Humans of Jeju

15 years ago Jeju Olle CEO Eunjoo Ah was working as a reporter for a weekly news magazine. Taking a break from work, she came down to Jeju to support her former senior reporter Myung-sook Seo who was creating the Jeju Olle Trail. Later on, after realizing that making the Olle Trail was building happiness for others, she decided to join Jeju Olle and created the current Jeju Olle Trails. Today, alo...

15 years ago Jeju Olle CEO Eunjoo Ah was working as a reporter for a weekly news magazine. Taking a break from work, she came down to Jeju to support her former senior reporter Myung-sook Seo who was creating the Jeju Olle Trail. Later on, after realizing that making the Olle Trail was building happiness for others, she decided to join Jeju Olle and created the current Jeju Olle Trails. Today, alo...

Mi-ran Kwon, who lived in China during her childhood, grew up dreaming to become a reporter after watching Korean television program called ‘6 O’clock My Hometown’. Working as a reporter at a broadcasting station in Jeju for 9 years, she has been traveling around the island to tell people about Jeju Island. Let’s listen to the story of her as a reporter, the places in Jeju that she recommends, and...

Christina, an American writer and poet who works as an English teacher in Jeju, published her first children’s book "Blueberry Man" with illustrator Nika, who is famous for her book ‘Haenyeo Rina’. Let’s hear about the true story of the book written by the writer who spent her childhood in Georgia, USA, along with the story of the next book the two writers are creating.

CEO Young-mi Kang has been working with Seolmundae Children’s Library since it was established 25 years ago. Her 6 months year old child, who first went to the library with her, is now 26 years old and Young-mi Kang has now become the director of the Seolmundae Children’s Library. Currently, she is also running a project around the villages to create Jeju Language Picture Books with life stories o...

Si-young Kang, who worked as a Jeju environmental journalist for nealy 30 years, 3 years ago opened a bookstore named ‘Interview’ which features books related to Jeju’s nature, history, and culture. He was at the historical site where Jeju became the first in Korea to be designated as World Natural Heritage in 2007, and has since become a channel to inform the public about Jeju nature. Let’s hear...

Wanting to do something meaningful for his hometown Jeju, Purun Bike Sharing CEO Hyung-chan Kim created a bike sharing travel system in 2010 as the number of tourists increased to Jeju. However, after going through challenges and failures, Purun Bike Sharing are now operating the ‘Bike By a Hundred’ program, a program that anyone can easily learn to ride and travel on bike. Let’s hear about the ch...

One day, Si Ya Hong, a painter who is friends with art, came down to Jeju after having a dream that was like a prophecy. Becoming friends with the nature and observing the inner world, she lives on Jeju Island creating her own world of painting called ‘Mind Croquis’. Let’s listen about her art and her life on Jeju Island.

Designer Sang-hee Lee has had a special interest in clothes since she was a kid, and is now a modelist who designs and makes costumes for stage performances. Recently, she has created the stage costumes for Jeju operas ‘Lee Jung-seop’ and ‘Uncle Soon-i’ with her hands. Let’s listen and feel the strength and sincerity of Jeju woman through her life story as a designer.

Husband Hyun-dong Lee and wife Doo-ri Lee, who were working as musical actors, one day felt their health mentally and physically has gotten worse. So, the couple stopped their work and came to live on Jeju Island for a month. But one month has now become 6 years living on the Island. The couple is currently operating a mental care program platform called ‘Care Space’ and is also active in taking c...

10 years ago, turning down on studying abroad in Germany, Kidae Kim moved to Jeju Island which he feels as his second hometown. The world of art that he is focusing on is a sustainable way of turning sea waste into a work of art. Let’s listen to his story of his continuous art work inspired by the nature and cultural history of Jeju Island.

The CEO of Moru Tea Farm, Maengchan Kim, one day remembered the wide fields he saw as a child and dreaming of becoming a farmer. From then on, he has been cultivating tea on Jeju Island for 17 years. Let’s listen to the story of the tea farmer who grows sustainable tea with eco-friendly farming methods and has fell in love with the charm of tea.

Kang Na-kyung, who is engaged in various activities as a cultural planner in Jeju, is currently operating an unmanned exhibition space called ‘Seetangraum’ in Namseong Village in the old downtown of Jeju City. Collaborating with contemporary artists in Jeju Island, and also from around the nation and abroad, she hopes ‘Seetangraum’ can become a hub for artists and promotes interesting exhibitions...

Born in Jeju, where there are many myths and legends that stimulate imagination, Kim Jin-cheol debuted in 2006 by winning the Jeju New Artist Award for the fairy tale category. Since then, he has won the ‘Tomorrow’s Korea Writer Award’ and recently published a fairy tale with the Suwolbong, the global geopark, as the setting titled ‘Time Travel of Nangi and Tani’. Let’s listen about the charm of f...

One day on a trip to Jeju Island, Lee Sang-eun all of a sudden signed a contract to rent an empty space which she turned into a restaurant with her own unique concept. In Arangjoeul Street of Seogwipo, she has run the restaurant for 6 years serving home meals from around 30 countries. Let’s listen to her story about food that takes you on a travel around the world.

One day, the husband receives a tragic news. After being diagnosed with cancer, and spending the difficult days, the couple decides to move to Jeju for healing and stability. Walking the oreum in front of their house every day, the couple found the important things in life one by one in Jeju. Let’s listen to the story of the happy couple living in Jeju, which they say is their second hometown.

Born and raised in Seoul, visual artist Lee Sanghong has been working as artist for more than 15 years. His connection to Jeju Island started in 2017 through an exhibition program called ‘Artists and Yeogwan’ held in the old downtown of Jeju City. After that, he spent spring and fall in the old downtown of Jeju City, planning and imagining interesting projects, and prepared an art space ‘Bini Art...

Poet Kang Jihye, who debuted as a poet in 2013, lived like a typical city person before moving to Jeju in 2017. Adapting to the life in Jeju where she has to do many things on her own such as living as a poet, running an accommodation, doing cultural planning, and raising a child, she was able to feel as if she became a protagonist of her own life. Let’s listen to her story about ‘poetry’ and her...

After graduating from Chinese politics, MoBe decides to change his path in career to become a photographer. He worked as a commercial photographer in China, and 6 years ago moved to Jeju Island, where he is now running Studio MoBe. Let’s listen to his story about life in Jeju and his photography philosophy.

The colors of nature Kim Myungeun had encountered in nature, such as the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and Iguassu Fall in Paraguay, had great impact on her in becoming a ‘color collector’. In Jeju, she collects and records the colors of sea, plants, and the nature  and with it even creates lifestyle products so that we can feel Jeju in our daily life. She also suggests a new way of traveling Jeju...

CEO Yoo Ahram, who likes to walk and climb mountains, created the ‘Zero Point Trail’ as a new way of climbing Hallasan Mountain, the highest mountain in South Korea. The trekking course that starts from the zero sea level has created a challenge of hope for people with its meaning such as ‘New start’ and ‘Back to the beginning’.  Let’s listen to Yoo Ahram’s story of life in Jeju and his aspir...

Starting with a humanities and social sciences bookstore in Seoul, Eun Jong-bok has been an owner of a bookstore for 29 years. Facing difficult time living in Seoul, he moved his home to Jeju and is continuing his village bookstore called ‘Jeju Pulmujil’ along the beautiful stone wall streets of Sehwa. Let’s listen to his story of living in Jeju with books and about his village bookstore ‘Jeju Pul...

Every Thursday, reporter Jae delivers real life stories of fascinating people who live in Jeju in various ways. Meet the ‘people living in Jeju’ by listening to their actual voices along with the stories of their exciting life in Jeju.  3 years ago head director Seo Moran came to Jeju Island to learn about Jeju traditional food. Seeing and making ‘Jeju traditional food’ than learning about it...

Every Thursday, reporter Jae delivers real life stories of fascinating people who live in Jeju in various ways. Meet the ‘people living in Jeju’ by listening to their actual voices along with the stories of their exciting life in Jeju.  Shin Seung-hoon, well-known by his nickname ‘Shin Daejang’, is a Jeju travel planning expert and has been working to promote the life within Jeju Island throu...

In Jeju, the number of pet owners is rapidly increasing. Although there are more than 90,000 households raising pets in Jeju Island, about 7,000 are abandoned each year. Hoping that the word ‘abandoned animal’ will disappear, leader Ko In-suk says that volunteer work is rather ‘healing’ for her. Let’s listen to the story of the leader, who engages in various activities ranging from volunteer work,...