By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Lilia Pedellume from the Philippines
Photos = Lilia Pedellume and Vince Grindle

Another year has ended and a new one has begun.

Being from the Philippines, I used to celebrate the New Year with my family and lots of noise and the sounds of big bangs. I remember blowing a trumpet, watching fireworks and even lighting a huge bamboo cannon, a homemade firecracker widely known in the Philippines as lantaka but also called pit-bong.

When I first moved to Korea 10 years ago and celebrated my first New Year here, I was surprised to learn how differently Koreans celebrate Christmas and New Year's Day.

Back home in the Philippines, we like noise. In Korea, however, I noticed that most people like celebrating these events quietly such as going to church or watching the sunrise. Thousands of Koreans travel with their families to places as far as Pohang, Gangneung and Jeju Island just to see the year’s first sunrise.

Speaking of Jeju, my husband and I traveled to the island on Dec. 31, 2018, to watch the first sunrise of 2019. Jeju is just about an hour flight from Daegu International Airport, and going there was pretty convenient for us since we live right next to Daegu.

The most famous spot to see the sunrise on the island is Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak). So we decided to book a hotel right at the foot of this famous mountain.




After arriving by plane in Jeju, we took a rapid bus to the town of Seongsan-eup in Seogwipo. Fortunately, Rapid Bus No. 111 went directly to Seongsanpo Harbor and passed by the peak, making things easy for us.

The convenient transportation system on the island allowed us to arrive early at our hotel and gave us more time to explore the surrounding areas. We walked along the road near Gwangchigi Beach and found fields of canola flowers blooming in winter. Because the fields are privately owned, admission is 1,000 KRW to enter the fields and take photos.

After going on an afternoon stroll, we headed back to Seongsan Ilchulbong to watch the sunset, something I love doing as well as watching the sunrise. Being where I can easily see both, I didn't want to squander this chance.

We spent the rest of the evening resting in our hotel room. Just before midnight, we headed back to the peak to join the hordes of tourists and locals alike in a New Year's Eve countdown. While everyone enjoyed the performances on stage, as soon as the countdown began, they turned towards Seongsan Ilchulbong to see the spectacle: a laser light show followed by fireworks bursting in various colors. I thus heard the familiar “noise” of a new year I’d heard in the Philippines and felt like I was home again for a few minutes.

When I looked back at the stage, I saw the bonfire burning, the first time I saw one on New Year's Eve. A concert, fireworks display and bonfire on New Year's Eve? Who was I to say no? I loved it.


And the festivities didn't end there. What followed was ganggangsullae, an ancient Korean dance originally used to bring a bountiful harvest that is now a cultural symbol of Korea. Everyone just danced joyfully to the song sang by the women wearing colorful Hanbok on stage.

When the first day of 2019 broke, my husband and I headed to Gwangchigi Beach to watch the sunrise there. We wanted to capture not just the sunrise but the beauty of Seongsan Ilchulbong as well. The perfect place for that was Gwangchigi Beach.

Unfortunately, the clouds decided to cover the sun and thus we couldn’t see it rising from the horizon. We just caught a glimpse of the sun when it was high up in the sky.

We stayed in Jeju for a few days and finally got to see a proper sunrise on our third day. It was so beautiful. We didn’t see it from Seongsan Ilchulbong but hopefully we can next time.

Our trip to Jeju gave us everlasting memories of that short vacation, especially the New Year's Eve countdown. It was the best New Year's Eve celebration I’ve had in Korea and one for the books.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.