Beauty Outside Seoul: Jeju Summer Spots

While Korea chokes in the sweltering summer heat, Jeju Island waits as a paradise of unspoiled native culture, ocean magic, and cooling landscapes. Famous globally for its volcanic features, sun-tanned seas, and wildlife, Jeju not just endures heat but embraces it with traditions that create cutting-edge juxtapositions of nature, cuisine, and culture.

     When others grasp at air conditioning, Jeju locals turn to nature. Manjanggul Cave is one of Jeju’s summer oases, which stays 11-21 °C all year-round. Jeju people and foreigners can travel down the black, mystifying tunnels to escape the heat of summer and discover one of the island’s most remarkable natural wonders.

     Jeju Island's location in the Korea Strait provides it with a consistent sea breeze which softens summer afternoons unlike the hot summer days on the mainland. Canopies, seashore scenic walks like the Olle Trail, provide walkers with an option to experience waves, a sea spray breeze, and even a splash here and there along the way. 

     Jeju summer cannot be considered complete without joy triggered by seasonal food. While other Koreans from the mainland enjoy patbingsu (sweet shaved ice dessert) and naengmyeon (cold noodle), Jeju enhances the summer desert experience with its tropical flair as well as with fresh seafood and island-specific deserts.

     Among the island specialties is momguk, a seaweed soup made with gulfweed and pork broth. Even in summer, it is believed to fuel the strength of Jeju’s farmers. Islanders also eat lighter versions of the traditional dessert hyeonmi-bingsu on very hot sunny days, replacing traditional toasted brown rice powder with sugar and native fruits such as halabong (Jeju oranges).

     Hallabong ade, a blend of cold hallabong added with fresh hallabong juice, is another summertime beverage available at beachfront cafes. It's bubbly, tangy, and packed with vitamin C, giving the tongue a taste of health.

     And we cannot forget one of Jeju's traditional haenyeo, or sea women, in the summertime Jeju experience. Usually over 60 years old, they dive into the cold sea in famous black swimsuits to collect shellfish, seaweed, and sea cucumbers. Haenyeos often have their seafood restaurants nearby for fresh seafood along the beach, and it's an experience worth the long drives from hotels.

     Summer is greeted by the Jeju forests as well. It is so much better in the summer walking through the Bijarim forest beneath 500-year-old nutmeg trees casting a cool shadow from the hot blazing sun. The summertime jeju forests provide a glimpse into the pure nature of Jeju, a good sight seeing opportunity.

     Even though summer weather and the nasty mosquitos it brings are dreaded by many, Jeju turns the heat into something fun and memorable, with nature, local culture, and built-in ways to cool down. So why don’t you visit Jeju this summer and explore the summer spots and wonders the island holds inside?

Seoyeon Hong

Works Cited

"How To Eat Your Way Through Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market On Jeju Island." To Soul of Seoul, 24 Jan. 2025, thesoulofseoul.net/how-to-eat-your-way-through-seogwipo-maeil-olle-market-on-jeju-island/?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 22 June 2025.

"Incheon Grand Park: A Family-Friendly Oasis in the City." Discover Korea, 4 Mar. 2025, www.korea-discover.com/2025/02/ManjanggulCave.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 22 June 2025.

"Jeju Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market, Everything You Need to Know." Seoul Searching, 20 Feb. 2024, seoulsearching.net/jeju-seogwipo-maeil-olle-market-everything-you-need-to-know/?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 22 June 2025.

"Manjanggul Cave." Tripadvisor, www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297885-d1643536-Reviews-or420-Manjanggul_Cave-Jeju_Jeju_Island.html. Accessed 22 June 2025.