Sites of Korea’s dark tourism

During the Joseon period, smoke signal stations and beacon mounds were used to transmit urgent political or military news by smoke or torchlight. These stations were built on hills where there had once been additional stations roughly six kilometres to the east and west of Sagye-ri’s station.

Smoke signal station, Sagye-ri

Only a couple of hundred metres from this station were caves built into the coastal cliffs of Mt Songaksan during the Japanese occupation using forced Jeju labour. The Japanese hid small ships in these cliff caves that were used for suicide attacks against the allied forces towards the end of the Pacific War.

Tunnels in Mr Songaksan, Jeju Island

Four kilometres away was the most recent sign of an enemy invasion. Above the beach by Mount Songaksan was a reminder of where a U.S. ship landed bringing troupes and supplies during the U.S. war on Korea.