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鬱陵島
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Ulleungdo
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Ullŭngdo
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is a
Korea n island in the
Sea Of Japan (East Sea). Known as '''Dagelet''' to the Europeans, Ulleung-do is about 120 kilometers from the
Korean Peninsula . Volcanic in origin, the island is rocky and steep-sided. Its natural beauty makes Ulleung-do a popular tourist site. The other main source of income is
Fishery , including the harvest of
Cuttlefish , which can be seen drying in the sun in many places on Ulleung-do.
The main city of Ulleung-do is the port of
Dodong , which serves as the main ferry port between Ulleung-do and the Korean mainland.
The island of Ulleung-do has an area of 73.15 km² with about 10,000 inhabitants. It makes up the main part of
Ulleung County ,
North Gyeongsang Province,
South Korea .
Archeological evidence indicates that the island has been inhabited since the
1st Millennium BC . The first confirmed historical reference to Ulleung-do is in the ''
Samguk Sagi '' for the year
512 . In that year, the
Silla general
Yi Sabu conquered the island, which had previously been the autonomous nation of
Usan-guk . Some accounts relate that he used a number of wooden lions to intimidate the population, threatening to turn them loose unless they surrendered.
Usan-guk did not remain under the Silla yoke, however, and the island did not become a permanent political part of Korea until
930 , when it was annexed by
Goryeo . Remote as it is from the Korean mainland, Ulleung-do was a recurrent security headache for the Goryeo and
Joseon dynasties. It was devastated by
Jurchen pirate raids in the
11th Century , and by Japanese pirate raids in the
14th Century . A clash with Japan over fishing rights in the
1690s was precipitated by the Korean fisherman
An Yongbok . In response to these difficulties, Joseon adopted an "empty-island" policy which however proved impossible to enforce. The empty-island policy was officially rescinded in
1881 , after which the government sought to encourage additional settlement of Ulleung-do.
Favorite activities for tourists are
Hiking ,
Fishing , and eating
Raw Fish . Sightseeing boats make regular three-hour circuits about Ulleung-do, departing from the harbor at Dodong and passing by all the points of interest along the coast, including many interesting rock formations and the tiny island of Jukdo. Other scenic sites are Seonginbong, the highest peak on the island (984 m); Bongnae waterfall; the "natural icehouse"; and a coastal cliff from which the
Liancourt Rocks (known in Korea as Dokdo) can be discerned in the distance.
