Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
JEJU'S TRIPLE THREAT
One of the more commonly bandied-about expressions concerning Jeju Island is that
it has
sam da
or “three abundances”—wind, rocks, and women.
When it comes to wind, the saying rings true. Atmospheric pressures caused by
the interplay of sea and land regularly push average wind speeds above eight meters
per second (18 mph)—about the force needed to topple a small boat—from fall to
late spring each year, making fishing for the island's justifiably famous seafood a
sometimes dangerous pursuit. On the other hand, the gusts have also fostered a thriv-
ing wind-sport industry, with enthusiasts packing the island's beaches for the coun-
try's best windsurfing and its highlands for hang gliding. Unsurprisingly, Jeju is also
home to South Korea's first large-scale wind farm, the Hangwon Wind Power Gen-
eration Complex.
As for stone, the island's dark volcanic rock has been put to all sorts of uses,
including building fences and farming implements, altars, and pagodas. Perhaps no
creation is as instantly recognizable as the
dol hareubang
or “stone grandfather,”
a squat wide-eyed statue topped with a large bowler-like hat that was traditionally
