A Cliffside Path Best Walked in Silence: The Wartime Tunnels of Songaksan

Songaksan, in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, is widely known for scenery where oreum and sea meet in one view. Walking the trail that circles it, dark cliffs and open ocean come into sight in turn, drawing many travelers who stop to take photographs. Yet beneath this scenery lies a different kind of time, one that not many visitors seem to know about. Scattered across the coastal cliffs of Songaksan are tunnels said to have been dug by the Japanese military late in the Pacific War. Today, rather than passing by this quiet trace too lightly, GYULI would like to pause for a moment and walk through that time together.

Traces of War, Carved Toward the Sea

Walking the Songaksan trail, you come across tunnels of various sizes dug low into the coastal cliffs. These are said to be cave fortifications built by the Japanese military as the Pacific War drew toward its final, most desperate stretch. Exactly when or on what scale they were built isn't something this piece can state with certainty, but it's widely said that Jeju was regarded at the time as a strategically important point for defending the Japanese mainland, and that a number of fortifications were built along its coast in that process. The tunnels of Songaksan are said to be among those remaining traces.

Several accounts exist as to what exactly these tunnels were used for. Some say they were built to conceal small boats meant to intercept ships approaching the coast; others say they served as fortifications to hide troops and supplies. Whichever the case, it's also said that people of Jeju were forced into that construction work at the time — a detail that shouldn't be passed over lightly. Inside these dark tunnels, where only the sound of waves comes and goes now, it seems the weary time carried by the people of that era may still be etched as well.

🍊 More Photos, via GYULI

A Moment That Stops You on the Trail

The Songaksan trail is, at its core, a well-known coastal walking path prized for its scenery. The view from the summit, taking in the sea, Sanbangsan, and the Hyeongjeseom islets, is often counted among Jeju's signature sights. But standing before the wartime tunnels along that same path, many visitors are said to describe a mood quite different from the one they carried just moments before. Perhaps it's precisely because beauty and pain sit together on the same trail that this place tends to stay in memory longer.

Nearby, traces of Alddreu Airfield, said to have been built by the Japanese military during the colonial period, remain as well, and some visitors are said to explore both places together to reflect on that same span of time. Though the tunnels of Songaksan and Alddreu Airfield sit in different spots, they're often thought of as neighbors sharing the traces of the same era.

It's said that the way people travel to this place is gradually shifting these days. Rather than chasing only beautiful scenery, more visitors are said to be coming to Songaksan with what might be called a dark-tourism perspective, hoping to learn from and remember these traces of the past. Hearing that some walk this trail believing that painful, uncomfortable history must be looked at and spoken of again and again so it isn't forgotten, GYULI, too, feels the weight of it.

Before the Trace, What We Can Still Protect

The wartime tunnels of Songaksan are not a polished tourist attraction. With no signboards to explain them, most remain simply as dark openings carved into the cliff, easy to walk past without a second glance. But pausing for a moment before that dark entrance, and letting your thoughts return to that era, may be enough to come a little closer to understanding why this trace still remains. Many of the tunnel interiors are said to be unconfirmed for safety, so rather than stepping inside, it's best to view them quietly from the trail as you pass.

If you include Songaksan in your Jeju itinerary, I hope you'll spare a glance for this quiet trace, alongside its beautiful scenery. Rather than capturing a single photo, simply taking a moment to consider the time carried by the people who once stood in this place feels like enough. I like to think that each of those brief, quietly held moments adds up, in some small way, to help this trace stay remembered and protected for a long time to come.

🍊 Real Photos, via GYULI