Product Code Database
Ulleungdo (), also spelled Ulreungdo, is a South Korean island 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 at Seonginbong Peak. The island is in length and in width; it has an area of . 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 Ulleungdo is the port of Dodong (), which serves as the main ferry port between Ulleungdo 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.
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 Dynasty dynasties. It was devastated by Jurchen people 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 The empty-island policy was officially rescinded in 1881, after which the government sought to encourage additional settlement of Ulleungdo.
United States whaler cruised for right whales off the island between 1848 and 1892. Splendid, of Edgartown, Apr. 21, 1848, Nicholson Whaling Collection; Cape Horn Pigeon, of New Bedford, Apr. 19, 1892, Kendall Whaling Museum. Some went ashore nearby Jukdo to club . 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.
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.
Ulleungdo has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), though it resembles the west coast of Japan much more than Korea, since winters are cloudy with heavy rainfall, albeit not to the same extent as cities such as Kanazawa or Akita.
The rowan tree species Sorbus ulleungensis is endemic to the island.
A 2024 genetic analysis determined that a beech tree, Fagus multinervis, is endemic to Ulleungdo. It was previously assumed to be conspecific with Fagus engleriana, a Chinese beech tree, as they are phenotypically identical.
North Pacific right whales and pinnipeds were targeted by whalers and sealers in the adjacent waters. were also commonly observed historically, and other cetaceans, such as and , may appear around the island.2017. "동해 고래, 한미관계 뿐 아니라 독도 역사와도 연결". Retrieved on August 21, 2017
Japanese sea lions, now extinct, once bred on the island.
A 2013 study estimated that 1,177 species of insects inhabit the island.
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.
Chotdaebawi Rock (literally "Candle Rock"
ulleung. september 24, 2025
|
|
