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From Wikijeju
Jeju Island, situated off the south coast of the peninsular serves up a Korean microcosm on its small volcanic shores. From city lights to rural retreats and tourist mecca, Korea’s ‘Hawaii’ it is. Hawaii it isn’t. Yet Jeju can offer a better, healthier, quality of life than that of the mainland. The two main population centers on the island, Jeju City and Seogwipo, are two very different places. While Jeju City feels very much like any other mainland city, Seogwipo, on the south side, is that little bit different. With a surrounding countryside and a closer proximity to Jungmun resort you’ll definitely feel more of the semi tropical climate there.
Contents |
Understand
This section of the page is where you give deeper background information about the island: its history, culture, its people or peoples, relationships to other places, etc. Some information about present-day situations on the island that are relevant to travelers are broken out in separate sections below, so don't duplicate that information here. Also, try not to go too deeply into information about the separate cities or regions on the island, except perhaps in how they relate to each other; leave that for the region or city articles.'
Suggested subheadings include:
History
The island's history in a nutshell.
People
The island's major population groups and their distribution. Also include any cultural notes of major interest.
Climate
Jejuis categorized as a volcanic island in subtropical zone but does not have the climate of a tropical island nor that of a semi-tropical island. It displays a temperate oceanic climate due the Kuroshio Current and the Tshushima current have a direct effect on the island.
The annual average temperature reaches 11.7mm, with Seogwipo boasting the highest and the peak of mount the Halla the lowest. The annual average temperature of Jeju is relatively low, compared with those of other places at the same latitude of the earth. This is due to the cold winter seasons, which is influenced by the continental climate. The summers also do not become too hot due to the cool oceanic currents. The annual temperatures of Jeju City and Seogwipo City for the last 30 years are reported to be 15.2mm and 15.9mm respectively.
Winters in Jeju are rather short and warm, compared with those of the mainland.
Jeju is also windy.
The reason that winter has the most windy days lies in the fact that barometric pressure in winter, a gap between air pressure of land and that of sea, is much greater than that in the summer. A report, tracing typhoons of the North Pacific for 43 years (1940~1982), indicates that a total of 110 typhoons had passed Jeju, which would mark Jeju as the area with the most typhoons in Korea. Thus, it is safe to say that the winter on Jeju is the season of rainstorms whereas the summer is the season of typhoons.
September and October are traditionally considered the best months to visit the island.
Holidays
Major holidays, both those of interest to tourists (colorful festivals) and those best avoided (when everybody goes home, transport is packed and the country shuts down). Provide exact dates if possible.
Regions
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.
Cities
Other destinations
- Hallasan National Park - incredible mountainous park, great hiking.
- Jungmun Resort - Extravagant hotels, best beach on the island.
Get in
Arrival overview for getting on the island. Give visa or other legal information, as well as warnings about border crossings. This may also be a good place to note contact information for embassies and consulates on the island in other nearby or English-speaking places.
Below are some sections for common ways to get to the island. Try and include as many options as you can think of -- land, air, sea. Try to order the sections from the most common and convenient to the rarest and most inconvenient. If for some reason there's a common way to approach the country not listed below -- by llama, by snowmobile, by bush helicopter -- just add another section. And leave out sections that don't apply.
By plane
Jeju International Airport (제주국제공항) (IATA: CJU) [1] is the only airport on the island. It has flights from every major and many regional cities on the Korean mainland as well as serving a handful of international arrivals, including Taiwan, China and Japan.
List of domestic carriers, as of November 2008.
~ has an English option ~ flies all over Korea as well as internationally
- has an English option - flies all over Korea as well as internationally
~site is only available in Korean ~flies to/from Seoul, Busan, and Cheong-Ju
~ site is only available in Korean ~ only flies to/from Seoul ~ the low-cost subsidiary of Korean Air
~ site is only available in Korean ~ flies to/from Seoul and Busan ~ the low-cost subsidiary of Asiana Airlines
~ site is only available in Korean ~ flies to/from Seoul, Busan, Daegu
By boat
Call 1544-1114 to double check times. Also, call at least three hours in advance to be sure the ferry is still running on schedule.
