Located 135km east of the Korean peninsular, and two-thirds of the way to the disputed islands of Dokdo/Takeshima (depending on your point of view), is Ulleungdo. It’s the top of a volcano and is a rugged, tree covered landscape with communities tucked into flatter areas on the coast.
The boat from Gangneung on the coast of Gangwon Province takes around three hours to get to Ulleungdo and arrives in the little port of Jeodong-ri. From there, a path to the neighbouring community of Dodong-ri hugs the bottom of the cliffs. Much of it is man-made, with bridges spanning stretches of open sea, and there’s a spiral staircase at one point that takes you from just above sea level to the top of the cliffs for a higher-level section of the route.
Gates have been placed that can close the path if the sea conditions make it unsafe but there was no danger of this on Friday; instead, more turquoise seas gently lapped the rocks under a clear blue sky. What were you doing on Friday?
Notes from a Korean island 