Jeju

Jeju Island (제주도,濟州島 and formerly romanized as Cheju) is an island off the southern coast of South Korea in the Korea Strait. Korea's largest island and a popular vacation spot and honeymoon destination for Koreans and Chinese, it is crowded with tourists all-year round. The main town and capital is Jeju City.

Jeju Island

Cities

Jeju Island has two major settlements:

• 1 Jeju City – the largest and capital city of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Jeju-Si district, which covers the northern part of the island, and also where the international airport is. The city does not have many tourist attractions, although it has a few bars and restaurants.
• 2 Seogwipo – large town, capital of Seogwipo-Si district that covers the southern part of the island, and close to a wide range of the island's tourist sites. Home to a World Cup Stadium and the Jungmun Tourist Resort Complex.

Other destinations

• 1 Hallasan National Park – South Korea's highest mountain and popular hiking destination.
• 1 Marado Island – The southernmost point of South Korea.
• 2 Gapado Island (가파도) – Island between Jeju and Marado.
• 3 Udo Island – Small island off the east coast of Jeju that is popular with day-trippers.
• 4 Chujado Islands (추자도) – Remote islands half way between Jeju and the mainland.

Understand

Administratively, Jeju is divied into two regions, each of which is a city: Jeju City in the north, and Seogwipo in the south

Jeju is to the south of the Korean mainland

15 million people visit each year an island of 700,000 residents, and Seoul-Jeju is the most-used flight route in the world. The island offers visitors a wide range of activities including hiking on Halla-san (South Korea's highest peak), catching sunrises and sunsets over the ocean, horse riding, visiting the sets of Korean television dramas or just lying around on the sandy beaches. Geographically it lies southwest of Jeollanam-do Province of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. In 2006, it was granted self-government as South Korea's only Special Autonomous Province.

South Korean nationals were not allowed to travel internationally without government permission until the late 1980s and, therefore, Jeju island was heavily developed as a domestic vacation destination. It has also been traditional for Koreans to spend their honeymoon there (look out for couples wearing the same clothes). The island also happens to be South Korea's main location for unusual theme parks and niche commercial attractions with eccentric museums for sex, glass , and teddy bears.

The name Jeju means “a huge village across the sea”, reflecting its location from the Korean mainland among the southern Korean tip, notably Mokpo, Kyushu of Japan and southern China. Its original and beloved nickname is Tamna (탐라) meaning “island nation”, which supposedly lasted till its complete seizure in the 12th century. Consisting of 8 inhabited islands and 82 uninhabited islands (as of 2010), Jeju has a sub-tropical to temperate climate, inarguably the top tourist destination in South Korea, attracting more than 8 million tourists worldwide every year. (Korea Tourism Organization) Thanks to increasing low-cost airliners, more tourists can easily have accessibility around the coast.

Jeju dol hareubang aka the "grandfather statue".

History

Prehistoric relics from Tamna (in Hangul: 탐라국, in Hanja: 耽羅國), when Jeju was an independent entity, date from early as 38 BC. The island enjoyed sea-route trades with Baekje, Silla and far-northern Goguryeo of Three Kingdoms of Korea. When Baekje collapsed after the alliance of Tang-Silla, Tamna maintained independent trade routes, connecting Chinese Tang, Korean kingdoms and Japanese people and also diplomacy as a tributary state with Imperial China.

In the early 12th century of Sukjong of Goryeo (1105), Tamna lost its independent status, and was brought under mainland control under the name Jeju later. During invasion of Yuan Mongolia, Jeju functioned as the last outpost for anti-Yuan protests. However, Yuan thwarted further resistance, controlling the mountainous island with a view to breeding horses for its planned invasion to Japanese archipelago. (At this time, the huge forests area of Hallasan Mountain (300-800 m) became transformed into savanna.) From Joseon Dynasty, (1392-1910) Jeju was largely used as the place of exiles.

Depending on its strategic location, Japanese colonialists took advantage of Jeju island as a military base, recruiting Jeju people into forced labor and building underground tunnels in case America attacked. Some of the tunnels can be visited on the island (Sanbangsan, Geomeunoreum, etc.) Right after independence, in the Jeju Uprising of 1948–1949, communist rebels rose against the US-backed government and the separation of Korea as two countries. 14,000-30,000 people (10% of the population) were killed as government forces massacred entire villages, and rebels forced villagers to move to mountain caves to hide from the police. In 2006, the government apologized and now endorses Jeju as 'the island of peace'. Yearly commemorations take place on April 3 (the date of the start of the uprising) at the 4.3 peace park in Bonggae-dong, Jeju City.

Climate

Jeju
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       65     8 3       63     9 4       89     13 6       90     18 10       96     22 14       181     25 19       240     29 23       263     30 24       222     26 20       80     21 15       62     16 10       48     11 5 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Average high and low temperatures recorded in Jeju City from 1981-2010
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       2.6     46 37       2.5     48 39       3.5     55 43       3.5     64 50       3.8     72 57       7.1     77 66       9.4     84 73       10     86 75       8.7     79 68       3.1     70 59       2.4     61 50       1.9     52 41 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Jeju Island is on the border between the temperate and subtropical zones, with average daily highs ranging from 3°C in January to 30°C in August. The climate is milder than that of the Korean mainland owing to the surrounding warm currents, although the island experiences a good deal of wind throughout the year. Rainfall is heaviest between June and September.

Culture

The name Samdado (in Hangul:삼다도, 三多島) characterizes its uniqueness, which incorporates three principal features: women, rocks and wind. Actually, its foundation myth is featured in a goddess. The local traditional culture stands in stark contrast to the mainland (and much of Asia) as being matriarchal. Along the coast of Jeju you can still observe the "haenyeo" who are professional female divers gathering seafood throughout the year, and who have a well deserved reputation for strength and stamina.

Even more iconic, the "dol hareubang" or "grandfather statues" are part of Jeju's distinct shamanistic tradition being carved from the local basalt rock, often seen outside restaurants and anywhere else on the island. Different from most urban sceneries of South Korean cities, anyone easily finds out stone-piled brick walls. These walls made of rocks have been conserved throughout the coastline with its presumed length of 36,000 km. Since it is prone to tropical typhoons with massive wind powers, Jeju is famous for its wind, and it is one of the highest wind energy congested areas in South Korea.

People

The population (700,000 in 2022) has been increasing steadily and has doubled since 1970. There were 679,016 Koreans and 21,067 foreigners. Out of the island's two administrative areas, Jeju City has 507,945 people and Seogwipo City has 192,138 people. Koreans from the mainland have been moving to Jeju for a more pleasant lifestyle, its natural environment, and to work in the tourism industry.

Tourist information

• Visit Jeju Island website

Talk

Jeju Dialect The people of Jeju island spoke a (now sadly moribund) dialect of Korean that is different in both vocabulary and accent compared to the Korean spoken on the mainland, which is classified by some linguists as a separate language in the Korean language family, and was difficult for mainland Korean speakers to understand. These days, the Jeju dialect is primarily spoken by the elderly, and most younger locals cannot speak it, the exception being those who were raised by their grandparents.

Korean is the standard language on Jeju island, spoken with a distinctive accent. For example, the most common greeting in Korean is Annyeonghase-yo (안녕하세요), while the counterpart in Jeju dialect is Honjeo opseo-ye (혼저옵서예), with a clear difference. The local dialect of Korean is nearly incomprehensible to Koreans from other provinces, though all locals are able to speak standard Korean as well.

The island's long history as a domestic holiday destination means that the majority of service and tourist industry workers can still only speak Korean. More visitors are coming from China and Japan, and therefore tourist services are becoming more available in Japanese and Mandarin. English is not widely spoken, although as elsewhere in South Korea it is part of the education system.

Get in

Entry requirements

Jeju has implemented the Korean Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) requirement for travelers from visa-waiver nations. Eligible travelers must apply for a K-ETA within 72 hours of departure, even if flying directly to Jeju without stopping on the South Korea mainland. The electronic travel authorization costs ₩10,000 and is valid for two years. If you enter Jeju without requiring a K-ETA and subsequently leave for the mainland, you will need to have a valid visa for the rest of South Korea. If admission is approved, one may stay in Jeju for a maximum of 30 days.

