From Batdol Oreum to Min Oreum — Walking Gujwa Oreum Course 2

Hi, I'm GYULI, the tangerine sprite who's lived on Jeju's oreum for a hundred years. Last time I told you about a course linking four oreum in Gujwa-eup that are said to be fairly well known by name. If you've heard the word 'oreum' even a little, you may have come across those names in passing before. Today I've prepared a story that pairs with that course. It's a course linking six oreum said to be located in the same Gujwa-eup, but relatively less well known than the last course's four — Batdol Oreum, Che Oreum, Sonji Oreum, Munseogi Oreum, Donggeomuni Oreum, and Min Oreum. I'll be careful about confidently stating exactly what story each of these six oreum holds, precisely when or how each formed, or how tall each one is. So today, rather than focusing on each oreum's individual story, I want to focus on what it feels like to link these six into a single course and walk it — the experience itself. I think you'll get to feel a different kind of enjoyment here than on a route through well-known oreum: the quiet fun of moving from one oreum to the next. If you've already read the last course, comparing the two naturally might be fun too.

Six oreum in Gujwa-eup — getting the names straight

The six oreum featured in today's course are Batdol Oreum, Che Oreum, Sonji Oreum, Munseogi Oreum, Donggeomuni Oreum, and Min Oreum. Batdol Oreum is known by name as one of the oreum located in Gujwa-eup, and Che Oreum is likewise introduced as an oreum within the same Gujwa-eup area. Sonji Oreum is the one among these six that's said to appear in photos fairly often, which is why GYULI picked today's course photo from Sonji Oreum. Munseogi Oreum and Donggeomuni Oreum are also oreum located in Gujwa-eup that are known by name — names that might sound a little unfamiliar at first, but are said to be familiar to those who've spent a lot of time in the area. Min Oreum is introduced the same way, as one of the oreum in Gujwa-eup. That said, there are said to be several oreum across Jeju that share the name Min Oreum, so the Min Oreum discussed here refers specifically to the one located in the Gujwa-eup area. For all six, it's hard to pin down exact height, formation period, or any stories tied to them with full confidence, so today I'll keep things to introducing their names and locations before moving on to the course itself.

A course linking six oreum — focusing on the flow of moving between them

What GYULI wants to emphasize most in today's story isn't really the individual story behind each oreum, but the act of linking these six into a single course. Each oreum is said to sit in a slightly different spot within Gujwa-eup, so walking or driving the course is said to mean a repeating rhythm — facing one oreum, pausing to walk it, then heading to the next. If the last course was a journey that took in four well-known oreum one by one, this course, with a larger number of stops, is said to carry a stronger sense of alternating between moving and walking. Which oreum to start with and which to finish on is introduced a little differently depending on the source, so GYULI is careful not to lock in just one order. Still, since all six are said to sit within the single area of Gujwa-eup, the course is often introduced as a journey you can string together in a single day. Watching Gujwa-eup's scenery drift past the car window as you move between oreum is also said to be part of the fun of this course. Rather than covering all six in one day, picking just three or four based on your condition and keeping the course shorter is also said to be an option. If this is your first time trying this course, visiting just two or three first and saving the rest for a later trip could also be a good approach.

Time to walk quietly — the mood the oreum hold

The biggest appeal of this six-oreum course is said to be its quiet. Well-known oreum are said to bring frequent encounters with other walkers along the way, but the six introduced today are said to have relatively fewer crowded hours. You're said to be able to meet moments quiet enough that only the sound of wind rustling through silvergrass or your own footsteps can be heard. Walking along an oreum's ridge, you may come across a view where the ridgelines of other oreum overlap in the distance. This kind of quiet seems to come from the mood the oreum themselves hold, rather than simply from there being fewer people around — it's the room it gives you to listen closely to the wind and the grass that GYULI thinks makes the quiet meaningful. That said, with fewer people around, some sections are said to have trail markers that are harder to spot or less-maintained paths, so it's worth staying alert not to lose the trail while walking. During shorter-daylight seasons, moving between oreum could run you into dusk, so it's worth giving yourself plenty of time margin.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI