Seongsan Ilchulbong, also called ‘Sunrise Peak’, is an archetypal tuff cone formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions upon a shallow seabed about 5 thousand years ago. Situated on the eastern seaboard of Jeju Island and said to resemble a gigantic ancient castle, this tuff cone is 182 meters high, has a preserved bowl-like crater and also displays diverse inner structures resulting from the sea cliff. These features are considered to be of geologic worth, providing information on eruptive and depositional processes of hydromagmatic volcanoes worldwide as well as past volcanic activity of Seongsan Ilchulbong itself.
Jeju Island's Seongsan Sunrise Peak ranked No. 1 on a list of "50 beautiful places to visit in Korea" by CNNGo, the 24-hour news channel's Asian culture website.
According to the Jeju provincial government, the list also includes the Seopjikoji promontory, Udo Island, Hyeopjae Beach and Mt. Halla.
"A UNESCO world heritage site, the [Seongsan Sunrise] peak is famous for many things, including numerous rare plant species, but is best known for the magnificent sight of the sun rising over it", the website said. "The scenery of Seopjikoji has also been captured by several Korean films and dramas", while on Udo Island, "visitors can hike on Olle road, or opt for a scooter ride along the shore, a submarine excursion or sea fishing".
It also described Hyeopjae Beach as "perfect for families with its shallow water, nearby amenities, and camping in the pine forest surrounding" it. The "fairytale sight of snowflakes and icicles covering tree branches on Mt. Halla was the inspiration for the Halla Snow Festival that is held in late January/early February every year", CNNGo added.
Jeju hopes the inclusion will further boost the number of foreign visitors to the island after it was chosen among the New 7 Wonders of Nature in November last year.
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