 NASA Landsat7 image of Ulleung-do (north oriented at top) | |
 Location of Ulleung-do | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sea of Japan |
| Coordinates | 37°30′04″N 130°51′23″E / 37.50111°N 130.85639°E / 37.50111; 130.85639 |
| Area | 72.86 km (28.13 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 984 m (3228 ft) |
| Administration | |
| South Korea | |
| County | Ulleung County |
| Province | North Gyeongsang Province |
| North Korea (claimed) | |
| County | Ullŭng County |
| Province | North Kyŏngsang Province |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 9,191 (Sep 2020.) |
| Pop. density | 126/km (326/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Koreans |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 울릉도 |
| Hanja | 鬱陵島 |
| Revised Romanization | Ulleungdo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ullŭngdo |
Ulleungdo (Korean: 울릉도; IPA: [uɭːɯŋdo]), also spelled Ulreungdo, is a South Korean island 120 kilometres (65 nmi; 75 mi) east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan. It was formerly known as Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe. Volcanic in origin, the rocky steep-sided island is the top of a large stratovolcano which rises from the seafloor, reaching a maximum elevation of 984 metres (3,228 ft) at Seonginbong Peak. The island is 9.5 kilometres (6 mi) in length and ten kilometres (6 mi) in width; it has an area of 72.86 km (28.13 sq mi). It has a population of 10,426 inhabitants.
The island makes up the main part of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and is a popular tourist destination. The main city of Ulleung-do is the port of Dodong (도동; 道洞), which serves as the main ferry port between Ulleung-do and the South Korean mainland. After tourism, the main economic activity is fishing, including its well-known harvest of squid, which can be seen drying in the sun in many places.
History
Archaeological evidence indicates that the island was first inhabited in the 1st millennium BC. The first confirmed historical reference to Ulleung-do is in the Samguk Sagi for the year 512. In that year, the Silla general Kim Isabu 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 rule, however, and the island did not become a permanent political part of Korea until 930, when it was annexed by Goryeo. Ulleungdo was attacked a number of times during the late Goryeo and early Joseon dynasties. It was devastated by Jurchen pirate raids in the 11th century, and by Wokou pirate raids in the 14th century. A clash with Japan over fishing rights in the 1690s was precipitated by the Korean fisherman An Yong-bok. 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 settlement of Ulleungdo.
American whaleships cruised for right whales off the island between 1848 and 1892. Some went ashore nearby Jukdo to club pinnipeds.
Geography and climate
Ulleungdo is a volcanic island that rose from the seabed during the Cenozoic period, and consists of trachyte, andesite, and basalt. Hot spot volcanic activity by the General Isabu seamount, dissolved Simheungtaek seamount and Liancourt Rocks and Ulleung Island with An Yong-bok seamount was created as well. Liancourt Rocks is 4.6 million years ago estimated 2.5 million years ago, and the creation of Ulleungdo to us, 2.5 million years ago in 5,000 years ago.
The island consists primarily of trachyandesite rock. A major explosive eruption around 8000 BCE decapitated its top to form a caldera.
There is Seonginbong Peak in the center of the island. The Nari Basin is part of a caldera in the northern part of the island, and is the island's only flat surface.
Ulleung-do has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), though it resembles the west coast of Japan much more than Korea, since in winter rainfall is heavy if less so than in such wet cities as Kanazawa or Akita. It is generally cloudy in the winter if again not so markedly as in the previously-mentioned Japanese cities.
- Highest Temperature: 35.4 °C (95.7 °F) on August 8, 2013
- Lowest Temperature: −13.6 °C (7.5 °F) on February 26, 1981
- Highest Daily Precipitation: 257.8 millimetres (10.15 in) on September 3, 1981
- Wettest Year: 2,236.9 millimetres (88.07 in) in 2003
| Climate data for Ulleung (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1938–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
19.2 (66.6) |
21.8 (71.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
30.8 (87.4) |
32.2 (90.0) |
34.6 (94.3) |
35.4 (95.7) |
32.4 (90.3) |
27.2 (81.0) |
24.5 (76.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
35.4 (95.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
5.6 (42.1) |
9.6 (49.3) |
15.1 (59.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.5 (77.9) |
26.9 (80.4) |
23.2 (73.8) |
18.8 (65.8) |
13.2 (55.8) |
7.2 (45.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
2.5 (36.5) |
5.8 (42.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
15.8 (60.4) |
19.1 (66.4) |
22.7 (72.9) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.0 (68.0) |
15.4 (59.7) |
9.9 (49.8) |
4.3 (39.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.5 (31.1) |
0.0 (32.0) |
2.9 (37.2) |
7.8 (46.0) |
12.5 (54.5) |
16.5 (61.7) |
20.5 (68.9) |
21.7 (71.1) |
17.7 (63.9) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.4 (45.3) |
1.9 (35.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.6 (11.1) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
3.8 (38.8) |
7.8 (46.0) |
12.5 (54.5) |
14.7 (58.5) |
8.9 (48.0) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 117.4 (4.62) |
91.3 (3.59) |
76.4 (3.01) |
97.8 (3.85) |
108.5 (4.27) |
116.8 (4.60) |
175.0 (6.89) |
176.7 (6.96) |
173.6 (6.83) |
100.9 (3.97) |
116.9 (4.60) |
129.3 (5.09) |
1,480.6 (58.29) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 18.8 | 14.5 | 12.0 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 12.0 | 11.6 | 10.6 | 9.3 | 13.1 | 18.2 | 146.3 |
| Average snowy days | 17.7 | 13.2 | 7.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 3.4 | 13.1 | 55.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 68.6 | 68.4 | 67.5 | 67.2 | 70.2 | 79.6 | 84.7 | 83.4 | 79.3 | 71.4 | 67.6 | 67.3 | 72.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 102.0 | 118.1 | 180.5 | 216.5 | 238.5 | 185.5 | 165.1 | 176.6 | 163.7 | 178.8 | 132.0 | 104.1 | 1,961.4 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 29.5 | 34.2 | 45.1 | 53.7 | 51.7 | 39.7 | 33.6 | 38.8 | 42.5 | 50.7 | 42.6 | 33.7 | 41.7 |
| Source: Korea Meteorological Administration (percent sunshine 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
Flora and fauna
The island and surrounding water were registered as a marine protected area to secure rich biodiversity in 2014.
The rowan tree species sorbus ulleungensis is endemic to the island.
As above mentioned, North Pacific right whales and pinnipeds were targeted by whalers and sealers in the adjacent waters. Fin whales were also commonly observed historically, and other cetaceans such as minke whales and dolphins may appear around the island.
Japanese sea lions, now extinct, once bred on the island.
A 2013 study estimated that 1,177 species of insects inhabit the island.
Tourism
Favorite activities for tourists are hiking, fishing, and eating hoe (a Korean raw fish dish). 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 small neighboring island of Jukdo. Other scenic sites are Seonginbong, the highest peak on the island (984 m (3,228 ft)); Bongnae waterfall; the "natural icehouse"; and a coastal cliff from which the Liancourt Rocks can be discerned in the distance.
An airport on the island was planned since 2013 and is under construction since 2020. The design of the new airport was revamped in 2023 for larger aircraft and is expected to open in 2025.
Gallery
-
A pedestrian walking path along the coast (2014)
-
Boats near some cliffs of the island (2010)
-
Cliffs on the island (2010)
-
Harbor of Jeo-dong on the island (2014)
.jpg)
See also
References
- ^ "120417(조간)_2012년도_지적통계연보_발간(지적기획과1)" (HWP) (in Korean). 2012-04-16.
- Short, John Rennie (2012). Korea: A Cartographic History. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226753645. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- Narangoa 2014, p. 299.
- "The Island of Ulleung". Official Site of Korea Tourism. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26.
- ^ "우산국 - 디지털울릉문화대전". Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- "고려시대 - 디지털울릉문화대전". Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- "쇄환정책 - 디지털울릉문화대전". Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- 김, 우진, "안용복 (安龍福)", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-06-15
- Splendid, of Edgartown, Apr. 21, 1848, Nicholson Whaling Collection; Cape Horn Pigeon, of New Bedford, Apr. 19, 1892, Kendall Whaling Museum.
- Henry Kneeland, of New Bedford, Apr. 18, 1853. In Cloud, E. C., & McLean, E. (1994). Enoch's voyage: life in a whaleship, 1851-1854. Wakefield, R.I: Moyer Bell.
- ^ 김, 연옥, "울릉도 (鬱陵島)", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-06-15
- "Ulleungdo". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
- "Global Volcanism Program | Ulleungdo". Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- Victoria C. Smith; et al. (2013-05-01). "Identification and correlation of visible tephras in the Lake Suigetsu SG06 sedimentary archive, Japan: chronostratigraphic markers for synchronising of east Asian/west Pacific palaeoclimatic records across the last 150 ka". Quaternary Science Reviews. 67: 125, 127. Bibcode:2013QSRv...67..121S. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.01.026.
- 김, 우관, "나리 분지 (羅里 盆地)", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-06-15
- ^ 순위값 - 구역별조회 (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- "Climatological Normals of Korea (1991 ~ 2020)" (PDF) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- "Climatological Normals of Korea" (PDF). Korea Meteorological Administration. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- 해양수산부고시제2014-139호(울릉도 주변해역 해양보호구역 지정), 제18417호 / 관보(정호) / 발행일 : 2014. 12. 26. / 83 페이지 / 490.8KB
- 2017. "동해 고래, 한미관계 뿐 아니라 독도 역사와도 연결". Retrieved on August 21, 2017
- Chang K.; Zhang C.; Park C.; Kang; Ju S.; Lee; Wimbush M., eds. (2015). Oceanography of the East Sea (Japan Sea). Springer International Publishing. p. 380. ISBN 9783319227207. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
- "둘도 없는 이 땅의 기경 울릉도를 탐하다 - 자전거생활". www.bicyclelife.net (in Korean). 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- Yoon-seung, Kang (2019-02-27). "Scientists find traces of extinct Dokdo sea lions". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- Choi, Jae Won; Won, Min Hyeok; Lee, Dong Yeol; Bang, Woo Jun; Moon, Min Ki; Kim, Young-Kun; Kim, Donguk; Kim, Dooyoung; Suh, Sang Jae; Choi, Kwang Shik (2022-12-01). "Insect fauna of Seonginbong in Ulleungdo, Korea". Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 15 (4): 518–526. doi:10.1016/j.japb.2022.08.001. ISSN 2287-884X.
- 김, 두한 (2018-04-13). "울릉도 성인봉·나리봉, '4월 명품 숲'에". 경북매일. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
- 김, 용덕 (2021-10-11). "Dokdo As Seen From Ulleungdo" (PDF). 동북아역사재단. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- Kyong-ae, Choi (15 November 2020). "Seoul to begin construction of Ulleung airport this month". Yonhap News Agency.
- "Ulleung Airport to be redesigned again". Dong-a Ilbo. September 5, 2023.
- "Ulreung". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
- Narangoa, Li (2014). Historical Atlas of Northeast Asia, 1590-2010: Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, Eastern Siberia. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231160704.
External links
- Ulleung County government
- Ulleung.go.kr: Tourist Information (in English) Archived 2012-06-30 at archive.today
- Ulleungdo, Dokdo islands to be preserved as National Park