By plane

A Jeju Air aircraft

1 Jeju International Airport (제주 국제공항). It is the main gateway to the island. The vast majority of flights to Jeju are from Gimpo (Seoul's domestic airport) and Busan's Gimhae International Airport. Most Korean domestic airports have scheduled flights to Jeju. The Jeju-Seoul route is the busiest air route in the world by passenger numbers. (updated May 2024) (CJU ^IATA)

You can fly the major airlines, Korean Air and Asiana to Jeju, and many budget options are available such as Eastar Jet, Air Busan and Jeju Air.

There are international flights from Japan including Tokyo Narita and Osaka Kansai. From China there are flights from Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Hong Kong, Shenyang and Dalian.

Upon leaving the terminal, you will see taxis as well as two bus stands. One is for the inner-city Jeju City bus services and one for the Airport Limousine service to Seogwipo. (more information about this service below)

Jeju airport has seen rapidly rising passenger numbers since the 2000s and is running over capacity, as of 2024. In 2023, plans were approved to build a second airport near Seogwipo. This US$5-billion project has faced delays and controversy due to inadequate environmental protection plans, and it does not have a scheduled completion date.

By boat

Ferry access from the mainland is also available, although the increasingly low price of flying means that fewer people are using this. Services are comparatively infrequent and slow but are reasonable value after factoring in accommodation savings made on overnight ferries. There are daily services from a number of ports:

• Nokdong New Port Coastal Ferry Terminal: this terminal in Goheung has ferries to Jeju Island as well as Jeollanam-do islands including Heuksando, Hongdo and Gageodo. Ferries leave every day at 9:00 for a journey time to Jeju of 3.5 hours. Ferries do not run on the first and third Sundays of each month.
• Wando: 3 hours
• The car ferry from Yeosu to Jeju. The journey takes 5 hours and runs daily except Mondays.

Note that ferries from Busan, Incheon and Mokpo no longer run as of 2024.

Jeju Air bus

Columnar basalts in Jungmun and Daepo Cliff at Jeju

Seongsan Ilchubong, aka "Sunrise Peak". Also pretty at sunset.

Get around

On foot

Nothing in downtown Jeju is more than approximately 2 km from anywhere else so whilst not convenient, walking is quite feasible, and sometimes even faster than the bus. This includes the areas of Yongdam, Tapdong, Jungangno and the inter-city bus terminal. If you want to go on a longer walk, you can try the Jeju Olle Trail course.

• Jeju Olle Trail course – There are 27 Jeju Olle Trail courses, which are 437 kilometers long. The Olle Trail completion course has 23 courses in Jeju Island, and if the Udo Island, Gapado, and Chujado courses are included, there will be a total of 27 courses. This is the Dulle-gil of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province managed by the Jeju Olle Corporation. For the purpose of "walking travel," it is really good for walking as it consists of various roads such as village roads, coastal roads, and forest trails.

By bus

With Jeju's excellent bus system, it is feasible to travel cheaply to practically anywhere on the island, but you will have to pay close attention to timetables outside of the main cities. Google Maps integrates up-to-date bus route information and timetables, as do the ubiquitous Naver and Kakao Map apps. Jeju Bus Information System's website offers information about the available lines in Jeju Island. You can use your T-money card just like anywhere else in Korea. Cash may not be accepted.

Bus maps are not available from tourism centers, but some basic information is outlined here:

Jeju bus stops	Bus numbers
Jeju International Airport	36, 37, 100, 200, 300, 500
Jeju Ferry Terminal	92
Inter-city Bus Terminal	26, 31, 63, 100, 200, 300, 502
Halla Arboretum	63, 300
National Jeju Museum	100
Culture and Art Center	300
Tapdong	92
Yongdam Junction	36, 37, 63, 300, 500
Fifth-day Folk Market	36, 37, 63
Jungangno	36, 37, 92, 100, 500
Dongmun Market	100, 300
Shin-jeju Junction	26, 31, 36, 37, 92, 100, 200, 300, 500, 502
Halla Hospital (Medical Center)	26, 31, 37, 92, 200, 300, 500, 502

There are four major bus networks on the island:

