New Halla Library has books in English
Story and photos by Jenie Hahn

The new Halla library | Credit: Jenie Hahn
Are you a book lover? Do you have that insatiable craving where you want to read more books but don’t really have the money or know a place to buy new books in English? Well, here is the best news ever for all English-speaking book lovers out there. A brand new Western style library opened in Jeju-si recently, nestled in a serene forest setting.
Library offers wide range of media
The basement contains mostly …

Off the 1132 highway, a winding coastal road makes for memorable bicycle tour
Story and photo by Marcus KaulbackBeing an English teacher at a hagwon, you don’t get too many holidays. So, when you find yourself being given a full four days off from cultivating future Ban Ki-Moons, you make the most of it. For our summer holiday, my best friend and I thought the choice was never in question: Jeju-do, but with a twist. We were going to spend our days on bicycles and our nights in a tent.
…

In the distance I see two weather beaten, elderly ladies bracing themselves against a tall, stone wall, lost in a squawking conversation about some mundane topic. As I get closer and louder, empty seashells crunching under foot, their heads jerk up. Suddenly I’m the topic of conversation. It’s a foreigner! I give a small wave and say “Annyeong Hayseo”. More astonishment from the ladies – the foreigner speaks Korean! This is Gapado, the last but one islet on the far southern reaches of South Korea. And this is the reaction …

It is a woman. It can swim and dive very well under the sea. It catches shells, seaweed, and octopi. What is it? You may be thinking a mermaid, but, from the perspective of a Jejuite, it is actually a haenyeo.
Haenyeo is a word that literally means “sea women”. These women dive to catch turban shells, ear shells, and other marine goodies without the aid of underwater breathing apparatuses. They have a very unique job that is native only to Korea and some regions of Japan, though haenyeo originate …