Geoje's Jisim-do Island open to public for first time in 80 years

동백섬 '지심도' 80년 만에 시민 품으로
Jisim-do... Island off the southern tip of Korea is rich with primeval forests and flowering camellia trees.
It's finally open to the public after 80 long years.
Kim Mok-yeon introduces to us the place dubbed "the gift of nature" by many.
Jisim-do Island, known for its steep cliffs and dense tree population, is finally completely open to the public for the first time in 80 years.
The island sits just five kilometers southeast of Jangsengpo Port on Geoje-do Island.
It served as a military facility during Japan's 35-year occupation of Korea that ended in 1945.
But it's been closed since then, so its natural landscape has been left untouched.
Now that it's open, the public will have access to walking trails lined with apricot blossoms... and the colorful camellia trees that cover up to 70 percent of the island.
Ownership of Jisim-do Island was transferred from the Ministry of National Defense to the Geoje government last June,... after 12 years of retrocession efforts.
The local government now plans to utilize the island's natural resources and history to turn it into a tourist attraction... in order to revive the local economy.


"Now that the beautiful Jisim-do Island has been returned to Geoje city, we expect it will help boost the local economy through marine tourism."

The question now is whether... and when... the island becomes one of Geoje's top tourist attractions.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.




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