• A good network of inner-city (shi-nae) buses run around Jeju City for a flat fee.
• Similarly, a second network of inner-city buses run in Seogwipo, spanning out to some of the surrounding tourist locations on the southern end of the island, such as Jungmun Tourist Resort Complex.
• Furthermore, an extensive series of inter-city (shi-wei) buses run between the inter-city bus terminals of Jeju City and Seogwipo by one of a number of different routes. All buses servicing western Jeju pass by Halla Medical Center in Jeju City and most by Jungmun Tourist Resort Complex in Seogwipo making these alternate departure points. Prices for the bus vary by distance between ₩1000 for a short trip and ₩3,000 to go between the two end points. The ones cutting the center of the island (primarily feeding the start points of the Hallasan hiking trails) tend to cease operation around sundown, but the coastal routes run until late. As such it is easy to jump on and off, although the cost can mount up. Note that the English information on the island often erroneously translate shi-wei buses as "local bus" so don't be too concerned if you're directed to the "local bus terminal" when traversing the island end to end.
• There are 16 express and trunk bus routes on Jeju. Click here for a PDF map of these in English.
• The Airport Limousine (route #600) bus runs every 18-20 minutes between Seogwipo and the airport in Jeju City express, stopping only at a few stops, including Jungmun Tourist Resort Complex (and International Convention Center), World Cup Stadium and terminating at the Seogwipo KAL Hotel.

By taxi

Jeju provincial office has been operating Jeju global taxi brand with English, Chinese and Japanese services. Call 1899-4314+1 (English). While the taxi rates are reasonable, the island is large enough that the fares can add up. The initial meter charge is ₩2,800. Hiring a taxi for the day will cost at least ₩170,000 as of mid-2024. Your hotel can organise this for you. The driver will likely not speak English, so you should have the hotel write down the itinerary ahead of time. It is typically expected that you will also pay for your driver's lunch at a local restaurant, but this cost is small. Tipping is not expected.

The Jeju provincial government runs a taxi booking service for tourists wanting day tours with English, Chinese, or Japanese-speaking drivers. As of mid-2024, the cost for a day tour is ₩220,000-250,000. If the trip takes over 8 hours, an additional ₩30,000 per hour will be charged. The taxi booking service can be contacted on Whatsapp on +82 1024633399.

Rainbow Taxi also offers day tours for ₩250,000 per day, all-inclusive as of mid-2024. Their Whatsapp is +82 1098786991.

By car

You can hire a car from the airport with either local or international car hire firms. This is a good option to see the island's many sights if you don't want to be on an organized tour and want to see as much as possible. An International Driving Permit is needed. Insurance is offered as an optional extra with the local companies, but they may mandate it for foreigners. Many cars can come with an English-speaking GPS unit.

Outside Jeju city traffic can be quiet. You will notice that local drivers do not use their indicators and tend to go over the posted speed limit. In the evening the lights change to a flashing amber, which basically means 'use your own judgment'.

By motorcycle

Despite the frequent high winds and rain, many people enjoy getting around the island by motorcycle. There are a number of places that offer this, including Mr Lee's bike shop, although the legalities of a foreigner driving a motorcycle on Jeju are unclear. In theory, an international driving license for a car should be enough to rent a motorcycle with a very small size engine. Note that, if you are not licensed to ride a motorcycle, your travel insurance will not cover you if you are involved in an accident. In Seogwipo, there is a motorbike rental shop on the same road as the Little France Hotel (exit the hotel and turn right).

By bicycle

Since Jeju is equipped with 182-km-long coastal roads, it is quite popular among Korean university students to rent a bike. Cycling in Jeju is more doable than in the rest of Korea, although it is weather-dependent. There is less traffic, wider roads and it really is possible to travel the island entirely by bicycle. Some locals prefer bicycles to cars especially in areas outside of the Jeju-city metropolitan area. Bike rental is available.

See

Famous attractions

• Lava tubes and other volcanic sights. Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the "nature" category. Mount Halla (Hallasan) dominating the island is a dormant volcano and there are underground caves with lava tubes to explore on Geomeunoreum. Seongsan Ilchulbong is a tuff cone crater in Seogwipo. All three are very popular attractions and accessible. 
• Jeju Old Government Offices. A comparably nice set of Joseon-era historical buildings in central downtown Jeju City. What's unusual is the existence of a nicely landscaped square pond in the complex, and its tumultuous history of getting built in lieu of a well, destroyed due to an irrational hatred of noisy frogs and then rebuilt.

