Do You Know Jeju's Roots Are Said to Have Sprung From This Very Ground?

When people come to Jeju, they usually head straight for Seongsan Ilchulbong, Hallasan, or the sea. But if you trace Jeju people's roots back far enough, there's one place you're bound to run into. It's Samseonghyeol, sitting quietly right in the middle of downtown Jeju City. This is the site said to be tied to the Tamna foundation myth — the story that three demigods named Goeulla, Yangeulla, and Boeulla rose out of the earth in the distant past and went on to found the kingdom of Tamna. Exactly when this took place belongs squarely to the realm of myth, so I won't pretend to pin down a date. But this is a story nearly every Jeju native has heard at least once, and today GYULI wants to walk you through it slowly.

Goeulla, Yangeulla, and Boeulla, Who Rose From the Earth

The Samseonghyeol legend goes like this. Long, long ago, on this then-uninhabited land, three demigods are said to have risen one after another from three holes in the ground. The first was Goeulla, the second Yangeulla, and the third Boeulla — and these three are said to be the founding ancestors of the Go, Yang, and Bu clans that continue in Jeju to this day. The three are said to have lived at first by hunting, dressed in animal hides, and I've always liked how the very premise of rising from the earth seems to carry the idea that this island had roots entirely its own, separate from the mainland. Compared to other regional founding myths where a figure descends from the sky or hatches from an egg, this idea of rising straight up out of the ground feels unusually distinct — and I think that says something about how, from the very start, Jeju has been seen as a land with a character all its own.

The story continues: one day, while the three demigods were still living by hunting alone, a wooden box is said to have drifted in from across the eastern sea, from a country called Byeongnangguk. Inside, it's said, were three princesses along with seeds of the five grains and livestock like calves and foals. The three demigods are said to have taken these three princesses as their wives, and from that point on, they began sowing seeds, raising livestock, and settling down for the first time. In other words, this single myth carries within it the entire shift from a primitive life of hunting and gathering to a new way of life built on farming and settlement. Afterward, the three are said to have shot arrows to divide the land and settled into three separate territories called Ildo, Ido, and Samdo — and it's said that this myth isn't unrelated to the fact that the neighborhoods of Ildo-dong, Ido-dong, and Samdo-dong still exist in Jeju City today.

🍊 More Photos, via GYULI

Three Holes, Kept Safe in the Middle of the City

Samseonghyeol sits right in the heart of downtown Jeju City, not far from Gwandeokjeong. You can be walking down a busy street and suddenly a dense grove appears — step inside, and you'll find a wide clearing ringed by old trees, with three holes lined up side by side at its center. These holes are said to be the very spot where the three demigods rose from the ground. Curiously, it's said among Jeju locals that no matter how much snow falls, it never piles up inside these holes. I wondered about that myself the first time I heard it, but whether it's literally true or not, stories like this are exactly what turns three holes in the ground into a sacred site rather than just a curiosity. It's remarkable that a quiet, densely wooded grove like this has survived intact in the middle of the city, and that's said to be largely because this myth kept the site protected and untouched for a very long time.

Rites Said to Continue Even Today, and a Myth That's Still Alive

Samseonghyeol isn't just a relic where an old story happens to survive — it's said that rites are still held there every spring and fall. Descendants of the Go, Yang, and Bu clans, along with people from across Jeju, are said to gather there to pay their respects to the three demigods, a practice that reportedly continues to this day. Knowing that this isn't a story frozen behind museum glass but one still being lived out really struck me. Exactly when these rites began, or in what form they were first organized, isn't something I want to state with certainty here. What is clear is that this distant story of three demigods rising from the earth still lives on today as a sense of shared roots among Jeju people.

It's easy to visit Jeju and only see the oreum and the sea, but this might be one place worth stopping by — the site said to hold the story of how people first came to this island. It's rare to find a place where you can encounter both a dense grove and a founding myth right in the middle of a city. It's also said to be within walking distance of old downtown landmarks like Gwandeokjeong and Dongmun Market, so it fits naturally into a stroll through the city center. If you have the time, GYULI recommends visiting Samseonghyeol and standing for a moment in front of the holes where the three demigods are said to have risen.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI