Jukdo is the biggest island near Ulleung Island. Only two people live permanently on the island.


By Oleg Kiriyanov
Contributing writer

You have probably read a few stories about Ulleung Island which is widely known under its unofficial name, ``the mystery island.'' Let us just remind ourselves that this is probably one of the most beautiful places in Korea.

The island ― thanks to the absence of big plants and factories as well as due to its relative remoteness (to get there you have to travel about three hours by ship) ― has managed to preserve the unique beauty of nature which has not been changed much by humans.

Situated almost on the seashore near Chusan village in the northern part of the island are at least four interesting places, every one of which is regarded as a kind of ``name card'' for Ulleung Island. They are: Mount Songgot, Seongbul Temple, Chusanilga Hotel and Elephant Rock.



Mount Songgot draws your attention as soon as its shape starts to be recognizable on the horizon. The mountain itself is not that high, less than 500 meters, but it goes upward steeply from the road running along the seashore. As a result, when you pass the mountain, it looks bigger and higher than its actual size. The shape of the mountain is also quite special ― it resembles two palms put together in prayer. Besides that there is also a very special ``window,'' a hole in the upper part of the mountain's ridge.

The locals say that this place is a very special one ― the mountain and space around it have very powerful lines of invisible living energy. To believe the conception of that energy or not is up to you but as soon as you arrive there, you definitely feel that this place has ``something,'' something which can be felt but hard to describe by words.

They also say that during the Japanese occupation of the island, the occupiers tried to suppress the energy by putting three big flags of Japan on the mountain. However, on their way back, those who put up the flags died after falling from the steep cliff faces.



The second interesting place in is a Buddhist temple situated at the foot of Mount Songgot, called Seongbul Temple. It is not big ― a statue of Buddha (made of a single solid rock), one altar and a hall for prayers. But Buddha and the temple in general have a very important role ― they are regarded as spiritual guardians of Korea's Dokdo Islets, which are also claimed by Japan. Dokdo Islets are situated just 87 kilometers from Ulleung Island and the Buddha of the temple faces Dokdo, giving spiritual power to the Korean policemen who protect Dokdo physically.

The founders of the temple succeeded in making it very spectacular. During the daytime it can be seen from far away, and when it turns dark and the lights are turned on, the statue of Buddha looks especially impressive. In complete darkness, Buddha looks like he is flying in the air, adding magic to the atmosphere.

Walk a few dozens meters and you will find probably one of the most beautiful hotels in Korea, Chusanilga Hotel. The hotel resembles a charming Swiss hotel that can often be seen in the Alps. The main building is situated on the edge of a rock and faces the sea. The rooms there are also very interesting: They are located separately as Korean-style houses.



The views near Chusan village are unbeatable. Though the hotel and the temple are at the foot of Mount Songgot, they are still elevated about 50-60 meters above the sea. Staying there, you feel the unusual freedom of a bird flying in open space above the boundless ocean.

And from there, you can see the last but not the least interesting thing ― a rock rising from the sea about a kilometer from the seashore. It is called ``Gongam,'' which means Elephant Rock.

It received its name because the shape of the rock looks like an elephant putting its trunk into water to drink. If you approach the rock by ship, you can see that Gongam is composed of similar-sized black stones looking like bricks, which are volcanic rock ― Ulleung Island and the surrounding smaller islands are an extinct volcanic islands, which appeared about 1.4 million years ago.

If this is not enough, walk just a few kilometers to the east and you will see some spectacular rocks rising from the sea with names reflecting their shapes ― Bear Rock, Scissor Rock, Husband and Wife Rock, and Tortoise Rock.

Just two to three kilometers from Ulleung Island, there is one smaller island called Jukdo, which is inhibited by just two persons.

It is possible to reach Chusan village by two routes from Do-dong, the main port of Ulleung Island ― you can take a taxi, bus or walk about 25 kilometers along the island's only highway, or go directly through the island's mountains. The latter is not too difficult if you have acceptable physical condition ― about four to five hours of walking. However, it is not important how you get to Chusan village ― as soon as you are there, you will know for sure that you are in the most beautiful place on the most beautiful island of Korea.