Islands in South Korea (7)

Gyodong Island, located in the northwest of South Korea, offers a stark contrast to the tension surrounding its proximity to North Korea. Connected to the mainland by a bridge, the island is monitored by soldiers at a military checkpoint, yet life on Gyodong is tranquil and traditional. Often described as a 'land where time stopped,' Gyodong retains the appearance of South Korean villages from the 1970s. Since the bridge’s completion in 2014, it has become a destination for tourists seeking a break from city life and a glimpse of historical South Korea. The island's isolation contributes to its serene environment, with minimal industry and few vehicles. This has preserved its natural beauty and created a peaceful habitat for local wildlife. Historical ties to North Korea, including the establishment of a modest commercial area by North Korean refugees during the Korean War, add to Gyodong's unique character. Residents enjoy the island's quiet lifestyle but face challenges such as limited job opportunities and the need to balance traditional living with educational aspirations for their children. Despite concerns about future changes, Gyodong remains a simple, unspoiled retreat amid geopolitical tensions.

On Friday, January 5th, 2024, the island of Baengnyeong in South Korea faced a critical situation. North Korea initiated a distressing event by firing numerous artillery shells into the waters off its western coast. This aggressive action led to an immediate emergency evacuation order for civilians residing on the western border island of Baengnyeong, mirroring the situation on Yeonpyeong Island. The evacuation directives were issued at 12:02 p.m. and repeated at 12:30 p.m., prompted by the South Korean military following the detection of artillery firings originating from North Korea's southwestern coastal areas, specifically from Jangsan Cape and Deungsan Cape, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The decision to evacuate was made after a military unit reported conducting a maritime strike on Yeongpyeong Island due to the ongoing North Korean provocation. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, enabling a swift evacuation response to ensure the safety of Baengnyeong's residents. The severity of the situation caused disruptions in transportation, as a passenger ferry scheduled to depart from Incheon for Yeonpyeong at 1 p.m. was immobilized due to the evacuation order. The shells launched by North Korea fell within the maritime buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a border established to reduce tensions between North and South Korea.

On Friday, January 5th, 2024, the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong experienced a significant event. North Korea launched a barrage of around 200 artillery shells into the waters off its western coast. This action prompted an immediate emergency evacuation order for civilians on Yeonpyeong and neighboring Baengnyeong islands. The artillery firing, detected between 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., originated from North Korea's southwestern coastal areas, targeting the maritime buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea. Despite this provocative act, there were fortunately no reported damages to South Korean citizens or the military, nor were there any reported human losses resulting from North Korea's firing. The South Korean military swiftly responded to the situation, labeling North Korea's actions as highly provocative. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) condemned North Korea's move and emphasized the responsibility for the escalating crisis lay entirely with North Korea. They called for an immediate halt to such actions. At 12:02 p.m. and later at 12:30 p.m., an emergency evacuation order was issued for Yeonpyeong at the request of the South Korean military, ensuring the safety of civilians in shelters. A similar alert was also issued for the neighboring island of Baengnyeong around the same time. The escalation prompted the cancellation of a passenger ferry scheduled to depart from Incheon for Yeonpyeong at 1 p.m. due to the evacuation order. In response to North Korea's provocation, the South Korean Marines stationed on Yeonpyeong conducted live-fire artillery drills in the afternoon, utilizing K9 self-propelled howitzers. This marked the first time such exercises had taken place on the northwestern border islands since the signing of the 2018 inter-Korean military accord, intended to ease tensions across the border. Despite the tension and evacuation measures, there were no reported casualties from the North Korean firing. The shells landed within the established buffer zone, which had been created to reduce tensions between North and South Korea.

A video showing Baekryeong Island (Baengnyeongdo), which is the western most territory in South Korea. It is far closer to North Korea than to South Korea. It is inhabited by residents as well as a large number of soldiers. It is highly fortified, and the South Korean military regularly perform military exercises in case of attack. Historically the leadership in North Korea have made threats towards the island and performed aggressive military action towards the island. In the video you can see footage of the island, as well as listen to personal experiences and opinions of residents who live there. It is a tourist destination as well, mostly for domestic tourists from the mainland of South Korea.

Seopseom, Munseom and Beomseom are islands formed about 500,000 years ago wih the trachyte, not with the basalt, basic rock of Jeju Island. They have unusual rock formations and caves formed by the erosion of the sea, which make for breathtaking scenery. Seopseom is off the shores of Bomok-dong with 142,612 meters squared land area and 159.5 meters above the sea level. It is called 'Seopseom' because it has a great deal of trees, and also commonly called 'Seolpiseom'. The whole island is designated as Natural Monument No. 18. A natural habitat of spleenwort (asplenuim antiguum makino) of Samdo, and also the native place of Citrus Tachibana (Makino) C. Tanaka. The warm ocean currents that flow up from the south along the coastline of Seogwipo have led to the creation of natural habitats for numerous exotic or rare species. The warm, clean waters also help create and preserve unique seascapes - represented by the three small islands of Seopseom, Munseom and Beomseom - in the waters around Seogwipo. Of the three, Seopseom Island is famous for its natural habitat of spleenworts, which has been designated by the Korean governemtn as Natural Monument No 18, while the other two islands have been turned into a nature reserve to protect their rare flora and fauna, and designated as Natural Monument No. 421. Seopseom, the island on the left when viewed from the coast, also known by the names Seolpiseom (lit. 'Firewood Island') and Samdo (lit. 'Cedar Island'), is a natural habitat for a rare plant species called spleenwort. The island in the middle is Munseom (lit. 'Bald Island') because no plants can grow there properly. The island is loved for its scenic rocky cliffs that drop vertically into the sea and the great underwater views created by coral and other exotic marine life forms.

Beomseom looks like a tiger, so it gets its name from that. Its land area is 93,597 square meters and it is 87.2m above sea level. It is designated as Natural Monument No 421, and it is the southernmost area where Japanese (black) wood pigeons (Natural Monument No. 215) breed and inhabit. Various kinds of marine lives worth of researching inhabit around the island. Especially a number of marine lives of new or unrecorded species appear, grow and inhabit around the island so that it could be a representative area of the variety of life in the south. Also the island is a treasure house of marine resources with gathering of coral around the island. Seopseom, Munseom and Beomseom are islands formed about 500.000 years ago with the trachyte, not with the basalt, basic rock of Jeju island. They have unusual rock formations and caves formed by the erosion of the sea, which make for breathtaking scenery. The island on the right is named Beomseom (lit. 'Tiger Island') as it is said to resemble a tiger. It has two shallow caves formed by waves just above sea level, which are called 'Kotgumeong' (lit 'Nostrils') because they look like the nostrils of a tiger. Beomseom Island also provides natural habitats for several rare plant and bird species including the Korean wood pigeon, which has been designated as Natural Monument No. 215 by the Korean government. The island is also associated with the great victory of General Choe Yeong (1316-1388) in the battle waged around the island against the Mongol forces that invaded Korea (then Goryeo) in 1374.

Munseom means a bare island where nothing grows. Its land area is 96,833 square meters and it is 85.7m above sea level. It is designated as Natural Monument No 421, 'Munseom Island and Beomseom Island nature reserve' along with Beomseom Island. There are coral habitats around the island. Seopseom, Munseom, and Beomseom are islands formed about 500,000 years ago with the trachyte, not with the basalt, basic rock of Jeju island. They have unusual rock formations and caves formed by the erosion of the sea, which make for breathtaking scenery. The island in the middle is Munseom (lit. 'Bald Island') because no plants can grow there properly. The island is loved for its scenic rocky cliffs that drop vertically into the sea and the great underwater views created by coral and other exotic marine life forms.