Jeju Island

Jeju Island is the largest island in Korea and is located to the south of the Korean Peninsula. Jeju Island is South Korea's only special autonomous province. Located in the Korean Strait, southwest of South Jeolla Province, which was once a province before it was divided in 1946. Jeju's capital is Jeju City.

Jeju Island's topography was formed around 2 million years ago by volcanic activity. In the center of the island appears Hallasan (Mount Halla), the highest mountain in all of Korea (1,950 m). The island is warm all year round and in winter it is rarely snowing, so plants that grow in subtropical regions can survive.

Jeju Island is nicknamed Samdado, "Abundant Island with Three Things", namely, rocks, women and wind. Because of its unique natural beauty and culture, Jeju Island is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Korea. In historical records, Jeju is mentioned in various names, ranging from Doi, Dongyeongju, Juho, Tammora, Seomna, Tangna or Tamra.

Jeju's closest port city with Korea's mainland is Mokpo, South Jeolla province. Coastline length 253 km, overall area 1,825 km². Temperatures in Jeju can vary, from tropical to subtropical. The average annual temperature is 14.6°C and 4.7°C in winter. The diversity of flora that grows in Jeju is very different from that on the Korean Peninsula. Because of its good climate, the island is overgrown with more than 1,700 species of plants, so Jeju is dubbed the "Botanical Island" because of its tropical wealth.