Snow scene at Mount Halla A highland at Mount Halla, the highest peak in South Korea, located on the southernmost island of Jeju, is covered with snow in this photo provided by a reader on Nov. 19, 2023. (Yonhap)
Baeknokdam filled with water Baeknokdam, an oval-shaped crater at the peak of Mount Halla on South Korea’s southern Jeju Island, is full of water on May 8, 2023, after five days of heavy rain of more than 1,000 millimeters, in this photo provided by photographer Kang Young-keun. (Yonhap)
Snow-capped Mount Halla This provided photo shows Baekrokdam Lake, which sits at the top of Mount Halla on South Korea’s largest island of Jeju, covered with snow on Dec. 18, 2020. The 1,950-meter dormant volcano, a UNESCO-designated world natural heritage site, is the highest peak in South Korea. (Yonhap)
Snow-capped mountain on JejuTwo horses graze at a ranch in the city of Jeju on South Korea’s largest island of the same name on April 14, 2020, with the snow-covered top of the 1,950-meter Mount Halla in the background. The dormant volcano, a UNESCO-designated world natural heritage site, is the highest peak in South Korea. (Yonhap)
Tulips in full bloom on Jeju IslandVisitors walk through a field of tulips at a park in the city of Seogwipo on South Korea’s largest island of Jeju on March 8, 2019, with the 1,950-meter Mount Halla seen at the top. (Yonhap)
President Moon Jae-in said Sunday that he could give North Korea’s Kim Jong-un a tour of Mount Halla, South Korea’s tallest mountain, on the southern island of Jeju, if the leader comes for a visit.
Moon made the remarks in response to a reporter’s question about what he would show Kim should the communist leader reciprocate his own visit to Pyongyang last month for the third inter-Korean summit aimed at fostering inter-Korean rapprochement and cooperation.
“As we have an expression like ‘from Mount Paekdu to Mount Halla,’ I could give him a tour of Mount Halla if (he) wants,” Moon said during talks with reporters after climbing up to a peak of Mount Bukak just behind the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. [Yonhap]
A July report from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) surprised volcanologists by dating Jeju’s most recent volcanic eruption to 5,000 years ago. Media outlets gleefully reported Mt. Hallasan was not dead, or dormant, but alive.
The research team, led by Jin-yeong Lee, radiocarbon dated carbonised wood (charcoal) below the basalt layer at Sangchang-ri, Seogwipo City, to 5,000 years old. This was 2,000 years more recent than the 7,000-year-old eruption at Mt. Songaksan, thought to be Jeju’s last volcanic activity.
Scientists had speculated that the basalt layer at Sangchang-ri was formed 35,000 years ago, yet the carbonised wood was below the basalt, making the rock at least as young as the ancient trees. Sangchang-ri was thus confirmed as the site of the most recent volcanic activity in South Korea. (The title of most active volcano on the peninsula goes to Mt. Baekdusan in North Korea, which last erupted in 1903.)
The findings were picked up by media outlets and headlines stated that Mt. Hallasan was “alive” and not dead, a fact already known as the earlier Songaksan activity was already within the same Smithsonian Institute’s Global Volcanism Program (GVP) 10,000 year timeframe for active volcanoes. Nevertheless, the Science Daily headline, “Jeju Island, Korea is a live volcano,” typified the reaction. [Cheju Weekly]
Here is an interesting historical account from the article:
While scientific evidence of volcanism on Jeju Island is proving difficult to confirm, one piece of historic evidence suggests that the island was active much more recently than 5,000 years ago. The “Dongguk Yeoji Seungram,” a Joseon Dynasty geography textbook (multiple volumes published between 1481 and 1530) includes this seemingly eye-witness account.
“In June 1002 CE, a mountain arose in the middle of the sea. There were four giant holes at the top of the mountain, out of which red liquid flowed and soared, and thick smoke plumed for five days. All the red liquid hardened and became stone like roof tiles.”
