Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, unlike other oreum in Jeju Island, is a water-based volcano created by magma erupting in the water. As the hot magma ejected during volcanic activities met with cold seawater, volcanic ash contained a lot of moisture and became sticky, and it was Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak that piled up as it formed a layer.
The sedimentary layers near the sea were eroded by waves and currents, making the slope as steep as it is now. At the time of its creation, it was an island away from the mainland of Jeju, but as sand and gravel piled up around it, a road connected to the mainland during low tide, and in 1940, a road was created here, and it is now perfectly connected to the land.
When you reach the top, you can see a crater with a width of 80,000 pyeong, and grasses such as silver grass grow inside in a concave shape like a bowl. There are 99 high peaks (rocks) around the crater. It was named Seongsan because it looked like a huge castle, and Ilchulbong Peak because the sunrise was spectacular.
Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak also retains the painful history of Jeju.
In 1943, Japanese troops dug 24 caves on the coastal cliffs of Ilchulbong Peak to fortify the site. Bombs and torpedoes were hidden in the cave to prepare for the other day, but they failed to use them properly and lost the war. The cave was later used as a dressing room for a female diver. The road connecting Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak and the mainland was called Burtamok when the road burst during the low tide, and many civilians were killed by the suppression squad during the April 3 uprising here and around Umugae in Ilchulbong Peak.
The steep stairway to the top of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak is short of breath, but it takes 20 minutes to reach the top.
At the summit, the wide crater and the view of the sea behind it give a magnificent feeling that is completely different from other volcanic cones in Jeju. Since ancient times, the sunrise view from the top of this place has been said to be the best among the 10 scenic spots of Yeongju (Gyeongseungji in Jeju), and the Seongsan Sunrise Festival is held on December 31 every year.
Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak was managed as a local monument and was designated as a natural monument on July 19, 2000, and was registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site on July 2, 2007 in recognition of its outstanding scenery and geological value. In addition, it was certified as UNESCO World Geopark in October 2010, and was selected as the best natural ecological tourism spot in Korea in 2011 and the 12th Guinness World Tourism in December 2012.
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