Ulleungdo
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Ulleungdo (Template:Korean/auto), also spelled Ulreungdo, is a South Korean island Template:Convert east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan. It was formerly known as Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe.<ref name="carto">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Sfn Volcanic in origin, the rocky steep-sided island is the top of a large stratovolcano which rises from the seafloor, reaching a maximum elevation of Template:Convert at Seonginbong Peak. The island is Template:Convert in length and Template:Convert in width; it has an area of Template:Convert.<ref name="doo" /> It has a population of 10,426 inhabitants.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The island makes up the main part of Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and is a popular tourist destination. The main city of Ulleungdo is the port of Dodong (Template:Korean), which serves as the main ferry port between Ulleungdo and the South Korean mainland. After tourism, the main economic activity is fishing, including its well-known harvest of squid, which can be seen drying in the sun in many places.
History
Archaeological evidence indicates that the island was first inhabited in the 1st millennium BC.Template:Cn The first confirmed historical reference to Ulleungdo is in the historical text Samguk sagi for the year 512. In that year, the Silla general Kim Isabu conquered the island, which had previously been the autonomous nation of Usan-guk. Some accounts relate that he used a number of wooden lions to intimidate the population, threatening to turn them loose unless they surrendered.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
Usan-guk did not remain under the Silla rule, however, and the island did not become a permanent political part of Korea until 930, when it was annexed by Goryeo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ulleungdo was attacked a number of times during the late Goryeo and early Joseon dynasties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was devastated by Jurchen pirate raids in the 11th century, and by Wokou pirate raids in the 14th century.<ref name=":0" /> A clash with Japan over fishing rights in the 1690s was precipitated by the Korean fisherman An Yong-bok.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> In response to these difficulties, Joseon adopted an "empty-island" policy, which, however, proved impossible to enforce. The empty-island policy was officially rescinded in 1881, after which the government sought to encourage additional settlement of Ulleungdo.Template:Cn
American whaleships cruised for right whales off the island between 1848 and 1892.<ref>Splendid, of Edgartown, Apr. 21, 1848, Nicholson Whaling Collection; Cape Horn Pigeon, of New Bedford, Apr. 19, 1892, Kendall Whaling Museum.</ref> Some went ashore nearby Jukdo to club pinnipeds.<ref>Henry Kneeland, of New Bedford, Apr. 18, 1853. In Cloud, E. C., & McLean, E. (1994). Enoch's voyage: life in a whaleship, 1851-1854. Wakefield, R.I: Moyer Bell.</ref>
Geography and climate
Ulleungdo is a volcanic island that rose from the seabed during the Cenozoic period, and consists of trachyte, andesite, and basalt.<ref name=":1">Template:Citation</ref> Hot spot volcanic activity by the General Isabu seamount, dissolved Simheungtaek seamount and Liancourt Rocks and Ulleungdo with An Yong-bok seamount was created as well. Liancourt Rocks is 4.6 million years ago estimated 2.5 million years ago, and the creation of Ulleungdo to us, 2.5 million years ago in 5,000 years ago.<ref>Template:Cite gvp</ref>
The island consists primarily of trachyandesite rock.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A major explosive eruption around 8000 BCE decapitated its top to form a caldera.<ref name="smith2013">Template:Cite journal</ref>
There is Seonginbong Peak in the center of the island.<ref name=":1" /> The Nari Basin is part of a caldera in the northern part of the island, and is the island's only flat surface.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Ulleungdo has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), though it resembles the west coast of Japan much more than Korea, since winters are cloudy with heavy rainfall, albeit not to the same extent as cities such as Kanazawa or Akita.
- Highest Temperature: Template:Convert on August 8, 2013
- Lowest Temperature: Template:Convert on February 26, 1981
- Highest Daily Precipitation: Template:Convert on September 3, 1981
- Wettest Year: Template:Convert in 2003<ref name= KMAextremes/>
Flora and fauna
The island and surrounding water were registered as a marine protected area to secure rich biodiversity in 2014.<ref name="해양수산부고시제2014-139호">해양수산부고시제2014-139호(울릉도 주변해역 해양보호구역 지정), 제18417호 / 관보(정호) / 발행일 : 2014. 12. 26. / 83 페이지 / 490.8KB</ref>
The rowan tree species Sorbus ulleungensis is endemic to the island.
A 2024 genetic analysis determined that a beech tree, Fagus multinervis, is endemic to Ulleungdo. It was previously assumed to be conspecific with Fagus engleriana, a Chinese beech tree, as they are phenotypically identical.<ref name="x494">Template:Cite journal</ref>
North Pacific right whales and pinnipeds were targeted by whalers and sealers in the adjacent waters. Fin whales were also commonly observed historically, and other cetaceans, such as minke whales and dolphins, may appear around the island.<ref>2017. "동해 고래, 한미관계 뿐 아니라 독도 역사와도 연결". Retrieved on August 21, 2017</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Japanese sea lions, now extinct, once bred on the island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A 2013 study estimated that 1,177 species of insects inhabit the island.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Tourism
Favorite activities for tourists are hiking, fishing, and eating hoe (a Korean raw fish dish). Sightseeing boats make regular three-hour circuits about Ulleungdo, departing from the harbor at Dodong and passing by all the points of interest along the coast, including many interesting rock formations and the small neighboring island of Jukdo. Other scenic sites are Seonginbong, the highest peak on the island (Template:Convert); Bongnae waterfall; the "natural icehouse"; and a coastal cliff from which the Liancourt Rocks can be discerned in the distance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
An airport on the island was planned since 2013 and is under construction since 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The design of the new airport was revamped in 2023 for larger aircraft and is expected to open in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Chotdaebawi Rock (literally "Candle Rock") is one of the most well-known natural landmarks of Ulleungdo. The 30-meter-high basalt column rises vertically from the sea near Dodong Harbor and resembles a candle standing upright, hence its name. It is a popular sightseeing spot for visitors to the island and is often included in boat tours around the coast. <ref>https://www.ulleung.go.kr/ko/page.do?mnu_uid=1206& ulleung. september 24, 2025</ref>