| Destination | Leaving Jeju arriving at destination | Leaving port and arriving Jeju | Days | Fares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan | 19:00 ~ 6:00 | 19:00 ~ 6:00 | Mon ~ Sat | 26,500 ~ 57,000 |
| Mokpo | 8:00 ~ 12:50 | 14:30 ~ 19:20 | Mon ~ Sat | 26,500 ~ 56,500 |
| 17:30 ~ 21:50 | 9:00 ~ 13:20 | Mon ~ Sat | 26,500 ~ 58,500 | |
| 16:30 ~ 20:50 | 9:00 ~ 13:20 | Sunday | 26,500 ~ 58,500 | |
| Mokpo | 9:30 ~ 12:40 | 14:00 ~ 17:10 | Everyday | - |
| /Chuja | 9:30 ~ 10:25 | 16:15 ~ 17:10 | Everyday | - |
| /Jindo | 9:30 ~ 11:45 | 14:55 ~ 17:10 | Everyday | - |
| Wando | 8:20 ~ 11:10 | 15:30 ~ 18:20 | - | 24,000 ~ 40, 350 |
| 17:00 ~ 20:10 | 10:40 ~ 13:50 | - | 24,000 | |
| Wando | 13:40 ~ 18:40 | 7:30 ~ 12:30 | Everyday | 24,000 ~ 33,300 |
| /Chuja | 13:40 ~ 15:40 | 10:30 ~ 12:30 | Everyday | 8,000 ~ 13,100 |
| Incheon | 19:00 ~ 8:30 | 19:00 ~ 8:30 | - | 65,000 ~ 88,000 |
| Nokdong | 17:10 ~ 21:10 | 9:10 ~ 13:10 | Mon ~ Sat | 24,500 ~ 57,800 |
This schedule is from the Jeju Passenger Ferry Port as of November 2008.
There are no international services.
There is currently no information available for entry of small boat cruisers to Jeju.
By car
Jeju is not connected to mainland Korea by bridge or tunnel. However, ferry services from Incheon, Busan and Mokpo all have options available for bringing a vehicle [2].
Get around
This is a spot to give general information about how to get around the island once you are there. An overview of domestic travel possibilities: bus travel, long-distance taxis, ferries, etc. Try to keep the information general, with specifics on distances and schedules between cities on the island left to the city articles.
Talk
Describe the language or languages used on the island. How well can you get by with only English or another foreign language. Also include information about the writing system -- will travellers need a bilingual map? It's often useful to link to the phrasebook for each language used.
Buy
Include here information on the currency and rough conversion rates for major currencies used by English-speaking travelers (US, Australian, Canadian dollars, euros, British pounds). If other currencies are commonly used -- either officially or on the black market -- note that, also. Give recommendations about using automatic teller machines and other ways of getting money from home.
You can also add information about common purchasing patterns. Is it common to bargain for products in shops? In other instances?
Costs
Give rough estimates of how much one day of travelling on the island costs, in three price brackets: bare-bones backpacker travel, luxury hotels and a comfortable medium between the extremes. Note if something (accommodation, transportation etc) is particularly cheap or expensive, or if there are major regional variations.
Eat
Information on island-specific food. Keep this as general as possible and save the actual restaurant business information for the city articles where the restaurants are. Do mention any general types of restaurant that travellers should look for (or avoid!). Mention national dishes, local or minority cuisines, and hints for vegetarians or other people on special diets.
Drink
Information on the island's bars and nightlife. As with most other island information, this as general as possible and save the actual bar or nightclub listings for the city articles where they are. You can and should mention cities or regions with especially good nightlife, or interesting musical traditions. Also give an idea of bar and club etiquette.
Sleep
General information on the type of accommodations (pensions, guest houses, hostels, motels, etc.) travellers will encounter, as well as rough price ranges. If there are national networks of pensions, hostels, or the like, give contact info here. Also, if there are national contact numbers for hotel information, this is also a good place to list that.
Learn
Information about schools and classes for language, culture, or other activities that international travelers may be interested in. Note cities where there are large international student opportunities. This can be about general stuff, with contact info and other specifics in the city guides.
Work
What options are there are for work on the island. Ideas on jobs, work visas, volunteer opportunities and resources, etc.
Stay safe
Words of warning for those not familiar with the island's climate or culture. Include crime safety, natural hazards, and any other potential dangers. If there are local or national safety contacts (or even standards such as "911" in the USA), note them.
Stay healthy
This section is for medical information, including local health hazards, medical, pharmacies, etc. Note any significant outbreaks of contagious diseases, recommended shots, and requirements for obtaining medicine or medical attention in the country. If there are national hotlines for medical emergencies, or local numbers that are standardized (like 911 in the USA), list them here.
Respect
List here any common mistakes foreigners make about the island in question. In many parts of the world, certain parts of the body, buildings, people, or other objects are subject to custom and etiquette that may be different from the traveler's home culture. Should short-sleeved shirts and short pants be avoided in churches or temples? Is it OK to eat with your left hand? What about respect for the elderly, children, government officials, etc.?
Contact
General information about staying in contact. What phone networks (land lines and wireless) are available, and how much does the average payphone cost? What is the island's calling code number? What Internet connectivity is available? Are Internet cafes plentiful? What is the post system like, and what do mailboxes look like? How much are postage stamps, more or less? Are there other private services that provide delivery or mail service? As usual, don't list individual telephone centers or Internet cafes; save those for the city listings where they're located.' '
