Marado
Encyclopedia
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
, in southernmost South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, having an area of 0.3 km². It is home to about 90 people, and has long been known for its population being composed of strong women and docile men. It's becoming a popular tourist destination, thanks to the many unusual rock formations, and is connected to the mainland by two regular ferries and numerous excursion boats.
Mara-do is within the administrative boundaries
Administrative divisions of South Korea
||South Korea is divided into 8 provinces , 1 special autonomous province , 6 metropolitan cities , and 1 special city...
of Daejeong Township (Daejeong-eup) in Seogwipo City
Seogwipo
Seogwipo is a city in Jeju Province, South Korea with a pre-2008 estimated population of 155,000 inhabitants. In July, 2006, Seogwipo city was expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. In 2002, it was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup.-Climate:-External links:*...
, and is included, along with Gapa Island (Gapado), in Gapa-ri, and is South Korea's southernmost point.
Because of its subtropical marine habitat the island is a natural reserve. It was designated as National Monument no. 423 (천연기념물 제423호) on July 18, 2000.
Overview
Marado was originally uninhabited. It was known as Keumdo (금도,禁島), which means forbidden island. According to a Choson Ilbo article published by Lee Kyu-tae in 1967, the island was first occupied by a woman named Kim Seong-oh (김성오,金成五) and her brothers in 1880. As a poor peasant with no land to farm, Kim Seong-oh decided to moved to the island when her father mentioned about the island on his deathbed. So Kim left Jeju with her two brothers, farming tools, and some seeds. They had to circle the island around three times, because they couldn't find a place to dock their boat. After about 10 years, they were joined by two stranded fishermen from Torishima (도리섬,鳥島), in the Kingdom of Ryukyu.However, documents from Jeju county also had another story on Marado. According to this story, the first residents came to live on Marado in 1883. One Mr. Kim originally living in Daejeong gol, a small village in Jeju, ran through his all fortune. His relatives proposed to let them move to Marado. Sim Hyun Taek, pastor of Jeju at that time, permitted them to do so, and Marado became inhabited for the first time. After independence, it was administered by Gapa-ri, Daejeong-eup of Jeju, and registered as an independent township(ri) called Marari.
Coastline
Marado is an island with an exceptionally rocky coastline; sea caves are found on the island as well.Due to tidal erosion, the east coast consists of extremely steep cliffs called Gue Jeong by residents. Their altitude extends to 39m and plants such as Korean cacti and ditch deeds are found here.
There are 4 docks on Marado, called Sal-rae duck, Jariduck, Jangsiduck and Sinjak-no, respectively. Fishery resources are largely abundant around whole year, especially in Jariduck.
Present
There is an elementary school, police station, church and lighthouse on Marado. Forty households are registered here and about 700 tourists a day come to visit. For them, fifty accommodations have been provided.Environment
Marado's coastal features and basalt rocks are the best for many fish, ear shells, turban shells and seaweeds.Solar-power Plants
There are solar-power plants located on the northern coast of Marado, a scarce sight in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Combined capacity is about 30 kW; the plants provide 27 households with electricity.