Jeju (제주) in Korean; Jejudo (제주도) — 'do' meaning island; 濟州 in Hanja; historically Tamna

Rising from the Korea Strait like a shield volcano pushed through the ocean floor, Jeju is South Korea's Hawaii — a volcanic island of UNESCO World Heritage geological formations, subtropical forests, dramatic coastal cliffs, spring canola fields, and a culture distinct enough from the mainland Korean tradition to have produced its own language (Jejueo, critically endangered), its own architectural vernacular of dark basalt stone walls, and the haenyeo (해녀) — the female free-divers whose centuries-old tradition of breath-hold diving for abalone, sea urchin, and conch has been inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list as a living human tradition of extraordinary endurance. Hallasan National Park encompasses the dormant shield volcano at the island's centre — the highest peak in South Korea — whose summit crater lake (Baengnokdam) is a pilgrimage destination for Korean hikers, and whose forested slopes contain rare endemic flora and the extraordinary oreum (parasitic volcanic cones) that dot the island's flanks. The Geomunoreum lava tube system — including the Manjanggul cave, one of the world's longest lava tubes, whose interior preserves extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations built from lava — is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site alongside Hallasan and the Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone (Sunrise Peak), a near-perfectly preserved volcanic crater rising 182 metres from the sea at the island's eastern tip, best experienced at dawn when fishing boats work the waters below. Jeju City, the administrative capital on the northern coast, has the international airport, the main ferry terminal, and the Dongmun Traditional Market — the best introduction to Jeju's distinctive food culture: black pork (Jeju's iconic breed, raised on a diet that gives the meat distinctive flavour), raw fish (hoe) from the surrounding seas, hallabong citrus (a mandarin hybrid unique to the island), abalone porridge, and the haenyeo's catch of sea vegetables and shellfish. Seogwipo on the southern coast is the more scenic alternative base, with the Cheonjiyeon and Cheonjeyeon waterfalls, the Oedolgae sea stack, and the hillside café culture of the Jeongbang waterfall area. Jeju's romantic and honeymoon reputation among Korean couples — the island is the top domestic honeymoon destination — coexists with a growing international profile as an outdoor adventure destination, a destination for cyclists and hikers on the Olle Trail (a 437-kilometre coastal trail circumnavigating the island in 26 sections), and a UNESCO-designated Global Geopark of volcanic geology.

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Population

700,000

Weather

Korea's largest island and southernmost province, located 85 kilometres south of the Korean Peninsula in the Korea Strait, Jeju has a subtropical oceanic climate distinctly milder than the mainland — the warmest and most temperate climate in South Korea. The island is dominated by Hallasan, a dormant volcano rising to 1,950 metres, whose presence creates dramatically different weather conditions on the windward and leeward sides. Spring (March–May): 10–18°C (50–64°F). The most beautiful season — cherry blossoms arrive earlier than anywhere else in Korea (late February in warm years), followed by canola flower fields that turn the countryside yellow. Ideal hiking conditions on Hallasan. Summer (June–August): 22–30°C (72–86°F). Warm and humid with significant monsoon rainfall in July. Typhoon risk August–September. The beaches are busy with Korean domestic tourists. Autumn (September–November): 15–23°C (59–73°F). Excellent — warm, clear, and with outstanding Hallasan foliage. The island's most comfortable season. Winter (December–February): 4–10°C (39–50°F). Mild compared to the mainland but wet and windy. Hallasan may be snow-capped. The haenyeo diving season continues year-round.

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