From Byeoldo Oreum to Namjiseun Oreum — Touring Four Oreum in Jeju City

Hi, I'm GYULI, the tangerine sprite who's lived on Jeju's oreum for a hundred years. Last time I told you about Sarabong, said to sit right beside Jeju City's old downtown, and about Sabongnakjo, the name given to its sunset. Do any of you remember that one? While I was looking around near Sarabong, I realized there are actually several other oreum said to carry a known name within Jeju City's downtown area, besides Sarabong. Add Byeoldo Oreum, said to sit right next to Sarabong, along with Wondang, Yeondong Min, and Namjiseun Oreum, and that makes four. Today I want to introduce these four as a single connected course. I've already told the Sarabong story once, so I won't bring it up again today. Instead, I want to focus on how the rest of these oreum connect within Jeju City, and on the experience of touring them as a course. When people think of an oreum trip, they usually picture a long drive out to the edge of the island, so going through these four one by one and finding that these names come up right within Jeju City's downtown area was a fresh discovery for GYULI too.

Four Oreum Said to Sit Within Jeju City's Downtown Area

Byeoldo Oreum, Wondang Oreum, Yeondong Min Oreum, and Namjiseun Oreum are all said to be located within Jeju City's downtown area. All four are said to appear together on lists of oreum known by name in Jeju, though I'd be careful about confidently stating details like each one's exact elevation, when it came to be called by that name, or what stories are passed down about it, since sources describe these things differently. What I can say is that Byeoldo Oreum is said to sit right next to Sarabong, which I introduced before, so if you've already visited Sarabong, you may well have walked on to Byeoldo Oreum too. Among the four, Byeoldo Oreum is said to be the one you come across in photos relatively more often, while Wondang, Yeondong Min, and Namjiseun Oreum are said to be relatively less well-known by name. That doesn't mean they're any less special, though — to GYULI, the fact that so many oreum carry their names side by side within one area, Jeju City's downtown, is what makes it interesting in the first place. Today I want to put less weight on the fine details of each of these four oreum, and more on the fact that they sit together within one area, Jeju City's downtown, and on the experience of touring them as a course.

The Fun of Touring It as a Course, Rather Than One Oreum at a Time

There are many ways to travel among oreum, but in an area like downtown Jeju City, where several oreum are said to sit relatively close together, there's said to be an option of touring them as a connected course rather than seeking out each one separately. The four I'm introducing today — Byeoldo, Wondang, Yeondong Min, and Namjiseun Oreum — are sometimes mentioned as a course you can bundle together this way too. Some say that as you take in one oreum, move on to the next, and then the next after that, you end up with the feeling of having circled through Jeju City itself. Well-known oreum like Seongsan Ilchulbong or Yongnuni Oreum are said to require a fairly long drive to reach, but these four are said to be different in that you can move between them without straying far from downtown Jeju City. When there's a bit of free time in the middle of a trip, or when your lodging is in Jeju City and traveling far feels like a hassle, that's said to be exactly when people turn to these oreum as a quick course, moving from one to the next. Even if you can't remember every single name, many say you're left with a clear sense that Jeju City's downtown has more oreum tucked into it than you'd expect.

Worth Knowing Before You Tour the Course

If you're planning to tour these four oreum as a connected course, a few things are worth knowing beforehand. They're said to be scattered a bit apart from one another even within Jeju City's downtown area, so rather than walking between all of them, many accounts mention driving or taking public transit between oreum and walking only from each entrance. Details like each entrance's location, trail conditions, and available facilities are said to vary by source, so instead of feeling pressure to cover all four in a day, picking just two or three that fit your time and condition is also a good approach. Starting with a spot that's said to be easy to reach, like Byeoldo Oreum next to Sarabong, can also lighten the burden of planning a route. Facilities tend to cluster more around downtown Jeju City than right next to the oreum themselves, so it's worth bringing water and snacks before you set out, and comfortable walking shoes are worth packing too, since there are stretches you'll cover on foot. Above all, it's worth double-checking the exact location and trail conditions right before your visit.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI