Spring Water and Water Culture on Jeju Island

Abstract

Introduction Jeju (Cheju) Island is often called the Hawaii of Korea. The island, the country’s largest, is located approximately 140 km south of the Korean mainland. Mt. Halla, the central peak of the island, is the highest mountain in South Korea at 1950 m above sea level. A variety of volcanic landforms, excellent geologic exposures, favorable climate, and beautiful scenery make the island an exceptional place for Koreans and foreigners alike. In particular, several geological features of the island, including Mt. Halla, the Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone, and the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, received the UNESCO World Natural Heritage designation in 2007 (Jeju Island Geopark 2009). The annual precipitation on the island is 1975 mm, the highest rainfall in Korea, but there are no perennial streams. Because of the highly permeable geological structures of the volcanic rocks, surface waters are rare (Koh et al. 2006, Won et al. 2006). Therefore, it was very difficult to obtain water on the island before modern water-supply systems using groundwater wells were introduced. Spring water and bongcheonsu (rain water) were the main water sources (Yoo 1991). Today, the availability of water is no longer a problem. A water industry has been promoted to develop products such as bottled water, beverages, alcoholic drinks, and even water therapy services through the use of the island’s clean and abundant groundwater. The water culture of Jeju Island is quite distinct from that of the mainland. Spring water has long played an important role in the island’s culture as the water of life, and it used to be at the heart of the water culture of Jeju. It is still considered highly valuable, and it continues to