Not long before Seoul was to host the 1988 Summer Olympics and, as a result of which by a strange twist of fate, best-selling author Simon Winchester’s newspaper sent him to Korea to find out what he could of the Hermit Kingdom – as very little was known of it at the time.
Using the diary of Hendrick Hamel* as a model, Winchester decides to walk from Moseulpo (모슬포) on Jeju’s southwest coast all the way to Panmunjeom (판문점) at the DMZ.

With sixty years passing since the Jeju Massacre (4.3 or 사삼) in which twenty-five to thirty thousand people died, a poignant, recently opened, memorial complex sits on the slopes of Hallasan. Chronicling the events of that time, it handles a sensitive subject that still resonates today for many residents and families.

The Japanese departure in 1945 and the ensuing power vacuum on the island saw the rise of various left wing groups that, according to one report, labelled Jeju a “red island” on which “ninety percent of residents have a leftist hue.” Further, the practice “of using Jeju as a place of exile for minority political groups and governmental maladministration gradually built up on the island a separatist psychology.”

All right all you fashionistas and fashion-lovers out there. We all know that when it comes to style and fashion in Korea, Seoul is the most obvious choice for the place to be, see and be seen. However, walking around Jeju recently has made me appreciate some of the unique fashion and trends this little island has to offer. Obviously, Jeju does lack the size and amount of retailers, which cities such as Seoul and Busan possess, but I believe that there are definite treasures to be found, eyed and bought.

I first came to Korea in April of 2007 to stay with friends at their organic Mandarin orange farm near Seogwipo. At that time the trees were lush and green with leaves and held just a hint of the buds that were to become white flowers. I discovered that the Mandarin orange, often called a tangerine, is the favorite gift during the Lunar New Year in Korea to usher in prosperity and good fortune.