Jeju-do

Flag of Jeju

Jeju-do (transliterated Korean for Jeju Province, short form of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province) is the only special self-governing province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. Its capital is the city of Jeju.

The island contains the Natural World Heritage Site entitled Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.

Nomenclature

In Korean, do is the phonetic trancription of two distinct hanja (Chinese characters) meaning "island" (島) and "province" (道). However, Jejudo can refer to the island. Jeju-do can refer to the government administrative unit. The table below also includes the name of Jeju City, the provincial capital.

English Name	Korean Name	Hangul	Hanja
Jeju Island	Jejudo	제주도	濟州島
Jeju Province	Jeju-do	제주도	濟州道
Jeju City	Jeju-si	제주시	濟州市

Historical names

Historically, the island has been called by many different names including:

• Doi (도이, 島夷)
• Dongyeongju (동영주, 東瀛州)
• Juho (주호, 州胡)
• Tammora (탐모라, 耽牟羅)
• Seomna (섭라, 涉羅)
• Tangna (탁라, 竣羅)
• Tamna (탐라, 耽羅)

When Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910, Jeju became known as Saishū, which is the Japanese reading of the hanja for Jeju. During this time and previously, the island was usually known as Quelpart to Europeans.

The name "Quelpart" apparently came from a corruption of the Korean word for "mandarin orange field," "gyulbat." When European explorers pointed to the fruit groves, asking for the name of the island, they mistakenly interpreted the Korean for crop fields as the name of the island itself.

Before 2000, when the Seoul government changed the official Romanization of Hangul, Jeju-do was spelled Cheju-do. Almost all written references to the island prior to that use that spelling.

Geography

File:Jejudo2.jpg

Jejudo Countryside

Jeju Island is a volcanic island, dominated by Halla-san: a volcano 1,950 metres high and the highest mountain in South Korea.

The island was created entirely from volcanic eruptions approximately 2 million years ago, during the time period from the Tertiary to the beginning of the Quaternary period, and consists chiefly of basalt and lava. It has a subtropical climate, warmer than the rest of Korea, with four distinct seasons. Half of the summer is rainy, and the winter is fairly dry.

History

According to the founding myth of Samseonghyeol, Jeju was uninhabited until three divine men emerged from the ground at Moheunghyeol, now located on the northern foot of Hallasan.

Jeju was an independent country called Tamna until it became a protectorate of Silla in AD 662. In 938, after the fall of Silla, Tamna became a protectorate of Goryeo. In 1105, Tamna lost its autonomy and became a province of Goryeo. King Uijong of Goryeo changed the island's name from Tamna to Jeju.

In 1271, Jeju became the base of the Sambyeolcho Rebellion against the Mongols. After Sambyeolcho was defeated in 1273, the Mongols placed Jeju under direct rule, and it became Goryeo territory again in 1367.

Jeju was colonized by Japan in 1910 along with the rest of Korea. After the defeat of the Japanese in World War II, Jeju became an official part of the new Republic of Korea. Jeju was then a part of South Jeolla until 1946, when it became a province of its own.

In a series of events from 1948–1954, known as the Jeju massacre, tens of thousands of people were killed. The cause of the killings is still disputed.

Historically, the people of Jeju have been the victim of discrimination owing to its location and isolation. The history of Jeju has been largely omitted from South Korean history books and textbooks. ^{[citation needed]}

As an attempt to attract attention to the island, the city of Seogwipo, located in the south part of the island, was made host city for the FIFA World Cup of Football

On 1 July 2006, Jeju was made into the first and (as of 2007) only special self-governing province of South Korea.

Society and culture

File:Korea jeju harubang.jpg

Dol hareubang

Because of the relative isolation of the island, the people of Jeju have developed a culture that is distinct from that of mainland Korea. Jeju is home to thousands of local legends. Perhaps the most distinct cultural artifact is the ubiquitous dol hareubang ("stone grandfather") carved from a block of lava.

