Islands in South Korea – love at second sight

South Korea is a fascinating country, but in my opinion it takes time to appreciate the wealth of culture
and excitement this peninsula wedged at the end of the world or at least at the edge of East Asia. At a
first glance there are many similarities to Central Europe, my hometown. Forests, mountains, many
similar species of animals and plants. Austria is a landlocked country and so we have no sea. But in the
beginning the sea, islands and beaches of South Korea were not so special to me after having seen coral
reefs in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia and long beaches in Australia and palm tree fringed beaches in
Goa or Kerala in India. While I quickly learnt to appreciate Korean culture due to its visible differences
and exotic touch, it took me some time to find out the unique natural beauty and hidden treasures. The
Jiri-mountains, the awesome Jeju island and rice field terraces.

A coincidence led me to Sinan, the clusters of island at the south-western edge of Jeollanamdo. A friend
of my wife has visited our place shortly after Christmas 2005 told us about some lonely friends who
happened to do their alternative civilian service at a local sub-health centre as aspiring doctors instead
of their military service. They were stationed in Palgeum island an hour by boat from Mokpo. My wife’s
friend called them up and asked if they are free to host a visitor for three days. “Is it a girl?” After a
negative response they said: “No problem, we are always happy to have some change here!”

So I went with our Kia Pride to Mokpo and boarded a ferry to the island. An engraved stone at the
harbor informed the visitor of the upholding of Confucian values and the absence of criminals on this
island. Good to know! The three guys picked me up and we went straight to the sub-health centre. Their
residence since almost one year was on top of the building. They are supposed to serve for three years
and will be shifted after one year to another place, hopefully not to an island. The island as negative
climax of their period of life coincided with my expectation of an adventurous island trip with tigers,
whales and other dangerous creatures. “No girls below fifty, the next restaurant is on the next island
and nothing to do!” A short summary of a year’s stay. Period. “It’s depressing, we don’t have an
emergency car here, when people call us for help we have at times to walk there and when we arrive
the patient has often already died. Last year someone tried to commit suicide by drinking pesticides and
I went together with by helicopter to the emergency unit of the Mokpo hospital…my highlight of the last
year.”

Before we went for dinner we went to a nearby church to listen to the mass. On the way we saw an old
straw-thatched house, the first I ever saw in South Korea apart from heritage villages or museums. An
old grandmother, who was sitting on the wooden terrace called maru smiled at me, when I greeted her.
Sinan is home to many Christians, the sobriquet jeon-sa means 1004 and angel. Although statistics speak
of 111 inhabited and 719 uninhabited islands, they talk about 1004 islands, as 1004 and angel are
homonyms. So I thought that a visit to a church would be more than appropriate. During mass I became
witness of the educational methods of the local pastor. Despite my at that time more than rudimentary
Korean language proficiency I got some glimpse of the pastor’s teaching style to around 25 elderly
people. He was telling a short story and asked at the end: Nugu iejo? (Who is this?) After some silence
he answered the question by himself: Jesu-nim. After the second story a short period of silence was
followed by one timid voice who said “Jesu-nim?” The pastor was delighted. After the third story there
were already more courageous visitors who called out ‘Jesu-nim’.

Buddhist story, snow