  

  Jeju Manjanggul Cave

Natural landscapes

• 1 Manjanggul Cave (만장굴). (Closed until August 2025.) Manjanggul Cave, a famous place in Jeju, is a UNESCO-listed world natural heritage site that many people from all over the world visit as well as Koreans. There are numerous lava caves all over the world, but it is said that it is difficult to find a place like Manjanggul Cave that has well-preserved shape and topography even though it is hundreds of thousands of years old. The interior, which looks like an underground palace, has a magnificent and profound atmosphere, especially stone turtles like elaborate sculptures, which are popular with tourists because they look like Jeju Island. As such, the inside of the cave is accompanied by lava stalactites on the ceiling and lava wings on the wall, creating the mystery of the underground world. The 7.6-meter-high lava stone pillar at the end of the open section is the largest in the world. The closed section is not visible to tourists, but it is known that bats, landfills, crayfish worms, farm-footed spiders, and little oyster spiders live there. Manjanggul Cave is protected as a natural monument along with nearby Gimnyeong Cave. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the theme of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Cave along with Geomun Oreum, Bengdaigul Cave, Manjang Cave, Gimnyeong Cave, Yongcheon Cave, and Dangsan Ilchulbong Peak.  

  

  Jeju Suwolbong Peak

  

  Jeju Stone Culure Park

• 2 Suwolbong Peak (수월봉). A view peak in the western part of Jeju, 77 m above sea level, and the scenery from the top cools the chest. In particular, the coastal cliff of Suwolbong Peak, which seems to be carved, extends up to 2 km to the east. This coastal cliff is called "Ungal," and spring water rises throughout the cliff, and it is widely known as a mineral spring called "melting water." Under Suwolbong Peak, there is a geological trail along the coastline. The majestic appearance of volcanic deposits piled up along the coastal cliff is beyond reach. At the top of Suwolbong Peak, there is Suwoljeong Pavilion, a hexagonal pavilion where a rain ritual was held, and an alpine weather table stands tall next to Suwoljeong Pavilion. It is a weather station in the westernmost part of Korea's southwest coast, where almost all weather observations are made. On the fifth floor, there is an observatory that is open to the public. The sunset falling to Chagwido Island while sitting on Suwoljeong Pavilion is one of the most beautiful sunset in Jeju Island. 

Landmarks

• 3 Kimnyeong Miro Park (김녕 미로공원). It is Korea's first maze park built in1987 The mazes symbolise the history and geography of Jeju Island, surrounded by green Ralandi trees and Jeju pine trees. About 50 cats live here too, and are part of the attraction. (updated Sep 2024)
• 4 Jeju Stone Culture Park (제주 돌문화공원). A museum and ecological park that shows the whole body and systematic stone culture of Jeju Island, the hometown of stones. It is so large that all the stone statues of Jeju Island are displayed, and the entire park is built under the theme of Seolmundae Halmang and 500 General, the birth myth of Jeju Island, so it is a perfect place to feel the quiet atmosphere of Jeju mountains. Jeju Island has developed and distributed "smart education applications" for free so that visitors to Jeju Stone Culture Park can enjoy it more. 

Do

A Jeju Olle Trail

Hiking

Olle trails Jeju Olle Ganse Marker "Olle" is the Jeju-dialect word for the pathway connecting a house to the road, and is used as somewhat of an invitation to explore the island. Continually undergoing extension, the Olle hiking trails are a set of 27 trails that roughly follow the coast in a clockwise fashion (plus a handful of "bonus" trails on outlying islets). The first trail starts at Malmi Oreum in the northeast (near the famed Seongsan Ilchulbong) and the final terminates in Jocheon, a village just east of Jeju city. Trail length is mostly in the 4- to 6-hour range so one can be comfortably covered in a day, perhaps two for experienced hikers. Some trails, such as Olle-7, require hikers to traverse the island's extremely rocky coastline. It is beautiful, but be prepared with good shoes or boots. Olle-10 in particular is very popular and runs around a pretty peninsula in the south-west of the island. The trails are well marked: blue arrows point in the forward direction and orange point the reverse (anticlockwise). Blue ganse symbols (like a little wireframe pony) face the forward direction in other places. Extensive tourism information, directions and maps of the Olle trails (including details of any which are temporarily off-limits) in all the usual-suspect languages can be found at the airport or tourism information centers such as the one at Jungmun.

There are many hiking trails in the Hallasan National Park.

