Korea Island Promotion Agency Selects 5 "Winter Islands You Want to Visit"

Various Attractions Including Mineral Hot Springs, Festivals, and Exile Culture Park... Visitor Events Also Available

The Korea Island Development Institute (KIDI, President Oh Dong-ho) has been selected and is promoting the ‘Winter Islands You Want to Visit’ (hereinafter Winter Islands) in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

According to KIDI on the 7th, the Winter Islands selected this time are ▲Seokmodo (Ganghwa-gun, Incheon) ▲Heuksando and Amhaedo (Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do) ▲Jisimdo (Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do) ▲Jangsado (Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do), totaling five places.

Seokmodo (Ganghwa-gun, Incheon) is an island where you can heal your body and mind with mineral hot springs.

The open-air bath on Seokmodo is adjacent to the seaside, allowing visitors to enjoy a hot spring bath while watching the sunset. In particular, the hot spring water is high-temperature, emerging from granite and other rocks. Various mineral components are known to have excellent effects on skin, arthritis, and muscle pain.

Seokmodo Natural Recreation Forest, the only natural recreation forest in the northwest metropolitan area, has walking trails and hiking courses evenly distributed, making it accessible for people of all ages without burden.

Heuksando (Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do), the hometown of Jasan Eobo, is designated as a ‘K-Tourism Island’ by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

On Heuksando, where Jasan Eobo, Korea’s first marine science research book, was created, there are the Jeong Yak-jeon’s cousin school, Exile Culture Park, and Migratory Bird Museum.

Especially, having been selected as a ‘K-Tourism Island,’ it will receive around 10 billion KRW in project funds over four years starting this year, and due to its high historical and cultural value, many people visit as part of educational programs.

Amhaedo (Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do), where the ‘Island Winter Flower Festival’ is held, is bustling with preparations for welcoming guests.

During the festival period (from December 8 to January 1 of the following year), the spectacular sight of 10,000 baby camellia trees planted over 50,000 pyeong at the foot of Songgongsan Mountain can be seen. Experience events such as ‘Walking the Snow-covered Camellia Flower Path’ made with artificial snow machines and ‘Writing Wish Papers’ to tie wishes to trees are also held.

Jisimdo (Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do) is also an island that cannot be missed when talking about camellia flowers.

The camellia flowers, which start blooming from December, reach their peak in February, and camellia trees over 100 years old form tunnels, offering a beautiful landscape.

Additionally, visitors can vividly see traces of the Japanese military’s garrison during the Japanese colonial period (fortifications, ammunition depots, air-raid shelters, etc.), and seafood such as seaweed, gobies, rock seaweed, and octopus are famous.

Jangsado (Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do), famous as a filming location for the drama ‘My Love from the Star,’ also has a camellia tree tunnel path.

The camellia tree tunnel path, harmonized with small fairy lights, is considered a famous spot for taking memorable photos.

In addition, about 100,000 bay trees and Japanese chinquapin trees have been planted, transforming the small remote island into a healing space.

Travel information about the five places selected as Winter Islands can be found on the website ‘Korea Tourism Organization’s Korea Travel Online’ operated by the Korea Tourism Organization.

Also, to raise interest in the islands and encourage visitors to the Winter Islands, an event open to anyone visiting the islands will be held, offering prizes through a lottery and other means.

Oh Dong-ho, president of the Korea Island Development Institute, said, “In the cold season, the perceived temperature for island residents is actually lower than that for mainland residents,” adding, “Through the Winter Islands selected together with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, we want to provide island residents with a warmer winter and visitors with unforgettable memories.”