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 …

“Welcome to English News KCTV – I’m Nik Brountas….”- and with those words he leads into the top story of the day from the studio of the new English language news service dedicated to serving foreigners living and working on Jeju island.
Today I’m interviewing Nik at the modern and bustling KCTV office in Yeon-dong. Kang In-Hee, the production director also sits in on the questions, and I get the proceedings started by asking how he came to be anchorman: “I knew someone who does some English editing work …

In 1653, Jeju met its first foreigner. It came in the form of a shipwrecked Dutchman named Hendrick Hamel. The local community must not have liked what they saw, as they immediately shipped Hamel and his crew off the island to live in captivity in Seoul. It took Hamel and a handful of crewmates nearly 13 years to escape.
Nowadays, Jeju is far more hospitable to its foreign guests. The island attracts an eclectic group of foreigners who have come to live here for wildly different reasons. …

Dragon’s Head Rock: Yongduam and Yongyeon Pond
Story and photos by Dawn Parks
According to some, the 10m high and 30m long volcanic rock formation perched along the ocean side is said to resemble a dragon’s head – a fact which has garnered the formation’s fanciful name of Yongduam; literally, Dragon’s Head Rock. Some say it no longer looks like a dragon, as a portion of the rock fell off during a heavy storm long ago. Others say it no longer looks like it’s perched for flight, as a backdrop of hotels …