• 1 Iho Tewoo Beach (이호테우 해변). is close to Jeju Airport, and it is enough distance to ride a bicycle. There are white and red pony lighthouses, the slope of the beach is gentle, and there is a pine forest nearby, so it is a good place to enjoy the scenery and take a walk. 
• 2 Songaksan Mountain (송악산). It is a good path to walk while looking at the scenery as the mountains and the sea are harmonized. You can see "Brothers Island, Gapado Island, and Marado Island" the closest, and it is a great place to walk along the promenade while enjoying rape flowers in spring and reeds in autumn. The slope of the road is gentle, and there is also an artificial cave, which can lead to interesting steps.  

Climbing

• 3 Seongsan Ilchulbong (성산 일출봉). It is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Jeju Island and is a good place to climb. It also gives a similar feeling to Hallasan Baeknokdam. It lies at the end of Seongsan Peninsula, which protrudes to the east of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak is a water-based volcano created by magma erupting from the water, unlike other oreum on Jeju Island. As the hot magma emitted during volcanic activity met with cold seawater, volcanic ash contained a lot of moisture and became sticky, and Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak was piled up in layers.  

Temple stay

Yaekcheonsa temple.

In Jeju, there are mainly three temples operating temple stay program for foreigners. Buddhism culture has also unique features in Jeju, mainly owing to its geographical isolation and mixture with other strands of religious and shamanistic characteristics. Temple stay program normally involves meditation, Korean tea ceremony and lantern designs. Visit here.

Festivals

Throughout the regions, there are variety of festivals:

• 4 Seogwipo Winter Sea International Penguin Swimming Competition (서귀포 겨울바다 국제 펭귄 수영대회). January 1, 2023. Every January, half-naked swimmers dive into local beaches. The upcoming 23rd Seogwipo Winter Sea International Penguin Swimming Competition will be held at Jungmun Saekdal Beach. 
• 5 Jeongwol Daeboreum Festival (정월대보름 들불 축제). March 9~12, 2023. It is originated from fire, the source of the formation of volcanic island Jeju. The festival began in 1997, and it originated from the wisdom of ancestors who set fire to cattle and horses' grazing areas to remove pests such as mites and made fertile land with burnt ash. Next year's festival is expected to be meaningful as it will be held four years after COVID-19. 
• 6 Jeju Canola Festival (제주 유채꽃 축제). In the middle of April every year. When spring comes, yellow rape flowers bloom all over Jeju Island. The rape flower festival, designed to praise the beauty of rape flowers, combines the three colors of Jeju's blue sea, stone walls next to the road, and yellow rape flowers to deliver love to lovers and dreams to families. 
• 7 Bangeo Festival (최남단 방어 축제). November 26~December 25, 2022. It is a local specialty festival with the theme of defense held in Moseulpo Port, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do. Raw fish is provided free of charge, and you can participate in the fishing event according to the schedule. 

Sports

Watch the local football team (Jeju United FC) at the Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo.

Buy

Comfort food from Jeju for those times when you're feeling... orange.

Cards are useful, however there may still be many places that are cash only. In Seogwipo, there's a BK Star bank, East of Jeunghang Rotary which accepts foreign cards. Most Family Mart convenience stores which have an ATM inside work with foreign cards too.

• One Jeju specialty is brown colored clothing. These have been dyed via juice from the persimmon fruit, which is the traditional way of dying clothing.
• The iconic stone statues, usually in pairs, are called grandfather statues and are for protection. Many places sell small stone replicas of them made of Jeju basalt (volcanic stone). If aircraft weight restrictions are a concern, check the back of the statue for vugs (cavities) as it's entirely possible to find the odd one as light as a feather.
• Citrus fruit (hallabong and mandarines). The specialty citrus of Jeju is the hallabong (dekopon in Japanese) something akin to an over-sized tangerine which has a very distinctive bump bulge on its top. Its fame comes from its sweet taste and peelability. Do not be at all surprised if, when arriving back on the mainland, you find your bag in the baggage claim tucked between many crates of hallabong. Mandarin oranges are also a major Jeju product.
• Jeju hallabong chocolate. These come in varieties. The first is a plain flat chocolate with a layer of hallabong flavor sandwiched in the middle. The second however is shaped like a little grandfather statue and is primarily the "flavor" component of the first with a tiny slither of chocolate on the back. The latter tend to be a little less flavorsome (ironically) but are cute enough to make nice gifts. If hallabongs aren't your thing, fear not, for they also come in orange, kiwi, green tea and purple cactus fruit (somewhat a mixed berry flavor) varieties. There are crunch chocolates too, less unique but very tasty.
• Jeju kamgyul (citrus) wine. Similar to Japanese sake but with a fresh citrus finish. At only ₩5,000 for an entire 750-mL bottle though, honestly, you can't complain even if it isn't quite your thing.
• Green tea. Although perhaps not as famed as Boseong, the entire Western end tip of the island is littered with tea plantations.
• Ganse dolls. A souvenir of the Olle hiking coastal trails, they are cute little (15 cm) plush ponies on mobile phone straps handmade out of used clothing (and thus individually unique) by the women of Jeju. Profits go to developing and maintaining the island's hiking trails and they're available from tourist information centers and many budget accommodation. ₩15,000.
• Shop at Jeju Folk Arts Complex. This place is practically a big gift shop of beautiful traditional art. Prices of items at the Jeju Folk Arts Complex are cheaper than those you find elsewhere.