Another distinct aspect of Jeju is the matriarchal family structures, found especially in Udo and Mara, but also present in the rest of the province. The best-known example of this is found among the haenyeo ("sea women"), who are often the heads of families. They earn their living from free diving, often all year round in quite cold water, without scuba gear in order to harvest abalones, conchs, and a myriad of other marine products.

Jeju also played host to the World Marching Show Band Championship.

Economy

The projected size of the 2006 budget will be US$1.11 billion (1.11 trillion won), an increase of 10% over the year before of $1.005 billion (1.005 trillion won). The total size of the economy in 2006 is projected to be $8.48 billion, or 8.48 trillion won, with a GDP per capita of approximately $15,000. Jeju is also a home for key functions of Daum Communications Corp. - a leading Korean internet site, and sole owner of Lycos of America.

Tourism

File:Jejudo1.jpg

Jeongbang Waterfall

File:Jeju Statue Park Statue.JPG

Jeju Stone Statue Park Statue

Tourism takes a big part in Jeju's economy. Jeju's temperate climate, natural scenery, and beaches make it a popular tourist destination for both South Koreans and many visitors from Japan, China, northern and southern Asia. Especially, Cheonjaeyeon and Cheonjiyeon waterfalls, Mountain Halla, Hyeobje cave, Hyeongje island are popular places for tourists. Also, tourists enjoy lots of leisure sports in Jeju island including golf, horse riding, hunting, fishing, mountain climbing, etc. Depending on seasons, tourists can enjoy many festivals : penguin swimming contest in winter, cherry blossom festival in spring, midsummer night beach festival in summer, horse festival in autumn and many more. Usually, tourists enter and exit Jeju through Jeju international airport and rents a car in the island. Lastly, tourists can buy numerous products in the island. Tourists can buy not only Jeju's special products including tile fish and mandarin oranges, but also souvenirs or duty-free products.

Power supply in Jeju

The demand for electric power on Jeju is significantly greater than the supply. Power from mainland plants makes up the difference. The island's power-grid is connected to the mainland by the HVDC Haenam-Cheju. However, the majority of the island's electric power needs are met by generators located on the island. As of 2001, there were four power plants on Jeju, with more under planning and construction. The most notable of these are the gas-fired generators of Jeju Thermal Power Plant, located in Jeju City. The present-day generators of this plant were constructed from 1982 onwards, replacing earlier structures that dated from 1968. As elsewhere in Korea, the power supply is overseen by the Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO.

Administrative divisions

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. This is part of plans to create the Jeju Free International City.

Cities

• Jeju
• Seogwipo

Symbols

• Provincial flower: Rhododendron (Rhododendron Weyrichii / Max (Chamkkot))
• Provincial tree: Camphor Laurel (Cinnamomum camphora siebold / Noknamu)
• Provincial bird: Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos quelpartensis)

Sister provinces

Jeju's international sister provinces are also islands: Hainan Province (People's Republic of China), Hawaii (U.S.), Sakhalin (Russia), and Bali (Indonesia).

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Subdivisions of South Korea
• Geography of South Korea

External links

• Official provincial info site. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
• Life in Korea pages (a web portal). Retrieved November 17, 2007.
• Information network. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
• International Convention Center Jeju. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
• Eco-tourism on Jeju. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
• Open Directory category for Jeju Province. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
• Galbijim Wiki page on changes to Jeju since attaining autonomy. Retrieved November 17, 2007.
• Jeju Photo Gallery. Retrieved November 17, 2007.

Regions and administrative divisions of South Korea

Regions
Capital area · Gwandong (Yeongdong • Yeongseo) · Hoseo · Honam (Jeju) · Yeongnam

Provinces
Chungbuk · Chungnam · Gangwon · Gyeonggi · Gyeongbuk · Gyeongnam · Jeonbuk · Jeonnam

Autonomous province
Jeju

Special city
Seoul

Metropolitan cities
Busan · Daegu · Daejeon · Gwangju · Incheon · Ulsan

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