Hayeong Olle — A Short, No-Pressure Walking Trail in Seogwipo

Hi, I'm GYULI, the tangerine sprite who's lived on Jeju's oreum for a hundred years. Last time I told you about the official Jeju Olle courses — the ones said to be built by the nonprofit Jeju Olle organization, marked with ribbons and arrows to follow. Today I want to talk about a slightly different kind of trail. It's called 'Hayeong Olle,' and if you've walked around downtown Seogwipo, some of you may have come across a signpost with this name. 'Hayeong' is said to be a Jeju dialect word meaning 'a lot,' but interestingly, this trail isn't actually about walking 'a lot' — it's said to have been built so people could walk short, easy routes without much burden. The existing Jeju Olle courses are generally known as long journeys, often several hours and over ten kilometers per course, so for people without much time or who find long-distance walking daunting, Seogwipo City is said to have built this separate trail called Hayeong Olle. Today I want to honestly share what I know about this trail and how it differs from the official Jeju Olle.

What is Hayeong Olle — a short, no-pressure Seogwipo trail

Hayeong Olle is said to be a course built by Seogwipo City so people can walk much shorter distances than the existing Olle courses. Exactly how short, or how long it takes to walk a single course, is said to vary from source to source, so I'll be careful not to pin it down to one figure — but the overall direction seems clear. There's a lot of talk that this trail was designed so families walking with young children, elderly visitors, or anyone who just wants a short stroll can take it on without much burden. When people think of Jeju Olle, they often picture a long coastal journey lasting several hours, but Hayeong Olle is said to have a different feel from that image. Some courses are said to be accessible right from downtown Seogwipo, so it's sometimes introduced as a trail you can walk during a short break from your accommodation or a downtown attraction. It does feel a bit ironic that the name contains the word 'a lot,' and I can't help but wonder if it might mean walking these short paths 'a lot' of times to enjoy them fully — but that's just GYULI's own guess, and I can't confidently say what the exact origin of the name is.

A course built separately by Seogwipo City, different from the official Jeju Olle

There's one thing I really want to point out here. Hayeong Olle is a different trail from the well-known 'Jeju Olle.' The official Jeju Olle is said to be built and managed by an organization called the nonprofit Jeju Olle, with numbered courses and its own marking system of ribbons and arrows. The Olle routes I've told you about before all belonged to this official Jeju Olle. Hayeong Olle, on the other hand, is said to be a course Seogwipo City built on its own, operated separately from the official Jeju Olle course system. Because of that, its markers, guidance style, and even how the courses are named may differ from the official Jeju Olle, according to some accounts. Both trails share Seogwipo's scenery that's pleasant to walk through, but I wanted to point out separately that the organizations behind them and how they're managed are different, so it doesn't get confusing. If you happen to spot the name 'Hayeong Olle' on a map app or a signpost, it's best understood as Seogwipo City's own trail, separate from the official Olle course numbering system.

🍊 More Photos, via GYULI

Multiple courses said to be spread across downtown Seogwipo

Hayeong Olle isn't just a single course — it's said to consist of multiple courses centered around downtown Seogwipo. Exactly how many courses there are, and precisely where each one starts and ends, is said to vary a little between sources, so I'll be careful not to give you an exact number. That said, there's a common thread across several sources describing short courses scattered through Seogwipo's various neighborhoods, alleys, parks, and areas near streams. Rather than making a big loop around famous tourist spots, it's often introduced as more of a everyday-life trail that Seogwipo residents can casually walk as part of their daily routine. Because of that, whether each course has a completion certificate or a stamp system like the official Olle courses is said to vary, and I had a hard time finding clearly organized information on that point too. If you're traveling around Seogwipo and looking for a short walk near your accommodation or downtown without having to travel far, keeping an eye out for a signpost bearing the name Hayeong Olle could be one way to find it.

For those who want to try walking Hayeong Olle, what GYULI would like to suggest is checking the exact course location and the latest information through Seogwipo City's tourist information desk or official channels before you set out. It's said to be a short, no-pressure trail, but the difficulty and the condition of the path may differ by course, and maintenance is said to vary depending on the season. Since whether each course has a widely known guidance system like the official Jeju Olle may differ from one to another, first-time walkers may find it helpful to bring a map or prepare a smartphone app that can check your location. Since the courses are short, you probably don't need to pack heavily with water or snacks, but some stretches may lack shade in summer, so I'd recommend bringing a light water bottle just in case. Above all, since the name is easy to confuse with the official Jeju Olle, GYULI thinks the surest approach is to figure out which trail you actually want to walk and look it up accordingly beforehand.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI