An Overview of Ulleungdo

My friend and I had a delightful fews days in Ulleungdo, and the locals said how lucky we were to have such cheerful weather--amazingly deep blue sky, bright sun, cool breezes, calm seas. The timing was perfect, especially as we returned to Gangneung port in a storm in heavy rains and rolling waves. We used our time well on the island, and tried to see as much as possible.

Choosing ports and getting to Ulleungdo

Mainland Korea sends ferries from four ports (moving from north to south): Gangneung, Mukho (just south of Gangneung), Hupo (just south of Uljin), and Pohang. The ferries from all of these mainland ports have different ports of landing on the calmer southeastern side of Ulleungdo (moving from north to southwest): Jeodong, Dodong, and Sadong.

	GANGNEUNG	MUKHO	HUPO	POHANG	(other)
Jeodong	178km	-	-	217km	Dokdo 87.4 km
Dodong	-	161km	-	217km	around the island ferry; ferry to Jukdo (Bamboo Island)
Sadong	-	161km	159km	-	Dokdo 87.4 km

Jeodong and Dodong are by far the more scenic, quaint little towns to stay in and they are easily accessible to each other--perhaps 20-30 minutes by frequent bus or W6,000 or so by four-wheel-drive taxi. (If it's not four-wheel-drive in Ulleungdo, it's not worth much in the mountains and snow.) Etymologically, 'sa' means 'sand', and therefore, Sadong (the next town over) is a place of sand ... well, no longer since it's now a place of buildings. Sadong, though not very scenic and not much to see or do except swim, has a wider beach, and 60% of the going ferries to Dokdo. The other two ports don't have beaches but they have everything else--a range of lodgings, mountain trails, a wide variety of restaurants, and of course the Haengnam Coastal Walkway which is gorgeous at all times of the day!

Only two ports in Ulleungdo have ferries to Dokdo, usually a morning and an afternoon ferry, but whether these ferries actually go to Dokdo or better yet allow passengers to land and walk around the island for 20-30 minutes totally depends on the sea swells. If there is much swelling at all, the ferry will circle Dokdo but not land. The workers booking ferry tickets told us that only one in five ferries actually can allow passengers to disembark for those few minutes at Dokdo.

Staying in Jeodong

We stayed in Jeodong in a pension operated by an elderly woman, who loved us to much, she even cooked a couple of meals for us. Her place was spotless and had a large sunny-in-the-morning and bright-all-day central room with a large sunny bedroom and a smaller bedroom at the back. It was the off season so we paid W40,000/night for the large room. During peak season of course the price in the whole area will go up. The elderly gentleman next door was always over and told us to stay with him next time; he had another very reasonably priced room with easy access to the central area and a great view of the harbor. Both of these places are directly behind the Jeodong ferry terminal, but on a slightly higher level giving a view over the terminal. Excellent location!

the ubiquitous Ulleungdo cuttlefish

The higher floors in the pension are no longer owned by the lady. Her knees troubled her going up and down the stairs so much so now her pension is two rooms in her home. Wonderful home, and she's easy to get along with.

Jeodong harbor shots -- You just have to love those giant bulbs for luring the cuttlefish to the nets.

Jeodong harbor at dawn and dusk.

Comparing Jeodong harbor in 2016 with its 1970 appearance.

Seeing some of the Ulleungdo sites

Day 1: We did the little touristy things like going over to Dodong, the next town over, and taking the cable car that put us up near the peak of Manghyang. On clear days people say Dokdo is visible, but it wasn't quite clear enough. Under the cables of the car, the large Buddha in front of a field of lily-like cement circles looks like Buddha is standing in a pond afloat with lilies--pretty spectacular, especially as the water lily is a symbol of Buddhism.

At the boarding site for the ferry is a local museum, which was small but very interesting. I think it is a tiny summary of the larger Dokdo Museum which doesn't open until peak season which is later in July. Rather sad about this because the little museum was a whole new sub-culture of Korea, much like the Jeju Museum.

Daewonsa Temple, the temple with the Buddha "in the pond amidst the lily pads" was recognizably Korean by its temple colors, design, the Dharma bell, but area around the tall Buddha had stylized bamboo carvings and the background was a cement panorama in bas relief of Buddhist teachings. Fine artwork and clearly a storyboard of mythical traditions and beliefs.

