These days, there are a lot of people visiting Korea. Although it is still impossible to completely escape the corona, after self-isolation or Covid tests are lifted, they can freely visit their home country. For the first time in a long time, I am going to “ Ulleungdo ”, a beautiful island in Korea that I really wanted to visit for a different adventure.
After unpacking in Seoul, I moved to Gangneung Terminal the next day. Travel always starts with excitement like children, so it’s nice to be able to taste a little happiness in an unfamiliar place. The road to Gangneung was incredibly crowded with tourists even though it was in a recession, and the delicious smell and texture of the special dishes whetted my appetite.
To get to Ulleungdo, you need to take a boat using the four terminals of Gangneung, Mukho, Pohang, and Hupo. Ships are often canceled depending on the weather, causing inconvenience to most guests. We tied up the day with an early morning ferry time and boarded the ship at 6:00 AM the next day. On the way, I saw the glory of seeing the beautiful sunrise, and the red fireball split the sea and began to rise slowly, dyeing the whole sky crimson, and the beauty of the purple East Sea was indescribable.
Ulleungdo is the main island of Ulleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and is the 9th largest island in Korea. It is a volcanic island with an area of about 72.86 km2 and was formed by a volcanic eruption about 5,000 years ago. During the Silla Dynasty, it was called Usanguk, and through the Joseon Dynasty, it was frequently invaded by foreign powers. After the landing, it was not until the 21st year of King Gojong that pioneering began by order of the king, and on December 29, 1914, the waters around Ulleungdo were designated as a marine protection zone.
How long has it been since you left for the sea? I brought medicine in case I would get motion sickness, but thanks to the calm waves, I ran across the sea without any reaction and arrived at Dodong Port in Ulleungdo in about 3 hours. There are 3 ports of arrival/departure in Ulleungdo, Dodong Port, Jeodong Port, and Sadong Port, depending on the ship. I realize that it is a jewel of the East Sea that holds the beauty of heaven. Numerous seaweeds and rocks in the blue sea and the famous squid are scattered around, but in fact, fishermen say that the Chinese boat’s sweeping of squid has a lot of complaints from the residents of Ulleungdo and the impact on the fishery.
You can use the promenade from Dodong to Haengnam Coastal Road, but the sea breeze blows fiercely and there are many roads going up and down cliffs and stairs, so it took 2-3 hours to return. I was able to see women picking seaweed with the scent of the sea, and the magnificent view of the crashing waves was heartbreakingly beautiful.
Today’s lunch is squid intestine soup, one of Ulleungdo’s special dishes. can i eat I doubted it, but when I tasted it with a spoon, it was very delicious. It was a very refreshing and special taste that can only be eaten on Ulleungdo by adding squid, intestines, seafood and bean sprouts to the broth with thinly sliced radish. Did they say Mt. Geumgang is also an after-dinner view? In the afternoon, I decided to go around Ulleungdo Island along the A-course bus.
As we follow the coastal road, which is called the best coastal trail in Korea, the scenery of strangely shaped rocks and coastal cliffs is truly unexplored. The Three Great Views of Ulleungdo Gongam (Elephant Rock) was named because the shape of the columnar joint is like an elephant dipping its nose into the sea. There is a legend that a fairy descended from the sky and admired the beauty of Samseonam Hermitage, so she lost time and was turned into a stone by the anger of the Jade Emperor. Gwaneum Twin Caves is an evening with a superb view of the azure sea. The sunset is the most beautiful, but you have to go by boat, but you can go on foot by connecting the Gwaneum Bridge to the mainland.
The Nari Basin surrounded by Seonginbong Peak is the only flatland village in Ulleungdo. It is a flat land where the caldera crater in the north of Seonginbong erupted and extended and caved in two, creating the Nari Basin and the Albong Basin. The Nari Basin is said to have been able to supply moisture to the farmland as the cold air and the warm sea met and dissolved.
