Jeju Island - Island Of Delights

Romance to relaxation to rustic nature, Jeju Island surprises at every turn.

- Richard Newton

It’s familiar but different, old but radically new. We’ve seen it before, but never so vibrant, so vivid, so immersive, so romantic. It’s a painting by Gustav Klimt, freed from its frame, sliding across the walls, warping, magnifying. Where are we? We’re in the middle of Klimt’s The Kiss. Where are we exactly? We’re in a bunker on the island of Jeju off the southwest coast of South Korea.

Confused? Get used to that. This island is never quite what you think it to be. Rustic traditions coexist with flashy modernity. Plastic expanses of hothouse farms stretch inland from a dramatic coastline dotted with glossy tourist resorts. An island fringed by gentle flatlands is dominated at its center by Korea’s tallest mountain. Even the climate is subverted: The nearby mainland endures freezing winters and sweltering summers, while Jeju remains relatively mild year-round.

Thanks to its scenery and weather, Jeju has long been the top domestic destination for South Koreans. The island’s population of 660,000 is supplemented by more than 15 million tourists each year, including increasing numbers from China (Jeju being one of the few places in the world the Chinese can visit without a visa).

As with any tourist hub, new attractions always spring up, mostly on the popular south coast. An old military bunker in the town of Seogwipo has been reinvented as the “Bunker of Light,” and here the Klimt display is currently exhibited. For the duration of each 30-minute show, the cavernous interior is awash with color and music. Visitors wander through it, spellbound.