A Field You Must Walk in Silence: Altteureu Airfield
Another memory Jeju carries
When people talk about traveling in Jeju, oreum, beaches, and good food usually come up first. But Daejeong-eup, in Seogwipo, holds a field with an entirely different expression. It's called Altteureu Airfield, a wide open stretch of land. This place is said to have been built by the Japanese military as a military airfield during Japan's colonial rule, and concrete hangars said to date from that time are said to still remain scattered among the surrounding farmland today. What kind of story this flat, quiet land — neither oreum nor sea — carries, GYULI wasn't quite sure how to approach at first, either. Rather than a place to introduce with excitement, it feels closer to a place that calls for slowing down and treading carefully, sharing only what is known. Today, I'd like to walk through this land's history calmly, and only as far as it's actually known.
A Land Said to Have Been a Military Airfield During Japanese Colonial Rule
The name Altteureu is said to come from a Jeju word meaning "a wide field down below." As the name suggests, this land is said to have once been an open field before it came to be used, during the Japanese colonial period, as a military airfield built by the Japanese military — at least, that is the story that has been passed down. Exactly when construction began, when it was completed, or how large an area it covered isn't something I can state definitively in this piece. Still, the fact that a wide field in southwestern Jeju was used for military purposes carries a weight quite different from the peaceful farmland it appears to be today. Even now, long after the colonial period ended, these traces are said to remain, not having fully disappeared from the surrounding fields. Why this particular site was chosen, or exactly how it came to look the way it does today, isn't something that is widely documented, so this piece won't venture any guesses either.
Even without a single elaborate sign, I think standing in this field, you can feel the full weight of the time it has passed through.
— 🍊 GYULIThe most widely known trace here is the hangars. Said to have been built to hide and protect aircraft, these low, round concrete structures are said to still stand today, right in the middle of farm fields. Rather than stating how many remain or exactly how large they are, I'd simply like to share that these are traces you can actually see with your own eyes even now. For those seeing it for the first time, the sight of such structures standing right beside fields of garlic or cabbage may feel somewhat unfamiliar. Watching the aging concrete, weathered by decades of wind and rain, standing beside crops that grow anew each year, you come to feel just how many different layers of time can overlap on the very same land.
Traces Still Scattered Across the Fields
Walking through the Altteureu Airfield area, unfamiliar structures come into view among the ordinary farmland. Beyond the hangars, various other structures, large and small, said to date from that time, are said to be scattered throughout the area. Exactly what each of these structures was used for isn't something this piece can fully explain in detail. What does seem clear, though, is that this land, now peacefully growing crops, was once used for an entirely different purpose.
Guides and related facilities are said to have been set up nearby, allowing visitors to look more calmly into the history this land carries. Exactly what materials are on display, and how, may vary depending on when you visit, so I'd recommend checking on site rather than relying solely on this piece. Rather than offering any conclusion or interpretation of my own, GYULI would rather each person stand before this land and take their own time to feel it. Walking slowly across the wide field and once considering the time this ground has passed through feels, I think, like a meaningful enough step on its own.
A Field to Walk in Silence
Some of you may be wondering whether to include Altteureu Airfield in your Jeju itinerary. If you have the time, GYULI would like to carefully recommend a quiet visit, at least once. Not as a place to capture a striking photo, but as a place to face, plainly, the time this land has been through. Standing in the wide field with the wind against you, simply taking a moment to reflect on the story it holds may be enough. Rather than talking loudly or moving about in high spirits, I hope it can be a moment to slow your steps and quietly consider the time this field has passed through.
What GYULI has shared today is simply a careful summary of what is currently known and passed down about Altteureu Airfield, nothing more in the way of judgment or interpretation. For a more detailed and accurate account of this land, I'd recommend checking on-site guide materials or other related resources directly. Still, one thing seems clear. This peaceful field we stand on today once passed through an entirely different time. Simply remembering that, quietly, without letting it fade, feels like one way of honoring this land.
GYULI's Tip · Altteureu Airfield spreads across the Sangmo-ri area of Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, and is said to be open for walking through the fields without a separate admission fee. As the surrounding land is often actively farmed, please be careful not to enter the fields, and since there is little shade in summer, be sure to prepare for the heat and bring water.