Teaching East Asia: Korea Teaching East Asia: Korea | Page 264

( Wild Life in DMZ )
Ural Owl
Large Copper
Korean Crevice Salamander
A story about Korea:
Bicycle path in The Netherlands and Olle walking paths in Jeju Island
What Koreans envy most about The Netherlands is its many bicycle paths, which enable people
to travel all over the country safely. On Jeju Island, however, something similar is gaining in
popularity. Jeju Island is located 140km away from the southern part of the peninsula, and
the total area is 1,848.5km². Halla Mountain, which is a dormant volcano, is at the center of
the island with a height of 1,950m. Jeju Island has many volcano caves and uniquely designed
thatched houses roofed with woven grass and stones designed to withstand the windy weather
of the island.
In Jeju dialect, which varies greatly from that of mainland Korea, Olle means “a very narrow
pathway that connects a street to the front gate of a house.” Courses for Olle walking paths are
currently being developed to allow sightseers to walk along the stonewalled winding streets
while thoroughly enjoying and experiencing Jeju-do’s unique culture. A total of 21 seashore
paths were developed in 2012, and the distance covered by the paths is 422km. The Olle walking
paths for pedestrians fit well with the recently spotlighted trends of eco-friendly tourism and
the health-conscious movement.
Halla Mountain in Jeju Island
Seongsan-po in Jeju Island
Olle walking paths
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