock tends to let rainwater sink into the water table rather than flow along the surface to the sea. So rivers and streams here are rare, certainly ones that flow all year round like Gangjeongcheon does. Visitors to this stream can enjoy the rocky cliffs, cypress trees, clear cold water and scent of spring as they walk along the trail at its bank. Keep an eye out for the small waterfalls and closer to the coast, catch sight of Beomseom Island offshore. If you chose to wade in as you walk downstream, please take care as the water-worn rocks can be rather slippery.

Jeju is said to be home to 18,000 gods. The remoteness of the island, its harsh conditions, the typhoons and heavy rains that people have endured for centuries meant that they had to rely on themselves — and have faith in the protection of all-powerful gods and their ancestors. The Tamnaguk Ipchungut is a festival that heralds the coming of spring as well as hopes for prosperity and well-being for all islanders. The “gut” is a customary ritual that is performed by shamans to ensure a good harvest for farmers and catches for fishermen and haenyeo diving women. It is held after the Shingugan “moving season” in January, when it’s thought that the island’s 18,000 gods return to heaven for a time and thus are undisturbed by the day-to-day activities of humans.

This year it will be held from Feb. 2 to Feb. 4. On Feb. 3rd (Saturday) the ritual will be performed at the old Jeju provincial government office of Jeju Mokgwana in Gu Jeju, Gwandeokjeong Pavilion, and around City Hall.

The fresh appearance of camellia blossoms in early spring is reminiscent of a blushing young girl turning her head away shyly. Two places on the island where you can find such scenes are Ttarabi Oreum and Seonheul Dongbaekdongsan, where the camellias thrive. As winter turns to spring, these spots are perfect for witnessing this quiet, but dramatic, transition as it takes place.

There are some very nice, genuine people to meet at the 5-day markets on Jeju Island. Every five days they offer up fresh produce, meats, fish and more. In February, locals come to stock up on ingredients for their family’s Seollal New Year’s celebrations. If you’re a visitor, though, you can still experience the warmth of a visit to a traditional market. Chances are you’ll feel right at home. The Seogwipo 5-day Market opens on days ending in 4 or 9, while the one in Jeju City opens on days ending in 2 or 7.

You may discover that once you get to Jeju Island, all you encounter is the warm weather of spring — even though it’s February. In that case, you can still enjoy a warm winter activity in the form of outdoor ice skating at the newly opened Shinhwa Theme Park. You can live your childhood dream of being a figure skating star, or just enjoy the rink’s colorful illumination at night with a loved one. Jeju’s only outdoor ice rink, which is open daily from noon to 8 p.m., will be in operation through March 2nd.

There is a special entrance package to mark the opening of the outdoor rink. The “Winter Festive Package” offers free admission to the ice rink and Oscar’s New World Theme Park rides if you purchase tickets to Shinhwa Theme Park at the regular price. Ice rink admission tickets include the use of skates, a helmet, gloves and 45 minutes of ice time.

If you have kids in tow and don’t want to risk them catching a cold from too much time in the chilly weather, then here are a couple of perfect indoor spots. You can enjoy some virtual reality experiences at Let’s VR Play Box, including taking a VR aerial tour through the spectacular Jeju scenery of Seongsan Sunrise Peak, Sanbangsan Mountain and the Yongmeori Coast.

And another place just south of Jeju City where you can let your imagination run free is Brick Campus, a new Lego-themed destination with some 250 works by 40 brick artists on display. Try to make your own creation out of the 800,000 bricks in the “brick mosaic canvas”. Spend the day coming up with creative ideas that you can then realise in Lego bricks… you’ll leave the campus having graduated as a newly-minted “brick artist”!

If you’re looking to warm up with a pleasant cup of a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage in the February chill, then try some Jeju-style Goso-ri sul (liquor). It’s made from millet rice cake and aged for over a year. Let's enjoy a leisurely Jeju evening, have dinner with friends and significant others, and toast Jeju with a local, famous liquor.
※ Excessive drinking can be harmful to your health, so please drink responsibly.