I woke up in the strange bed and house to look outside to clear blue skies and puffy white clouds. Having arrived here the night before, from Pohang, I was eager to get started and explore what promised to be a wild frontier-like wonderland of natural beauty off Korea's East Coast.
Ulleung Island, which lies a few hundred kilometers off of Korea's East Coast, is a remote outpost for squid farmers who nestle into the coves and outlets where the rocky, rugged volcanic topography allows practical human settlement. Ulleung is slowly growing into a tourist attraction for hikers, fishermen, and photographers eager to enjoy its pristine natural beauty and remote wilderness experience (which is of course slowly disappearing as more tourists arrive).
After some trouble finding the trailhead, I eventually found the proper path leading to the summit of the tiny volcanic island. Ulleungdo didn't disappoint, and while these pictures don't nearly do it justice (clouds obscured all the views for most of the hike), I found the entire place splendidly wonderful. Here is me at the summit of the island and mountain, also known as Sanginbong (성인봉). I think the rest of the pictures speak for themselves.