Souvenir shops, craft stores and fruit stands exist almost everywhere on the island, but if you are looking for more mundane daily goods, your best bet is to head into Jeju City or Seogwipoi which have the usual array of Korean conveniences including some Lottes and an unusually high proportion of E-marts (both of which also contain large souvenir shops).

Eat

Regional products

The people of Jeju have evolved various lifestyles, depending on whether they live in fishing villages, farm villages, or mountain villages so specialties vary within the region. 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 surprisingly low. Instead, beans, barley, millet, buckwheat, and dry-field (upland) rice are the major items.

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 soup, and pork and chicken are used to make pyeonyuk (sliced boiled meat). The number of dishes set on a table is small and few seasonings 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 large amounts of Kimchi for the winter as in mainland Korea. It is quite warm during the winter and Chinese cabbages are left in the field.

Restaurants are scattered across the entire island, usually near highway intersections, but the majority naturally lie around the coast and particularly in the urban centers of Jeju City and Jungmun/Seogwipo.

Well-known Jeju food includes:

• Jeju black pork (흑돼지) among Korean domestic tourists, this is the most well-known dish from Jeju. Due to the high demand, restaurants charge a premium for this dish.
• Umu pudding (우무 푸딩) is a pudding made by boiling agar for a long time. Agar, rich in dietary fiber and low in calories, has a somewhat watery texture, less dense than regular pudding, so you can drink it.
• Silver hairtail (은갈치) is a fish well known as a Jeju product which Korean domestic tourists all want to eat. Accordingly, prices are high.
• Jeju citrus (제주 감귤) refers to all citrus fruits, a specialty of Jeju Island. It can be largely divided into Jeju Island traditional citrus fruits and Jeju Island cultivated citrus fruits.
• Jeju Hallabong (한라봉) has been cultivated in Jeju Island in earnest since the 1990s, and it has established itself as a representative specialty of Jeju Island, and in 2015, "Jeju Hallabong" was registered in the geographical labeling system. It is so sweet and refreshing that it is called a honeyed orange. The texture of the pulp is a little hard like an orange, but it is juicier than a tangerine, best eaten cold on a hot day.

Some other dishes worth trying:

• Jaradom Mulhoe (자라돔 물회) is Jeju-style cold fish soup. Traditionally, it has been a summer specialty in Jeju.
• Seongge guk (성게국) is mustard soup which is served in the ancestral ceremony or to welcome guests.
• Bangeo Hoe (방어회) is a raw fish dish of yellowtail fish. Every November, the Bangeo Festival is held.

• 
  Insam ramyun (인삼라면). Korean dish of ramyun with ginseng and a variety of coastal ingredients such as clams, shrimp, squid and abalone.
• 
  Jeju black pig stir-fried spicy pork (제주흑돼지 제육볶음)
• 
  Grilled Cutlassfish (제주갈치구이). Cutlassfish is one of the best-known coastal ingredients which were sent to the royal palace during Joseon dynasty.
• 
  Gogi guksu. Jeju-style pork noodle in deep essence. The dish has been served in village gatherings and local festivals.

