Every year, Chuseok, which falls on August 15th of the lunar calendar, is celebrated by families all over Korea. Family members return to their home-towns to be with family, causing huge traffic jams and resulting in trains, planes and buses being booked up months in advance. While many westerners refer to Chuseok as “a Korean Thanksgiving” or “kind of like our Christmas”, few non-Koreans really know what it’s all about. So, if you’re curious to find out what all the fuss is about, read on.
At Chuseok, families gather together …

My name is Olivia. I am nine years old. I came to Jeju when I was eight years old. I go to Samyang Primary School. At school, I have seven friends. I sit beside Coral, my Canadian friend. Sometimes I go to the beach with her. At the beach I make sandcastles and go swimming. I usually go under water with my goggles and look for fish, but I never see them. I think Jeju is fun because it’s an island and there are lots of beaches.
My favorite …

In 1270, Kim Tong-jeong’s Sambyeolcho army landed in Jeju. It was a motley assortment of Korean freedom fighters and liberated Mongolian Prisoners of War who had continued to fight Mongolia despite orders from the Goryeo court in Seoul to lay down their weapons. In pursuit were the Mongolian army and their new Goryeo allies, who had assembled a force of 10,000 men to hunt down and destroy them. With the help of local residents, Kim overtook Jeju’s indigenous army and erected a fortress near Halla Mountain. They held Jeju …

Like being hit by the infamous Apple itself, it came upon me one snowy evening in February to stray from my midnight essay writing routine and check the latest Facebook reel on the subject of ESL Teachers in Korea. Only two advertisements into my inspection, the words “Seeking Replacement Teacher for Position on Jeju Island” immediately seized my romantic heart and simultaneously thrust it into a swift commitment to international travel. Countless daydreams, e-mails, blogs, and Skype-talks later, the unpalatable task of connecting the American Indian Movement with the …