Walking Jeju's hidden trails

Resort Island opens trekking course with geological theme

By Baek Byung-yeul

JEJU ― Surrounded by natural beauty and various spectacles, Korea’s southern island of Jeju, created from volcanic activities millions years ago, has always been a popular tourist destination.

The islanders have endeavored to develop new tourist routes to lure more visitors. More than 10 million visited last year. One of its most successful tour programs is the “Olleh Trail,” the 420-kilometer-long trekking pathway that brought over a million tourists last year alone. Inspired by Spain’s famous Pilgrim’s Trail, the opening of the trail in 2007 also triggered a nationwide walking boom.

To repeat the huge success of Olleh Trail, the Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO) recently opened a new geologic exploration-themed trail course, called “Gimnyeong-Woljeong Geo Trail” at the northern area of the island last month.

Trekkers walk along the Gimnyeong-Weoljeong trail in northern Jeju Island on Oct. 25. / Courtesy of Jeju Tourism Organization

The 15 kilometer-long trail guides visitors to experience at Jeju’s Gimnyeong and Woljeong village, where traditional local culture remains.

This is the third “geo trail” course that the JTO showcased after the island was included in a list of UNESCO Global Geoparks in 2010, following Mt. Sanbang-Yongmeori Coast course and Suwol Peak course.

The villages were chosen due to their unique agricultural, fishing and folk cultures inspired by the surrounding environment, according to the JTO.

Compared to previous two courses that concentrate on natural landscape, “Gimnyeong-Woljeong” course focuses more on showing how the islanders manage their lives at a lace that had once been covered with molten lava.

Walking through the four-hour-long “Gimnyeong-Woljeong” course, trekkers can enjoy the hidden geological heritages including Cheonggulmul Cave, the Hwanhaejangseong Fortress, Seongsegi Beach and “batdam” meaning stone wall in Jeju dialect.

Tourists take a walk on the silver grass field near the Woljeong beach. / Courtesy of Jeju Tourism Organization

The “Gimnyeong-Woljeong” course can be broadly divided into two courses ― Deureubille-gil, a 9-kilometer-long course that leads tourists through two villages and Badangbille-gil, a 5-kilometer-long coastal walkway.

Beginning at the Ginmyeong village’s Eoulim Center, a community center for local villagers, visitors walking through the Deureubille-gil will encounter incredible scenery in which residents manage their lives on the soil above the series of caves such as Geutsaemgul Cave created from an explosive interaction of magma.

In the middle of Deureubille-gil, trekkers will see local residents selling sea foods such as “umi” (Jeju dialect for agar, a natural jelly agent) or anchovy dishes.

“The cave is a nice rest area for residents who drop by,” said a guide of the trail course.

Near the Cheonggulmul Cave, visitors can also experience fishing using a fishing rod made of bamboo tree.

Starting from Jinbille-gil area, located in the middle of Deureubille-gil course, visitors can see local residents plant sweet potato, carrot, green onion and more.

A tourist-friendly signpost

Coastal pathway

After completing the Deureubille-gil, trekkers will be led to the beautiful emerald-colored Woljeong Beach. The beach, also dubbed as “Hanmosal,” meaning large and vast sand Jeju dialect, used to be a sequestered place in the past, but it is now packed with dozens of open-air cafes with the tourism boom in Jeju.

Passing through the beach, trekkers will see an altar called “Haeshindang,” where local residents had called upon “haeshin” or god of ocean for protecting their villagers. After praying, residents finished their rituals by offering sea foods into the sea.

The “Gimnyeong-Woljeong” trail course provides direction signs and blue and red-colored ribbon at each point. For more information, call the Gimnyeong Eoulim Center at (064) 783-5040 or the Woljeong village office at (064) 783-5798 or visit www.jejugeopark.com.