For non-Korean dining, the best option is Gecko's near Seogwipo (see details in the drinking section). In Jeju city there are some options. There is a Mexican restaurant near City Hall/Sinsan Park named El Paso that apparently serves up mediocre but passable Mexican fare. In Shin-jeju there is also an Indian restaurant named Rajmahal that serves up quality spicy Indian dishes. There is also another place with Pakistani/Indian cuisine called Baghdad Cafe around the City Hall/Sinsan Park area.

Drink

Hallasan soju (한라산 소주). This is a soju brand from Jeju which is famed for its unique flavor.

The local specialty soju is Hallasan Soju and runs from ₩1,000 to ₩3,000 a bottle.

Except for Gecko's in the South, there aren't any other genuine Western pubs on the island, but there are some good options. In Jeju City, all the real partying establishments are in Shin-Jeju, about a ₩5,000 taxi ride from Jeju city proper. Some of the establishments in this area rumored to be worthwhile are La Vie, Boris Brewery, Modern Time, Blue Agave, and GP.

There is also Led Zeppelin, a vinyl bar which as the name suggests is focused on album-oriented rock, and has a massive selection of records, CDs, tapes, and DVDs. Song requests are the main pastime and the sound-system rules. Off the main drag in Shin-jeju next to the Indian restaurant.

You'll see various types of Hallabong ades, which are drinks made from hallabong juice.

Sleep

If you are not looking for luxury, minbak (guesthouses) abound on Jeju, and due to its reputation as a honeymoon getaway, there is a wide variety of other accommodation. Outside of the peak tourist seasons (such as Korean national holidays and July–August summer holiday season), and as long as all you're looking for is a clean affordable room, don't be afraid to come to Jeju and find accommodation as you travel. In Jeju City, Seogwipo and the smaller towns there is an abundance of rooms in small guesthouses with character.

There are several motels next to the bus terminal in Jeju City at around ₩30,000 a night. They are fairly obvious to find as all three are in a row with lit signs and the ubiquitous motel logo of South Korea and are called You-cheong, Oh-cheon, and Nam-san.

For larger hotels, the majority are in the urban centers of Jeju City and Seogwipo with the most luxurious 5-star options on the entire island within Seogwipo's Jungmun Tourist Resort Complex. Refer to the individual city pages for listings.

For budget travellers, jjimjillbangs are pretty ubiquitous in Jeju City but outside of the capital city's limits, the only other jjimjillbang options exist under the World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo.

Hotel

There are thirteen five-star hotels on Jeju.

Examples include Grand Hyatt Jeju, Maison Glad Jeju, Ramada Plaza Jeju, Haevichi Hotel & Resort Jeju, Marriott Hall Jeju Shinhwa World Hotel & Resort, Howard Johnson Jeju Hotel, Sweet Hotel Jeju, Jeju Sun Hotel & Casino (postponement of reopening), Lotte Hotel Jeju, Jeju Shilla Hotel, Grand Chosun Jeju, CS Hotel & Resort, and Lotte Jeju Resort Art Villas.

Work

See the main South Korean article for more information

Jobs are available as English teachers throughout the year in private institutes (hagwons). However, whilst public school jobs exist via the official EPIK programme, the reality on Jeju is that no more than a couple of positions open per year, as it is by far the most requested and lowest turnover region in the entire country, above both Seoul and Busan.

Stay safe

Warning sign in the Bijarim nutmeg forest

While South Korea in general is remarkably safe, Jeju has the lowest crime rate in the country. Violent crime is almost non-existent, although just like in all tourist hubs, there are a number of pickpockets, so you should still remain vigilant.

Other parts around the south coast, even near Jungmun are rockfall regions. The signs are often not in English, so if you're near a cliff or cave and see a Korean warning sign, it is probably warning of rockfalls from the cliffs above.

Snakes live on Jeju, so be aware of this when out on a hike.

Go next

• South Korea – flights to most major cities. Within South Korea there are also ferries to and from Jeju. Ferries to Wando leave daily at 7:20 and 19:30 for a 3-hour journey. The ferry to Nokdong leaves daily at 16:30. The ferry to Yeosu leaves every afternoon.
• Japan – flights to Fukuoka (the nearest), Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya
• China – flights to Shanghai (the nearest), Beijing, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Yangzhou, Kunming, Nanjing, Harbin, Ningbo, Xi'an, Changsha, and Changchun

There are also flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Hanoi.