 NASA Landsat7 image of Ulleung-do (north oriented at top) | |
 Location of Ulleung-do | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sea of Japan |
| Coordinates | 37°30′04″N130°51′23″E / 37.50111°N 130.85639°E /37.50111; 130.85639 |
| Area | 72.86[1] km2 (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/km2 (326/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Koreans |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 울릉도 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Ulleungdo |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ullŭngdo |
Ulleungdo (Korean: 울릉도;IPA:[uɭːɯŋdo]), also spelledUlreungdo, is a South Korean island 120 kilometres (65 nmi; 75 mi) east of theKorean Peninsula in theSea of Japan. It was formerly known asDagelet Island orArgonaut Island inEurope.[2][3] Volcanic in origin, the rocky steep-sided island is the top of a largestratovolcano which rises from the seafloor, reaching a maximum elevation of 984 metres (3,228 ft) atSeonginbong 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 km2 (28.13 sq mi).[1] It has a population of 10,426 inhabitants.[4]
The island makes up the main part ofUlleung 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 ofsquid, which can be seen drying in the sun in many places.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the island was first inhabited in the 1st millennium BC.[citation needed] The first confirmed historical reference to Ulleung-do is in theSamguk Sagi for the year 512. In that year, theSilla generalKim Isabu conquered the island, which had previously been the autonomous nation ofUsan-guk. Some accounts relate that he used a number of wooden lions to intimidate the population, threatening to turn them loose unless they surrendered.[5]
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 byGoryeo.[6] Ulleungdo was attacked a number of times during the late Goryeo and earlyJoseon dynasties.[7] It was devastated byJurchen pirate raids in the 11th century, and byWokou pirate raids in the 14th century.[5] A clash with Japan over fishing rights in the 1690s was precipitated by the Korean fishermanAn Yong-bok.[8] 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.[citation needed]
Americanwhaleships cruised forright whales off the island between 1848 and 1892.[9] Some went ashore nearbyJukdo to clubpinnipeds.[10]
Ulleungdo is a volcanic island that rose from the seabed during theCenozoic period, and consists oftrachyte,andesite, andbasalt.[11] Hot spot volcanic activity by the General Isabuseamount, 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.[12]
The island consists primarily oftrachyandesite rock.[13] A major explosive eruption around 8000 BCE decapitated its top to form acaldera.[14]
There isSeonginbong Peak in the center of the island.[11] TheNari Basin is part of a caldera in the northern part of the island, and is the island's only flat surface.[15]
Ulleung-do has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa), though it resembles the west coast ofJapan much more than Korea, since in winter rainfall is heavy if less so than in such wet cities asKanazawa orAkita. It is generally cloudy in the winter if again not so markedly as in the previously-mentioned Japanese cities.
| 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) |
| Averageprecipitation 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 |
| Averagerelative 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 monthlysunshine 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 |
| Percentagepossible 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)[17][16][18] | |||||||||||||
The island and surrounding water were registered as a marine protected area to secure rich biodiversity in 2014.[19]
The rowan tree speciessorbus 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 asminke whales anddolphins, may appear around the island.[20][21][22]
Japanese sea lions, now extinct, once bred on the island.[23]
A 2013 study estimated that 1,177 species of insects inhabit the island.[24]
Favorite activities for tourists arehiking,fishing, and eatinghoe (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 theLiancourt Rocks can be discerned in the distance.[25][26]
An airport on the island was planned since 2013 and is under construction since 2020.[27] The design of the new airport was revamped in 2023 for larger aircraft and is expected to open in 2025.[28]
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