• Sorisomoon Bookstore: Jeong Doseon & Park Jinhee
    Jan 16 2025

    In the small village of Jeoji on Jeju Island, Doseon and Jinhee run their cherished bookstore. As true romantics who love books, they have made their passion their livelihood. Throughout their journey—dating, getting married, and living their daily lives—books have always been by their side. They pursued their dream of running a quiet bookstore in a place they wanted to live, and now they reside in Hangyeong-myeon area, enjoying heartwarming days with their neighbors and friends. By focusing solely on selling books and dedicating themselves to thoughtful book curation, Sorisomoon has become a beloved bookstore, admired not only by writers and publishers but also by potential readers who might not typically pick up a book. In 2023, their efforts gained international recognition when Sorisomoon was featured in <150 Bookstores You Must Visit Before You Die>, published by Belgium’s Lannoo Publishers, sparking interest among foreign visitors. As for a book they have published, Doseon and Jinhee are the authors of .

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    34 mins
  • Photographer, Park Geun-joo
    Jan 9 2025

    Since relocating to Jeju Island in 2017, Park Geun-joo has been capturing the essence of Jeju’s buildings through his photography. He reimagines these structures with colors and shapes, creating images that resemble paintings. His work explores the boundary between reality and idealism, encouraging viewers to reflect on this interplay. Buildings that we often pass by unnoticed, unaware of their presence, are reborn as works of art through his lens. His photography invites people to closely observe and appreciate the details of everyday life. Park operates a studio in the small village of Jongdal-ri in Jeju City, where he is also working on a series titled “Romantic Melancholy”—a collection of photographs capturing the back appearance of local residents.

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    27 mins
  • Writer, Park Soon-woo
    Jan 2 2025

    Park Soon-woo writes in various formats, including essays, articles, and interviews. She moved to Jeju Island after meeting her husband while walking along the Jeju Olle Trail. They built a two-story house in Jongdalli Village, along Olle Trail Course 1, where they first met, and have been living there for 12 years, raising their two children. She runs a small writing space called ‘Island Writing Room’, where she guides aspiring writers while continuing her own writing journey. Her published works include the book .

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    25 mins
  • Climbing Boy Kim Hyun-jun & Father Kim Ju-woon
    Dec 26 2024

    Ten-year-old Hyun-jun, a third grader at Jungang Elementary School, was born and raised in Jeju. Alongside his father, who was also born and raised in Jeju, Hyun-jun explored the island’s natural beauty through “caravan camping” from the time he could barely walk. Small, agile, and solidly built, he quickly picked up and excelled in any sport he tried. By chance, he encountered climbing, which captivated his young heart. Now, he says his dream is to "grow up and compete in international competitions," showing how much climbing has become his passion. Just five months after he began climbing, he won first place in the Jeju Education Superintendent’s Cup. In April 2023, he secured another victory by taking first place in the elementary school division at the 57th Jeju Provincial Sports Festival.

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    22 mins
  • O Architects | Architects Oh Jeong Heon & Kim Si Hi
    Dec 19 2024

    Architect Oh Jeong Heon, who returned to his hometown of Jeju to pursue the architecture he envisioned, and Architect Kim Si Hi, who moved to Jeju to create everyday spaces, first met through work and eventually married. Together, they have left their mark across Jeju, designing single-family homes, stay accommodations, neighborhood facilities, and public architecture projects. Their talents have been recognized, with the duo winning architectural awards every two years. Their shared aspiration is to create harmonious structures that coexist with Jeju’s villages. Looking ahead, they plan to focus on public architecture projects to benefit an even larger number of people. https://www.oarchi.com/

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    28 mins
  • Local Creator Lee Seung-taeck
    Dec 12 2024

    Lee Seung-taeck has been actively working across fields such as public art, community development, urban regeneration, cultural revitalization, arts and culture, and local initiatives, bridging both the private and public sectors. He currently runs , a regional management company dedicated to building a sustainable Jeju community. Through fostering and networking various local communities, he aims to unite local creators. In 2024, he launched and , collaborating with local creators nationwide to contribute to creating better regional communities.

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    37 mins
  • The Ceramic Artist Building Stone Houses: Kang Yun-sil
    Dec 5 2024

    For over 20 years, Kang Yun-sil has researched and studied Jeju stone houses, expressing their essence through ceramics. She has held five solo exhibitions across Seoul and Jeju and has participated in numerous group exhibitions. Currently, she operates a workshop called ‘Ohnldo 239’ in Jeju. Her work centers on capturing the natural environment of Jeju and the spirit of its people, using clay as her medium to recreate the iconic Jeju stone houses. By embedding the rugged yet warm essence of Jeju's people into her sculptural language, she reflects on the significance of Jeju's traditional architecture, which is becoming a relic of the past. She also unearths and conveys the hidden stories of Jeju, earning her the title of ‘The ceramic artist building stone houses’.

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    23 mins
  • Ganderak Shared Book Café, Operator Kim Jinsoo
    Nov 28 2024

    Kim Jinsoo chose Jeju Island as the place to begin his second chapter in life. While contemplating what to do, he stayed long-term at a foreigner guesthouse and actively guided foreign visitors on tours of Jeju. Inspired by the joy he found in those experiences, he decided to open a foreigner-only guesthouse, and on the same property, he launched a shared book café, Ganderak Shared Book Café. The space features walls entirely lined with bookshelves and innovative book-themed interiors, such as pillars constructed from stacked books. The café holds a collection of over 10,000 books and operates a system where visitors can exchange one book they’ve read for another. Around 40 bookshelves are “adopted” and curated by individuals from various professions, including artists, musicians, and English specialists. These bookshelf curators also plan and host gatherings and activities at the café, turning it into a vibrant hub of sharing and creativity.

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    25 mins