It is estimated that people lived on Ulleungdo in the Bronze Age. In the past, when it was difficult to farm because the mountains were steep, snow piled up in winter, and most of them were steep slopes, strong and large wild vegetables were dried well to feed cattle. You can see the cycle of the ecosystem that gives
In the Nari Basin, two old traditional houses are preserved. Neowajip and Tumakjip are traditional houses built to suit the nature of Ulleungdo where it snows a lot. It is a place where you can see the life and agricultural aspects of the pioneers who struggled against the harsh climate. In addition, Ulleungdo’s special wild vegetables, such as island lily, japonica, samnamul, dume leek, and bujigaengi, are wild vegetables that can only be eaten on Ulleungdo. For a while, at the recommendation of the driver, I got to taste three vegetables, seed makgeolli, and squid pancakes, which are must-eats in Nari Basin. Seasoned herbs of three special herbs are chewy and have a sweet and sour texture and scent that fills your mouth, and just looking at them makes your saliva water. Crispy pan-fried pancakes with plenty of fresh squid and mountain vegetables were also a treat, and sea makgeolli made directly from the Nari Basin and samhap served together with the evening sunset were enough for everyone to be happy.
The next morning, we canceled Dokdo due to bad weather, and before the rain and wind blew in, we boarded a marine cruise ship and toured the entire island of Ulleungdo, visiting beautiful nooks and crannies of the sea and strangely shaped rocks that could not be reached on foot. We decided to go around the famous Chotdaebawi Rock from a distance and take the B course in the opposite direction, seeing the superb view of cliffs and mountain ranges that we could only see on land at a glance. Bongnye Waterfall, which forms a three-tiered waterfall by climbing a narrow mountain path from the village, is an important source of drinking water for the entire village of Ulleungdo as 3,000 tons of agglomerates and tuff erupted during the volcanic eruption, and 3,000 tons of tuff flow down the first-tier trachyte rock every day. It is used as a water source.
In the spring of Ulleungdo, the “Island Thyme Flower” is said to have a scent that travels 100 miles, in summer, the cool water stream of Bongnye Falls, in autumn, Ulleung chrysanthemum fills the fields, and in winter, Seonginbong Peak covered with white snow and snow and ice on the mountainside are all unique. . If I had time, I would like to climb Seonginbong Peak and see the hot springs of Ulleungdo, but it was not possible in a short time. For the seabed dinner, we chose barnacle kalguksu and mussel rice, which are different foods, and had a mukbang, a special treat that can only be eaten on Ulleungdo. Let’s enjoy the food while resting on Ulleungdo, which is rich in seafood, and the Milky Way on Ulleungdo on the last night looked exceptionally close to joy.
Today is the day we leave behind the enchanting unexplored scenery of Ulleungdo and head out to the mainland, during our half-day free time, we took a walk in a nearby village from Dodong Port. We used a cruise ship for return and the convenience of the cruise, which has been operating since October 2022 because there is no time due to the amount of cancellations due to weather changes, is that it departs on time regardless of weather changes.
Ulleungdo .., a small island far and near, but never visited… It was rewarding to have come this far after many years of hard work. It was a short three-day, two-night trip to Ulleungdo, but I decided to put it off until the next trip, writing down the islands that left me with a lot of regrets, the places I couldn’t walk, eat, or see.
Before traveling to Ulleungdo, you must study and make reservations in advance. No matter how good you are at driving, it is difficult to go around the hills along the mountain roads, and if you make a mistake with the insufficient hotels, cabins, and accommodations, you may become the Little Mermaid and Prince Eric at the Jusangjeolli Cliff. And even if the fare is more expensive, if you choose to go for a cruise, you can enjoy a pleasant and happy trip to Ulleungdo a hundred times without a hitch.
On a warm spring day, does the scent of thyme from the island of Ulleungdo rise all the way to the United States?
Why?…Because I love you…
I love “Ulleungdo”, an island village in Gangsan, my country