Jeju Selected as Host of 8th Island Day... ‘Jeju-Style Festival’ Connecting Outlying Islands to Launch Next Year

Final Selection in Ministry of the Interior and Safety Contest

A Platform for Nationwide Island Policy Exchange

As Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has been selected as the final host for the 8th Island Day, organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the province has begun formulating a master plan to establish a national marine cultural festival that will showcase Jeju’s haenyeo (female diver) culture and ecological resources across the island. The event will take place for three days from August 6 to 8, 2027, connecting Seongsan Ilchulbong and outlying islands such as Udo and Chuja Island.

A clear view of Chuja Island, Jeju's representative affiliated island, vividly visible beyond the horizon within Jeju city. Photo by Park Changwon.

According to Jeju Province on July 7, the province was officially chosen in a selection contest led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on July 2. Based on the vision “Islands within an Island: A Festival of Islands Unfolds in Jeju” proposed at the time, Jeju has begun preparing a detailed action plan that highlights the island’s unique characteristics and aims to expand participation from island regions nationwide.

This festival, in particular, will go beyond a one-off event. Government ceremonies and exhibitions and cultural events will be held in the Seongsan Ilchulbong area, while major outlying islands—including Udo, Gapado, Marado, Biyangdo, and Chuja Island—will feature a differentiated “Jeju-style event model.” This model will organically connect customized experiential and tourism programs that utilize each island’s natural environment, haenyeo culture, fishing village communities, and ecological resources.

Extensive exchange forums will also be established, providing opportunities for island residents and the general public from across the country to gather and interact.

During the festival, large-scale exhibition and promotional programs will introduce the unique cultures, local specialties, and tourism resources of island regions nationwide. In conjunction, a policy and academic exchange program involving central government agencies, academic experts, and local governments from across the country’s islands is under review. These forums will address core issues centered on island regions, such as improving settlement conditions, expanding the resident population, promoting marine tourism, and developing sustainable island strategies.

Additionally, the province plans to directly link festival visitors' movements to major commercial districts and outlying islands within Jeju so as to stimulate the local economy. At the same time, the provincial government will preemptively establish a comprehensive joint safety management system for transportation, accommodation, and medical services to prepare for extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rain, and typhoons during the summer.

The selection of Jeju as the host for the 8th Island Day is seen as official recognition by the central government of the unique ecological value of Jeju’s outlying islands and the cultural heritage of its haenyeo. At the same time, it is expected to serve as an opportunity for Jeju to lead the way in developing sustainable models for the island regions, which are key to territorial sovereignty.

Particularly, as the festival takes place in August—a period of significant increases in floating population—establishing a sophisticated administrative infrastructure to control maritime transportation and respond to sudden adverse weather will be a critical factor for success. However, experts analyze that if Jeju moves beyond temporary tourist attraction and instead strengthens policy collaboration among island regions and integrates local business, it could serve as a major catalyst for improving settlement conditions and attracting a substantial residential population to outlying islands at risk of depopulation.

Kim Jongsu, Director of the Jeju Provincial Department of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, “We will do our utmost to prepare for the 8th Island Day so that it can serve not only to widely promote Jeju’s outstanding island culture and marine resources, but also become a hub festival that organically shares the value and future vision of all islands in Korea. To achieve this, we will strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments nationwide.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.