Ulleung-do
Ulleung-do is a Korean island in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). It is about 120 kilometers from the mainland of 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 makes up the main part of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.
History Archeological evidence indicates that the island has been inhabited since the 1st millenium BC. The first confirmed historical reference to Ulleung-do is in the Samguk Sagi for the year 512. In that year, the Silla general Lee 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 The empty-island policy was officially rescinded in 1881, after which the government sought to encourage additional emigration to Ulleung-do.
Tourism Favorite activities for tourists are hiking, fishing, and eating sashimi. 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.
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