Jeju is the largest island and smallest province of South Korea. Its capital is Jeju City. Jeju is located in the Korean Strait southwest of South Jeolla Province, to which it was a part of until it became a separate province in 1946.
Names
In Korean, the island is called Jejudo, while as a government administrative unit it is identically called Jeju-do: the word do means both "island" and "province," although each has its own Chinese character. The table below details the various names (si) refers to a city administrative unit; Jeju is also the name of the provincial capital).
| English Name |
Korean Name |
Hangul |
Hanja |
| Jeju Island |
Jejudo |
제주도 |
濟州島 |
| Jeju Province |
Jeju-do |
제주도 |
濟州道 |
| Jeju City |
Jeju-si |
제주시 |
濟州市 |
The island has historically been called by different names including Doi (도이, 島夷), Dongyeongju (동영주, 東瀛州) Juho (주호, 州胡) Tammora (탐모라, 耽牟羅), Seopra (섭라, 涉羅), Takra (탁라, 竣羅) and Tamra (탐라, 耽羅).
Before the year 2000 when the Seoul government changed the official Romanization of han-geul (the Korean alphabet), Jeju was spelled "Cheju" and almost all written reference to the island before then can be found under that spelling. Proper pronunciation is reflected by reading "che-ju" rather than "je-ju" but Koreans are not confused if you pronounce both j's the same.
Natural History
Jeju Island—formerly known to Europeans as Quelpart—is a volcanic island, dominated by Halla-san, a volcano 1,950 m high, tallest mountain in South Korea.
The island was created entirely from volcanic eruptions beginning hundreds of millions of years ago, and consists chiefly of basalt and lava. The climate is subtropical, warmer than the rest of Korea yet with four distinct seasons. Half the summer is rainy; winter is fairly dry.
History
Jeju was an independent country called Tamna (耽羅) until it became a protectorate of Silla in 662. After Silla fell, Tamna became a protectorate of Goryeo in 938. Tamna lost its autonomy in 1105 and became a province of Goryeo. King Euijong of Goryeo changed the island's name to Jeju.
In 1271, Jeju became the base of the Sambyeolcho Rebellion against the Mongols. After Sambyeolcho was defeated, Mongols put Jeju under direct rule in 1273, and it became Goryeo territory again in 1367.
When Korea was colonized by Japan in 1910, Jeju became known as Saishu, which is the Japanese reading of the Hanja for Jeju. After the defeat of the Japanese, Jeju officially became part of the new Republic of Korea. There was an inccident where approximately 20,000 Jeju Islanders were massacred Cheju April 3rd Massacre. The cause is still disputed and unknown. Jeju island historically was discriminated due to its location and isolation. Jeju islander's history has been completely censored in Korean History books and textbooks.
It has been a part of Jeolla since then until 1946, it became a province of its own.
Society and Culture
In their relative isolation over the ages, the people of Jeju Island have developed a culture unique from Koreans on the mainland. There are literally thousands of local legends, and perhaps the most distinct cultural artifact is the ubiquitous harubang "stone grandfather," carved of a block of lava.
Administrative divisions
Jeju Province is divided into two cities ("Si" or "Shi") and two counties ("Gun"). The two cities are further divided into 31 neighbourhoods ("Dong"), while the two counties are divided into seven towns ("Eup") and five districts ("Myeon"). The seven towns and five districts are in turn divided 551 villages ("Ri").
Listed below are the English, Hangul, and Hanja names of the province's two cities and two counties.
Cities
Counties
Sister Provinces
Jeju's international sister provinces are also islands: Hainan Province (People's Republic of China), Hawaii (US), Sakhalin (Russia), and Bali (Indonesia).
Power supply
The powergrid of Jeju Island is connected to the mainland by the HVDC Haenam-Cheju.
See also
External Links
Last updated: 05-23-2005 00:45:01
