Jeju Islanders Were Starving — Do You Know the Woman Who Threw Open Her Storehouse?
and a heart that saved lives
When you come to Jeju, you probably search for oreum, beaches, and black-pork restaurants first — and it's easy to miss the name Kim Man-deok, quietly tucked away in the old town of Jeju City. She's remembered as a woman who built great wealth as a merchant in Joseon-era Jeju, and who is said to have used that very fortune to save Jeju's people when famine struck. It's not the kind of story that jumps out at you like a flashy tourist spot, but it's one GYULI has wanted to share with visitors for a long time. Today, let's walk through the name Kim Man-deok, and the Kim Man-deok Memorial Hall in Sanji-ro, Jeju City, that honors her life.
Kim Man-deok, the Jeju Merchant Whose Name Is Still Remembered
Kim Man-deok is remembered as a merchant active in Jeju during the Joseon dynasty. Orphaned young and having lived through hard times, she's said to have gone into the trade of goods between Jeju and the mainland, building considerable wealth as a female merchant. At a time when it was rare for a woman to make a name for herself in commerce at all, the fact that she built her own fortune through her own effort already suggests an extraordinary life. I'd rather not pin down the exact year of her birth or the precise way she built her wealth here — but what does seem clear is that hers is a name that has come down through Jeju's commercial history as one that can't be left out.
Giving away everything you have to feed other people — that's not something just anyone can do. Kim Man-deok is remembered as someone who did exactly that.
— 🍊 GYULIThe biggest reason Kim Man-deok's name has survived to this day is the story from a time of famine. When a severe famine struck Jeju and left many people starving, Kim Man-deok is said to have not kept the fortune she'd earned through trade to herself, but instead used it to buy grain and distribute it to the people. I'd rather not state a precise figure here — exactly how much grain was distributed, or exactly how many lives it saved — and would rather carefully pass along the story simply as 'she used her own fortune to relieve the people's hunger.' What matters more than an exact number, I think, is the spirit itself: choosing not to hoard her wealth for herself, but to hand it over to neighbors in need.
A Story That Reportedly Moved the King, and a Name That Remains
As word of Kim Man-deok's good deeds spread, the story is said to have reached the royal court, and the king is said to have wanted to reward her in some special way. But because the social system of the time made it difficult to grant a woman an official rank, he's said to have instead granted her a wish she had long held — to see Hanyang and tour Geumgangsan. I'd rather not state the exact timing or procedure of any of this too definitively either, and would rather pass it along carefully as simply 'this is the story that's told.' Building wealth through trade, giving that wealth back to her neighbors, and having that spirit reach even the king — this whole arc may be exactly what has kept the name Kim Man-deok alive to this day.
Sanji-ro, Jeju City — Where the Kim Man-deok Memorial Hall Tells Her Story
There's a place that honors Kim Man-deok's life, said to stand in Sanji-ro, in the old town center of Jeju City. This space, called the Kim Man-deok Memorial Hall, is said to hold exhibits and materials introducing her life story. Given that Jeju's old town itself once sat at the heart of the island's commerce, being able to walk streets she may well have walked herself while recalling her story might be this place's greatest charm. It's not a bustling, flashy tourist attraction, but it's said to be an easy stop to fold into a stroll through the old town's alleys — so instead of just checking off famous sights one after another on your Jeju trip, it might be worth pausing for a moment at a place that carries a story like this.
As a visitor to Jeju, it's only natural for your eyes to go first to the beautiful scenery and the good food. But once you know that, underneath that scenery, the story of someone who gave up what she had to save her neighbors in hard times is still being told, Jeju's old town alleys might start to look a little different. If you happen to pass through Sanji-ro, GYULI recommends pausing for a moment and stopping by the Kim Man-deok Memorial Hall to take that spirit in.
GYULI's Tip · The Kim Man-deok Memorial Hall is in Sanji-ro, in Jeju City's old town, and is said to be an easy stop for travelers on foot. Other old-town alley spots are said to be nearby too, so it's worth planning a slow walking route around the area.