From the cable car we wandered down the mountain to the town of Dodong to find some squid-ink bread and walk part of the Haengnam Coastal Walkway. Dodong is definitely smaller than Jeodong, and the port can only have one or two large ferry boats in it at one time. Very small, but also very quaint. A lot of conveniences here and would be a great little town to get a pension for a few days. Very centralized.

Day 2: A ferry to Dokdo. Yes, we made it! The weather was phenomenal and we were able to walk around on the island. The 20-30 minutes is all a person needs because the places where one can walk is very, very limited.

Day 3: Around the island bus tour - W25,000 + W10,000 for the ferry from the far northern point to Jeodong port. The around-the-island road is still under construction but when we bought the round-the-island bus ticket, we weren't told that. However, the driver said we could go back via road the way we came (would have taken a long time back around 3/4 of the island) or we could all pay W10,000 for bus-and-passenger fee to go onward via a barge; if we opted for the barge, all 20+ passengers in the bus had to be in agreement.

Beoseotbawi or Mushroom Rock -- consists of tapilli-tuff layers from fragmented pyroclasts
when magma erupted underwater.

Albong -- a small lava dome which was formed by lava but due to its weight, collapsed to form a caldera. Afterwards, magma erupted from the fissures and formed the Albong approximately 5,000 years ago.

Only a few pictures of the very, very, very many unique rock formations at various locations around the island.

We all agreed to pay the barge fee and the route turned out to be magnificent -- very, very scenic! Ulleungdo is a geopark and the rock formations around the whole island are truly spectacular. Just going out to see some of the coastal rock on this short segment was totally impressive. Next time I come to Ulleungdo, I plan to take the round-the-island ferry, which wasn't running the days we were there as the summer tourist season was just starting.

Taking the ferry to complete the round-the-island tour which was started by bus.
This last segment was GORGEOUS! Well, so was everything else in the geopark.

Day 4: On the a.m. of the day we were to leave, we wandered up the mountain behind our pension and saw the 25-meter high Bongnae Falls. Supposedly the town gets its water from this falls, which is surprising as the falls was nowhere near a massive flow of water, but then again, this is pre-rainy season. On the way up to the falls were punghyeol or "wind caves" that blow cold air out through vents in the volcanic rock. I believe it was used long ago as a place to store food as well as get cool in the hotter months.

Other Ulleungdo bits and pieces

The food on Ulleungdo was tasty and much more natural tasting than on mainland, which is not deep-frying way to much, using too much flour and cheese, canned foods and pre-packaged food. Fish and seafood of course was everywhere, canned food (unlike mainland) was virtually non-existent as imports are horrendously expensive, and so they use mostly local food. Not many veggies grow on the island because of the rock and because of lack of space, but the veggies and herbs and seaweed on Ulleungdo are different. People come here to taste those differences and now Ulleungdo is preparing those unique seaweeds and herbs for export to the mainland. Most export products are sold directly to the tourists.

Like everywhere, a lot of food is fermented, which I try to avoid, so I took several of red and yellow bell peppers and a lot of carrot sticks (ugh on allergies) and the pension owner was so surprised. Each pepper would cost about W3-4,000 each on Ulleungdo. Carrots last longer so are easier to import, but still, if a person buys them there, they are significantly pricier than mainland. So if planning a trip to Ulleungdo, fresh mainland veggies make a good gift to a local or pension operator, or to munch on while moving around the island. Following are some of the Ulleungdo local foods. (click to enlarge).

Random Ulleungdo Trivia

• Piam Tunnel is a very dangerous place. It's a reinforced concrete tunnel allowing traffic to safely skirt the coastal road. However, rocks are always falling in this area, and some had just fallen causing severe damage to the tunnel. Traffic could still carefully sneak by but reconstruction was under way. 'Piam' mean 'avoid' + 'rock', very appropriate name.

• Near Piam Tunnel is the only area in the entire island with traffic lights. There are two--one of each side of the tunnel which has only a single lane going through it.

• Provinces that Ulleungdo has been categorized in: first in Gangwon-do, then in Gyeongsannam-do, and now in Gyeongsanbuk-do.

• Ulleungdo is lacking in three things: no thieves, no snakes, no pollution.

• Seasonal jobs (tour drivers) 7-8 months. Most drivers go to the mainland. Only about 10% stay and are needed in the off-season.

• In the area near Albong, there's a strange anomaly: a beautifully sculpted and well-cared-for soccer and baseball fields. A huge flat space (rare on this island) is used only for these sports.

• Taeha port, is the biggest and longest operating port on Ulleungdo, and yet, it's not a port that has a passenger ferry route to the mainland or to Dokdo.

• A large wind turbine stands on one of the innermost peaks of a mountain. This wind turbine evokes a lot of laughter from locals. The turbine cost W150,000,000 to buy, transport and install, and it was to provide natural energy to the islanders. But, "Ha ha ha ha", roared our round-the-island bus driver, "It has refused to work!"

• Ulleungdo never has a drought.

• Locals refer to the mainland as 육지 and mainlanders as 육지사람, which my friend says sounds really cute.

We met an older man (originally from the southern part of Korea) on the ferry, and he was driving his car to Seoul so asked us if we'd like to go with him. On the way, I offered to pay for the ride or gas or something, and he laughingly called me 촌닭 which means 'country chicken' implying 'country girl'. 돈놈 is the male equivalent.

Ulleungdo as a Geopark

Throughout Jurassic Ulleungdo is tourist information on rock formation. Columnar joints that are prismatic columns, tafoni with its cave-like features in granite rock, caldera and lava dome, basalt and phonolite gravel, vertical joints of rapidly cooled lava and tafoni, ignimbrite, epiclast deposit, vesicle and amygdale, unconformity, and other geological features like clinkers, dikes, lava flows, margin, lapili-tuff, and contracted magma. The Ulleungdo guide map paid a lot of attention to the island's rocky features, but then it has been named a National Geopark.

(click to enlarge)

all of these geological features can be seen along the Haengnam Coastal Walkway
(click to enlarge)

Getting to Dokdo

To get to Dokdo, one can either depart Ulleungdo from Jeodong or Sadong. Ferries typically run twice a day in peak season, but frequently get cancelled because of high seas. And even though people board the ferry doesn't mean that they will be able to disembark at Dokdo, because if there are any swells, the water would beat the ferry against the low dock, or it could sweep people off the dock and into the sea. A person wouldn't have a chance of survival if that happened. So if swells are too high, then the ferry will simply circle the island and return to Ulleungdo. According to workers in the Jeodong ticketing office, people disembark onto Dokdo only one in five times. Wikipedia offers different information, "If the swell is greater than 3 to 5 meters, then landing is not possible so on average ferries can only dock about once in every forty days." The day we went to Dokdo and the following day were particularly calm and both morning and afternoon ferries could allow passengers to disembark. Very unusual! In the winter months, December to February, no passenger ferries to Dokdo are in operation.

Aerial shot from the Ulleungdo-Dokdo tourist map

Beyond ticketing but before boarding the ferry is the "last place to buy food and drink" before going to Dokdo, the rock without water. A young girl was soliciting passengers to buy a small, medium, large (W30,000) or extra-large box of snacks for the soldiers on Dokdo, or even a case of water bottles. About 40 soldiers are stationed there on the peak of one of the sharply pointed islets. They live in very cramped quarters and must ration their water and only eat the food provided by the military, which was described as very basic and not much. 

The boxes contain chips, cookies, choco pies, ramen--in short, junk food. Different prices for different sized boxes, but it seemed like a good idea since the soldiers have no entertainment other than their phones and are rather dependent on tourists to bring in their extras as going out and buying something isn't an option. I would rather have taken a box of carrots, cabbage and potatoes or something fresh. Junk food is fine for a treat but not as a staple. Quite a few people bought boxes, and when they were delivered to the island, they were stacked up beside the platform that has a cable lift for hauling up heavy or large items to the soldiers' quarters on the peak. If the ferries come even once every 4-5 days, then those boys in uniform sure get a lot of junk food! But if it can't come for 40 days, wow, that would be awful. To me, giving water is the more practical ideas, but on our ferry, most people who gave a gift had it in junk food form. 

