[Travel] Paengnyong Island: So close, so far away

Paengnyong-do is an island that is near, but still far. It is only 10 kilometers from the mainland city of Changyon, Hwanghae Province.

About the time when the sun rises, the wind may bring the sound of a rooster crowing from Changsan-got (cape) in North Korea. Yet Paengnyong-do is still a distant island, accessible by passenger ship after a 200km voyage. It takes more than four hours even by a speedboat traveling at 40 knots per hour.

Many top tourist destinations are situated on the seaside. The Tumujin Coast, which faces Changsan-got in the North, commands such a beautiful view that it is called the "Sea Kumgang of the Yellow Sea. ¡¯¡¯Mt. Kumgang in North Korea is regarded as the most beautiful place on the peninsula.

The coast features hundreds of meters of rocks of various shapes like Sondae Rock, Pyongpung (folding screen) Rock and Hyongje (brother) Rock, all of which have been smoothed by the wind, rain and waves.

Numerous rocks of strange, grotesque or curious shapes make for a fantastic harmony with the clean, blue sea. Towering rocks and steep rock walls give the majestic look of a general commanding a great army.

The name Tumujin originated from the fact that "the shapes of the rocks look like the heads of generals,¡¯¡¯ according to islanders. The majority of visitors to this island, asked to choose one of their favorite Korean destinations, never hesitate to name this place.

Sagot Beach, south of Yongipo port, where passenger ships anchor, is famous for being one of only two natural airport runways in the world. A 200-meter wide white sand beach stretches about 3 kilometers and it is as solid as concrete. Not only can cars use it, but airplanes also can land or take off in emergencies. Furthermore, the beach is surrounded by a dense forest of pine trees, which attracts many holidaymakers during the summer.

Tumujin, Kongdol Beach - There are many tourist destinations blessed by Heaven. Kongdol Beach is one of them. It is also well known as the setting for the Korean novel "Simchong-jon¡¯¡¯ and for "kkanari¡¯¡¯ (a sort of anchovy). The size and color of its stones ("dol¡¯¡¯), which are very similar to yellow beans ("kong¡¯¡¯), earned the beach its current name of Kongdol. Walking barefoot on the beach is a very pleasant experience. Known as the home of "Simchong-jon,¡¯¡¯ Paengnyong-do long belonged to Hwanghae Province in the North.

After the Korean War (1950-1953), the island was incorporated into Ongjin-gun, Kyonggi-do along with many other islets scattered in Kyonggi Bay. Even though Paengnyong-do is an island, fishermen account for only 9 percent of all residents, while farmers reach 47 percent. The land is so fertile that just one year of farming will earn a farmer enough money to live for three years.

The sea around the island is really clean, with no source of contamination, so the seafood from this area is fresher and more delicious than that from other seas. "Kkanari,¡¯¡¯ flatfish and abalones are popular products, and kkanari is also famous. This sort of anchovy is processed as pickled kkanari to be used in making kimchi. Long lines of hundreds of plastic drums containing salted kkanari are familiar sights at ports and villages on the island.

The island not only boasts a beautiful coastal landscape, but has a legend related to "Simchong-jon.¡¯¡¯It has become one of the nation`s most frequented tourist attractions, but it remains inconvenient to visit due to the lack of marine transport and the presence of heavy military restrictions. Since a high-speed boat began to travel between Inchon and the island, the number of tourists has been steadily increasing.

Paengnyong-do is still a destination where tourists can travel comfortably. However, transportation on the island is very inconvenient.

Making the situation worse is that visitors may be stranded on the island for one or two days at the best, or more than 10 days at worst, in the event of high waves or thick fog.

Lodging and boarding:

Sagot Nangmyon (cold noodle) restaurant (032-836-0559) is famous for its delicious dishes. The restaurant is located next to the Korea Telecom branch along the natural runway. The cold noodle soup is very fresh and is well seasoned with pickled kkanari. The boiled beef is also soft and its "makkuksu (buckwheat noodles) in the Hwanghae Province style is a popular choice. Sundae restaurant (032-836-5551) is also well known for its fresh raw fish.

Lodgings include the Munhwa Motel (032-836-7001), Ihwajang (032-836-5101), and Green Park (032-836-5551) in Chinchon-ri.

Transportation:

Inchon-Paengnyong-do: The Democracy 5 and Pegasus ships of Semo Maritime (032-884-8700) and Chindo Transport¡¯s Paengnyong Island vessel depart from Inchon for the island twice a day at 7:40 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. from Oct. 21 to March 14.

The ships sail to Paengnyong-do via Sochong-do and Taechong-do. It takes four hours to four and half hours to arrive at the island. The departure times at Paengnyong-do are the same as those at Inchon.

Yang Young-Hoon, travel columnist (travelmaker@hanmail.net)