[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] “The island loved by Empress Myeongseong,” Geumo Island in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, has been selected as the “Island of the Month” for June by the Korea Island Promotion Agency (President Oh Dong-ho).
The Korea Island Promotion Agency selects and announces the “Island of the Month” at the beginning of each month starting this month to raise awareness of domestic islands.
The “Island of the Month” features interesting information about the island’s history, culture, and traditions under the theme “Useful Island of the Month (hereafter Useful Island).”
To select the Island of the Month, the Korea Island Promotion Agency received applications from 36 local governments with islands, along with advice from private organizations.
As a result, Geumo Island in Yeosu was named the Useful Island for June. Geumo Island was bestowed by King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty to Myeongryegung Palace and is nicknamed “the island loved by Empress Myeongseong.”
Geumo Island has only a 120-year history of settlement. During the Joseon Dynasty, the entire Geumo Island was designated as “Hwangjangbongsan,” making it practically impossible for the general public to enter.
Hwangjangbongsan refers to areas where pine trees used for building palaces or constructing Panokseon warships were cultivated. Once designated as Hwangjangbongsan, tree cutting and mountain entry by the public were prohibited.
Geumo Island experienced a new turning point in 2010 with the creation of the Bireong-gil trail. The 18.5 km cliff trail along the beautiful coastal terraces of the island has rapidly become a tourist destination attracting about 100,000 visitors annually.
Geumo Island’s Bireong-gil courses 1 and 2 have also served as filming locations for many movies such as “Blood Letter” and “The Truth of Kim Bok-nam’s Murder Case.”
When selecting the “Island of the Month,” the Korea Island Promotion Agency links it with various projects. Through the “Visiting Island Field Forum,” policy issues will be discussed and policy tasks discovered.
Additionally, it will be matched with research projects of the Policy Research and Promotion Division, island diagnosis and consulting, field visits by the Korea Island Promotion Agency Academy, and island trail projects connecting islands.
Oh Dong-ho, President of the Korea Island Promotion Agency, said, “I hope that through the selection of the Island of the Month, the value of forgotten and lesser-known islands can be rediscovered and reexamined,” adding, “This is not the end with the selection; we will foster it as a key project of our agency by linking it with various projects.”
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