We had a very unusual ride over to Dokdo. The entire ferry was filled with soldiers. We two, a busload of Korean language-study students from Kyunghee University, and a tiny handful of Korean passengers were the only non-military personnel on the ferry. Those soldiers were traveling in uniform (of course) and were there for military tourism. A professional photographer accompanied them and I got the impression this trip was for political reasons--to take lots of pictures to publicize widely for showing Korean strength and military solidarity and to assert Korea's claim that "Dokdo is ours", the Korean slogan universally heard when discussing the island. The controversy between Japan still exists--on which side of the islets Dokdo belongs to. The soldiers, also like us, were only there for the 20-30 minutes or so to walk around, "see" Dokdo, and say that they had been there.

Basically, Dokdo (Dongdo and Seodo, respectively East and West Island) is a pair of rock islets that rear upward to 87.4 meters and have precipitous cliffs. According to the travel brochure, there are 89 outcroppings (why would anyone count or feel that important for a simple tourist map?) The whole island has staggeringly steep cliffs except for the southern side of Dongdo where a small flat beach allowed the building of the ferry port. 

The documented history of Dokdo goes back several centuries, and both Korea and Japan have visited the islet over the centuries. I don't know much about Japan's history but here's a clipping from Visit Korea of Korea's history of Dokdo:

Located 87.4km away from Ulleungdo Island, and formed entirely from volcanic rock, Dokdo is an isolated island off the east coast of Korea bearing a latitude of 37°14' north and a longitude of 131°52' east. Collectively, both Ulleungdo Island and Dokdo once belonged to a country named Usanguk. According to geographical records, Usanguk became part of the Silla Kingdom (57B.C. ~ 935 A.D.) in June of the 13th year that King Jijeung ruled Silla. Isabu (a general and politician of Silla) gained significant strength during this period to overtake Usanguk.  

In the Seongjong Memoir of the Joseon Dynasty, there are passages by Kim Jaju describing Dokdo, which was referred to as Sambongdo at the time. Dokdo was initially called 'Sambongdo', 'Gajido' or 'Usando', but the name was later changed to Dokdo in 1881. The name 'Dokdo' was first used in 1906 by the Headman of Ulleung County Sim Heungtaek. In 1914, Dokdo officially became an administrative district of the Gyeongsangbuk-do.  

After the Japanese Invasion of Korea (the Imjin War) in 1592, Japanese fishermen often came near Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Sukjong Sillok, the Annals of King Suk Jong (1674-1720), records that An Yong-bok went to Japan twice in order to protest against Japanese nationals trespassing into Korean territory. He asked the Japanese authorities to recognize Korea's sovereignty over these islands and to forbid Japanese nationals to sail to Dokdo.  

Dokdo is comprised of two main islands: Dongdo, or East Island which sits 98m above sea level, and Seodo, or West Island, which sits 168m above sea level, together with 36 smaller rock formations. Separating Dongdo and Seodo is the Hyeongjegul Cave, together with Cheonsanggul Cave on Dongdo. Over time, other caves and topographic features of the island formed due to weathering and erosion.

Japan acknowledged the value of Dokdo after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. Japan unilaterally transferred Dokdo to Shimane Prefecture, Japan and renamed it "Dakesima". Several authorities in Japan have continuously declared their dominion, over the island, which led to diplomatic conflicts between Korea and Japan. Such conflicts have yet to be resolved. 

And interestingly enough, Dokdo to Korea, Takeshima to Japan, is Liancourt to France. That name is derived from the French whaling ship, Le Liancourt, that was wrecked on the islet's rocks in 1849.

Military installations near the top of Dongdo, Dokdo

Chotdae-bawi (Candlestick Rock), and Samhyeongje Bawigul (Three Brother Rocks with Holes)

Passengers are limited to a very limited area. Of course they are not allowed to the military installations on the peak. In fact, only a few officers were allowed to go up. The rest of the soldiers milled around like us, taking selfies, and posed as a group for a few select shots by the camera man.

The professional camera man principally focused on these four soldiers--two men AND two women. They will be representatives of the whole group, probably in fact, represent all of the Korean miitary. While the camera man was getting his posed shots, I was happily getting mine.

The soldiers in camouflage were from the mainland while the tiny handful of soldiers in navy were soldiers stationed on Dokdo. The Dokdo soldiers that I saw were taller than the average Korean. I wonder if there is a height criteria to be sent to this location?

I didn't even know that there were female soldiers mixed in this large group of male soldiers until we got to Dokdo. There were only a tiny few, but like everyone else there, they were enjoying the natural wild topography and the good luck to actually be able to disembark from the ferry.

Haha, gotta get those selfies and take advantage of the wi-fi!

Gathering around Sutdol-bawi (Whetstone Rock)

Getting into formation for the last group picture ... and departure

 

Our very large ferry boat waiting to reload us and haul us all back to Jeodong, Ulleungdo.

The whole area of Dokdo has been designated as a Natural Preservation Zone. Like Ulleungdo, it's rough, jagged and is one of the scenic, very jurassic-looking geoparks of Korea. 

Haengnam Coastal Walkway, Ulleungdo

From the time I bumped into an online magical spiral staircase looking over a sparkling blue ocean with seaside geofantastic cliffs, I knew I had to go to Ulleungdo. Ulleungdo has become a hotly popular tour destination, and so getting there was just a matter of making a reservation in advance ... and of course hoping the weather would be fine enough to make the ocean crossing.

While I was obsessed with seeing the geofantastic coastal walkway, my friend was obsessed with getting some squid-ink bread. And miracle of miracles, both the squid-ink bread bakery and the Haengnam Coastal Walkway started in the same town, in Dodong, just the next port-town over from where we were staying and where our ferry came in from Gangneung, in Jeodong.

It's the little things in life that make one happy .... just squid-ink bread!

First, we had to get the squid-ink bread from the local Dodong specialty shop to appease my friend. Once she had her nibblies, she got all happy, and I was happy too. I have a bit of an issue with gluten, but these were small so I thought "Why not?" I hardly ever cheat so if I do on rare occasions, I usually don't have an issue. Oh, yeah! I'm not a bread fan, but those little buggers were soft, moist and tasted like pumpkin, which of course they should since pumpkin is an ingredient. I totally expected a bitterness or some kind of after-taste from the squid-ink, but nope. Taaty! I do recommend!

I was still fixated on that coastal walkway, so it was time to go get my "bread".

The GeoPark: Haengnam Coastal Walkway--from Jeodong to Dodong

There are two segments of coastal walkway, one that edges the Jeodong harbor coastline to a promontory on which stands Gadubong lighthouse and then the connecting segment that goes along the Dodong harbor coastline. Together they make the Haengnam Coastal Walkway. Originally the walkway continued on after Dodong but at some point this section was iron-gated off because of falling rock. Later, after showing pictures of this long walkway to a friend who had visited Ulleungdo seven years ago, she was amazed and started planning her return trip, because back then there was no information whatsoever of the walkway and she's certain it didn't exist then. Yeah, probably under construction like the segment going north from Jeodong, which is currently under construction along with a road to complete a full-island circle route. 

Typically from Jeodong to Dodong a person could happily walk the whole very scenic coastal walkway, provided it wasn't closed due to inclement weather or high seas, which would easily sweep someone off the path. However, just 3-4 days before we got to Ulleungdo a woman had been walking the walkway when some rocks broke loose and injured her. She wasn't killed, but easily could have been. The walkway was immediately blocked off with iron gates, which were already in place and are typically closed after certain hours or during high seas. Unfortunately for me, however, I couldn't get to my "bread", the spiral staircase, because it was in the section that was closed off. The rocks hadn't fallen from the staircase or near it but down closer to the water, but the gate was in place already, so it was easy to seal off the dangerous area .... by also sealing off the fabulously scenic staircase. How sad! But I still wanted my "bread"!

Walking from Jeodong to Dodong, before the blocked off section.
This is one of the most scenic spots in the whole walkway!

This is the section that got sealed off because of the falling rocks 3-4 days previous.
The spiral staircase is visible but not clear because of the morning shadows.

Lots of male fishermen, but occasionally a woman was out fishing too. And then there was this couple. How sweet!

Approaching a seafood restaurant on the segment that is open to Dodong. People hiking along the coastal walkway really enjoy stopping here for a quick raw seafood refresher. Also, it's easy to see how low the walkway is, and to imagine how dangerous it is when high seas kick up!

A fisherman just wheeled in a wheelbarrow of fresh catch: this load was sea urchin. Don't touch or you'll be sorry! Not quite sure how these are cut open and served but they are served raw. Any takers?

Fresh sea urchins! Yummy!

Now for the "illegal" shots. I climbed up to the lighthouse using the open Dodong segment of the trail and then continued past the lighthouse trail to the Jeodong segment. After winding through a thick forest I came to the head of the trail ... and the tall iron gate that prevented the picture I wanted. I just wanted a picture of the the top of the spiral staircase in the foreground and the profile of the rugged cliffs disappearing in the distance. So, I climbed the fence. I didn't go down the staircase, just had to go a few meters to top few steps to get my pictures .... and and my heart sang at the beauty. And it still sings ... because I got my "bread"!

The Jeodong coastal walkway segment. The closest part was where the rocks fell.
I'm standing at the top of the spiral staircase ... loving the view ... remembering the view ... forever!

I'm guessing, based on what our pension owner said, that across the bridge is where the rocks fell.

THIS IS THE VIEW THAT BROUGHT MY HEART TO ULLEUNGDO!

This is my "bread"!

From the lighthouse, the Haengnam Coastal Walkway.

A very rugged view! Lots of caves visible too. Some of the rocks have candles burning
for this is a ghost-haunting superstitious land.

From the lighthouse a view of the whole harbor and Jukdo (Bamboo Island) in the distance.
One resident lives on Jukdo, this island that is 4km from Jeodong port. The whole island is a high rock covered in bamboo. The top of the rock is only accessible via a 365 step spiral staircase. Tourists are invited to take picnic lunches there, and there are frequent ferries (2 in the a.m. and 2 in the p.m.) to the island.

Finally to Dodong port, a very tiny port compared to Jeodong's, which is also small based on mainland standards.

A wider view of small Dodong port. This is the port where my traveling companion's bread and my "bread" all happened! It's also the port that had a shaman 굿. There was so much "exotic" on Uleungdo that my eye and camera feasted.

Shaman 굿 at Dodong Port

The first time I tried to walk this trail I was frustrated, because when I had gone a long way, I realized that the rest of the route was closed and I would have to turn around and go all the way back. However, this worked out because a shaman 굿 was just starting as I returned to the port. Evidently it was to bless a boat, for whatever reason I don't know, but the shamans kept dancing in front of the boat, going on the boat and banging their timpani cymbals, the noise of which is frightening to spirits, and offering food and liquor to entertain and/or appease the spirits. 

Obviously the shaman ritual was about making wishes or dispelling evil from the boat. These wishes are made to the Dragon King, who is said to be the god of water, waterways and therefore everything that receives water, goes on water, takes food from water. If this is a new boat, was just refurbished, changed hands, or encountered a bad experience or omen, then the shaman 굿 is necessary.

The shaman bowed three times, played the timpani throughout the boat, and now waves the 5 colored flags that will tell fortune according the color the guy selects: blue, red, white, yellow or green.

I'm not sure of the significance of the fish but fish were used throughout the ceremony. A dried fish was taken to each of the four directions in the cement space in front of the boat, the fish's head was struck on the pavement and then flung to the sea, one fish for every direction. This fish was part of the waving-around-the-boat ceremony, and then it was put in one shaman's mouth while she whirled around ... to confuse the spirits perhaps? I really don't know.

The head shaman, who, one minute was like a whirling dervish and the next she was clutching her back, rasping and huddled over. But after resting a bit, she was up and jumping and finishing her ceremony. Obviously the others greatly respected "grandmother", a term of respect, and kept urging her to finish.

Again the boat owner (assumption) bowed to the spirit offerings,
which was a buffer to the spirits in the boat beyond. Three times he bowed.

The good-luck pig is essential for bringing luck in the ceremony, and if the pig is smiling, then it's very propitious. The musicians played, shouted "ulsigi" and "joh-da" at key points. Their music was to invite and entertain the spirits and then send them away happy and replete.