Jeju launches bid to join New 7 Wonders of Nature list

Jeju Island began a campaign Thursday to join the list of the New7Wonders of Nature.

A launching ceremony was held with domestic and foreign journalists to garner support and participation from the Korean people at Haevichi Hotel in Jeju. Yongcheon Cave, access to which is banned to the general public, was also unveiled as one of the most secretive places on the island.

“Jeju has well preserved its natural landscape that was formed two million years ago though people have lived here for thousands of years,” said Chung Un-chan, a former prime minister who now leads the National Committee for Jeju New7Wonders of Nature.

“If Jeju is selected as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, its value and use will last forever unlike one-time occasions like sporting events,” he said. “We’ll discover and introduce seven mysteries and seven legends and stories representing Jeju Island.”

The New7Wonders of Nature is a project started in July 2007 and led by New7Wonders, a Switzerland-based non-profit organization. The selection will be made via online voting on its Web site (www.new7wonders.com) and phone poll.

The Swiss organization selected 28 of 452 candidates after two rounds of voting and screening by an expert group. The candidates include the Amazon River, the Bay of Fundy, the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, Komodo Island and Kilimanjaro.

Phone and Internet voting will be held through Nov. 10 to select seven candidates and the results will be released the next day.

Jeju Gov. Woo Geun-min asked the ambassadors of China, Japan and Russia to Korea to support the island’s selection.

Jeju and the committee have asked major institutions and media to support the bid since early this year. They will encourage voting by centra, municipal and provincial governments and start promotion through overseas advertising by domestic companies such as Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics.

jy788@donga.com