Firstly, most of the country original culture is still practiced and has not been modify to the extent of catering to the needs of the tourists. One example would be the Haenyo who are still continuing their daily lives even with the presence of tourists. The haenyeo which I have been emphasizing in my future posts earn a living through diving. Even with tourists coming, rather than them being exhibits, it is more of a rare site for the tourists to be able to see them. With lesser chances of seeing them, thus lesser chances of having that particular culture ruin.

Another one would be the Jeju Island tradition to be known to many. One of the more popular event in Jeju Island is the fire festival held once a year on the 15^th day of New Year.In this case it has helped the world to know more about Jeju Island through participation of local events. From what I had researched on, the event allowed the participation of tourists only for a short time to let them experience themselves. Till today, the event is conducted by its own local people and since it’s a one-time event once a year, I believe that the authenticity and the traditions of the locals is still present and is not yet modified to suit the tourist. Preserving the event and doing it the same way as the ancestors did is a unique culture of the country. Because it’s a unique event and preserving a unique culture, I doubt there would be any chances that thus Fire festival would be commodified.

However one of the things that I believed has undergo the commodifying process is the Tolharubong (stone Grandfather). There are too many in the island that one may question which of it the authentic one. The result of the rise of ‘fake’ tolharubong is due to the fact that there is a high demand for tourists who come to Jeju for the sake of rubbing the nose of the statue. To a certain extent the Tolharubong becomes the mascot of the country thus reducing the authenticity of it.

In conclusion, tourism has been a great help in helping the island economy and making the social community a much wider place to expose themselves. Because of tourism that the government is taking measures to educate its people with English language so as to interact them with the tourist. Culture of the country is still rich in terms of architecture and traditions are still followed by the younger generations. Although minor changes are present that will trigger part of the country culture, I believe that in all tourism indeed is beneficial for the country.

In relation to the visitor’s trends, leisure and sports purpose of travelling showed an increase compared to leisure and conventions which was popular at a point of time. From this I can conclude that with tourism, the government is able to let the people know of their leisure activities and one if it being the establishment of the tracking route (olle) in Mount Halla which was designed to attract more tourists. Establishing tourism, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will also be able to employ workers to deal with necessary activities to promote the industry to a level of more than 10 million tourists.

Another factor is the increasing education level of the locals. If in the past some of the locals do not find the send their kids to school let alone teach them, tourism now have becoming more easier for the kids to study. One main reason is because since Jeju island is developing its tourism, educating the locals would be beneficial in terms of their future employment and also for communication with the tourists.

i. Jeju Loveland
One of the first and only sexual theme park in South Korea. It was started by a group of 20 artists who were graduates of Hongik University, Seoul. Located on Jeju Island, one of the hot spots among honeymooners, the theme park opened its gates in 2004. A unique thing about this theme park is the presence of mannequins which are either naked or bearing sexual poses. In addition there was also a photo exhibition hall which was themed sex featured different types of condoms, vibrators and other sex related items on display.

Korean people have always been known as the more conservative people around and with such theme park built, it is definitely a whole new approach. Through my research I identified that Jeju Loveland has adopted the Disney business modal of having the whole park built under one theme. In this case the theme is Sex. This is further justified by mannequins some human sized portraying sex position or information boards pertaining to sex. In Disney related theme parks, the main mascot would be the Disney characters. In this case I identified two mascots namely the men and women. As I had previously mentioned, the theme park decorated with mannequins of men and women engaging in sexual behavior. This is further justified in the video below which is briefly showing the different things there is at Jeju, Loveland.

Jeju Island has always been known as a honeymoon haven for its scenic view, rich culture and abundance of fresh seafood. In addition to that, the stone grandfather (Tolharubong), an icon in Jeju island which is believed by both locals and the international tourist that by rubbing the nose will grant them a baby boy. Such information have been circulating all around Asia and even across the European state. Hence there had been an increasing number of honeymooners coming to Jeju island. The existence of this theme park make it more substantial to attract honeymooners to the island thus increasing tourism.

The teddy bear museum, first opened on April 24, 2001 is a place where everything is centered on teddy bears. With two galleries, a museum gift shop and a museum café, it is a popular spot for friends, family and lovers to come together to meet. The Jeju Teddy bear museum was opened especially for the European collectors who seek out out old, unique, and valuable teddy bears for their personal collections. The main mascot identified for this museum is Teddy bears. The teddy bear museum uses the teddy bear to depict the history of Korea and also use it as a replica for famous people for example Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi to name a few.

This is disneyfication as the whole museum has a common mascot which is Teddy bear. To use teddy bear to tell history such as World War 2 is a clever method to gain the younger crowd attention. Apart from western history, the museum also tells the history of Jeju island. In addition they have a gift shop situated inside the museum selling products ranging from collectible bears, bags, books, mugs and even clothing. But one thing that set them apart is the specially created Jeju Haenyo Teddy bear which is one of the symbolic icons in Jeju island.

As mentioned in a previous post, the local women were responsible for a large part of the family’s income. "Haenyeo” (해녀, female divers) often went diving to collect shellfish and edible seaweed, filling the quiet sea air with whistles announcing their catch. They are the brave women who dive without the use of any breathing equipment. One unique point about them is that their age ranges from early 40s to late 60s, but still they are able to do such work.

For each visitor to Jeju, they would have seen a Tolharubang (돌하르방 a "old grandfather stone statues”) located all around the island. The statue mentioned in my previous post is sometimes serious-looking, sometimes almost comical, these statues dot the landscape and have become one of the most widely-recognized symbols of the island.

The word “Gal ot” (갈옷) refers to traditional Jeju clothing dyed using persimmon juice. Often associated with work clothes in Jeju, these orange-hued, lightweight pieces of clothing are environmentally friendly majorly because of the use of unripe persimmon to make the dye. In addition many of the locals regard the clothes as a ‘wash and wear’ clothing partially because the persimmon juice makes the fabric stiff and without having the need to iron the clothes after washing. In addition the “Galot” have been part of the Jeju tradition since 700 years ago thus making it a part of their culture and a famous product in the region.

Another special sight is the Bangsatap (방사탑),also known as the “protective tower” is a small, round towers made of many stones piled all around the island: at houses, beaches, and even tourist attractions. The locals believe that these towers help to ward off evil, protect the village, and bring prosperity to the people. Some bangsatap also have a rice paddle and a iron pot which symbolize fortune and avoidance of disasters respectively.

Mt.Hallasan stands tall in the middle of Jeju Island is widely acknowledged by scholars for its research values. Designated as a National Park in 1970, there are 368 parasitic mountains called "Ohreum (peaks)" around Mt. Hallasan. From its warm climate to the cooler areas, Mt.Hallasan is famous for its vertical ecosystem of plants with over 1,800 kinds of plants and 4,000 species known to exist. In addition with its well-developed climbing course, visitors can test their physical level and at the same time enjoy the breeze and view from above.

Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak is believed to have rosed from under the sea during a volcanic eruption over 100,000 years ago. Located on the eastern end of Jejudo Island, there is a huge crater at the top of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak. The crater is about 600m in diameter and 90m high. Surrounding the crater is 99 sharp rocks making it to look like a gigantic crown. While the southeast and north sides are cliffs, the northwest side is a verdant grassy hill that is connected to the Seongsan Village. The ridge provides an ideal spot for walks and for horse riding as well.

Hyeopjae Beach, famous for its beautiful white color sand comes from the large amounts of crushed seashells that have been mixed in with the sand. The long seashore stretches for 9 km and has cobalt colored seawater and evergreen forests scattered around the vicinity, making the scenery very beautiful. The white sandy beach is about 20 meters long, and the water is 1.2 meters deep with no sudden drops. In the evergreen groves, there are plenty of convenient facilities and campgrounds for visitors to use.

Micheon Cave, filled with underground mystery, Micheon Cave has academic, tourism, and cultural value. With fresh air, crystal clear water, green fields, and a secondary volcanic cone nearby, this underground cave is a nature awe-inspiring spot. The cave provides an opportunity for contemplating human nature and the future. One will be fascinated with the nature beauty that is hardly felt in the city.

Buphwan Fishery 1st Quality Squid Festival, one of the major summer festivals of Jeju is celebrated for its history of bravery. Held on August at Bhupwan Port, this festival is dedicated to fishery and the importance of it to the people who depend on squids for a living. These people include the fishermen, the residents and the visitors. In addition this festival manifests the devotion of General Yeong Choi who protected the land against the Mongolians by defeating the Mongolians at Beom Island. Through this festival both the locals and the tourists get to witness the gallantry and patriotism of the people of the island. The Jeju Buphwan Fishery 1st Quality Squid Festival, is considered as a unique festival which allowed the people to witness the enriched history of the land while feasting on the delicious squid dishes.

Seongsan Sunrise Festival Jeju, celebrated to mark the first sunrise of the year. It takes place on the Sunrise point of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak where people gather together to welcome the New Year. As the spectators wait at the sunrise point all night to witness the first light of the year, various events are held to entertain them. With it first establishment in 1994 and a gala carnival held here every year since then, today it has become one of the most visited places for end of the year. The commencement of the Seongsan Sunrise Festival in Jeju is done by a torchlight demonstration, a bonfire and extravagant firework displays. Various shows are staged during this Festival of Jeju; famous singers and artists also visit the Seongsan Sunrise point to entertain the crowd with their acts in the open air venue. The actual celebration takes place as soon as the clock strikes twelve where an interesting ritual performed by the fishermen is taken place. This fisherman blow their whistles together in harmony after switching on the boat lights. With processions by the mounted police of the area and a competition for eating mandarin oranges taking place, more people are encouraged to be involve.

Jeju Island is currently positioning itself as a global education city. In a report last year titles “Jeju Island seeks Singapore investors in health, education”, Jeju island has aimed at providing English language-based lessons to the locals and also the international market. One of the main reasons was due to the increase in demand for international school. In a recent study conducted, more and more Korean families are sending their children to United States (US) to study English. In addition due to its location which is two hours away from major cities in the region like Shanghai and Tokyo, it is definitely an excellent choice to develop itself as a global education city.

English language has become globalized nowadays that almost 75% of the world population speaks English making it one of the most spoken languages in the world. With Jeju island promoting English language to the locals make it much easier for them to communicate with the tourists. With Jeju island being one of the uprising tourist attraction, there is a need for more people to communicate in English to reduce the communication barrier.

Above is a promotional video Jeju did to position itself as a global education city. Through this I feel that Jeju island has becoming more open to attract people to the island not just for the purpose of leisure but also education. Not only it benefits the local government through tourism receipts but also it educates the locals.