“A short but intense encounter.”

So said the more than 60 descendants of Korean War veterans from overseas and Korean students who visited Dokdo Island on Jun. 30. The easternmost island of Korea was the second leg of their trip dubbed “The Long March of Youth from UN Korean War Allied Nations.”

These students stepped onto the island and were welcomed by the Dokdo Coast Guards at the landing deck after their ferry, which had traveled from Ulleungdo Island, docked smoothly at 2 p.m.




It is actually very difficult to set foot on Dokdo Island because the weather conditions change rapidly, transforming the sea around the island every single moment. For this reason, there are only about 60 sunny days a year on the island.

The program participants were allowed to spend only 30 minutes on the island. They took as many photos as possible within the designated time, trying to save their precious memories, while taking a look around the surroundings of the island. Some of them even took photos with the Dokdo Coast Guards and asked them questions about how they get used to living on the island.



The program participants all said that their visit to Dokdo Island will become an unforgettable memory, while wishing that they could have spent more time on the island. Tefera Saboka from Ethiopia said, “I've found the whole of this trip interesting but the visit to Dokdo was the best part so far. My father participated in the Korean War, and I feel proud to visit this country and Dokdo Island.”

Another participant, Nidhi Kumari from India, said, “It is sad we had such a short time to look around the island, but I enjoyed the Dokdo visit most out of everything in the program.” She added, “Although it’s small, I could see the unique charms of Dokdo which other islands do not possess."

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer, reporting from Ulleungdo Island
Photos: Yang Myung Hoon, Photographer; Yoon Sojung, Korea.net Staff Writer