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"Burning Garbage For 3 Years" I Have Seen The Hidden Side Of 'Clean Jeju'

Clean Jeju is in ruins. The population and number of tourists in Jeju have grown so fast that they can not afford it for the past 10 years. Garbage spills from the land to the sea, and the groundwater, Jeju's life water, is polluted.


Since the 9th of last month, the JoongAng Ilbo (South Korean daily newspaper) reporting team have reported on the messy scenes of Jeju. The covert reality of the island from the image of 'Clean Jeju' was included in the photos and videos.


Jeju airport side garbage mountain

About 50,000 tons of compressed garbage have been accumulated in the landfill site of the northern part of Jeollanam-do Jeonbuk Environmental Management Center for several years. (Chun Kwon-pil reporter)

About 50,000 tons of garbage are piled up in the landfill of Jeolju-do, Cheongju-dong, about 20km southeast of Jeju Airport. The amount of garbage brought in everyday is so large that it can not be processed completely.

Even if a new incinerator is built at the end of the year, it is said to be destroyed every day for about three years. There are still 90 tons of garbage every day here.


Garbage that is not incinerated is packed and packed. (Chun Kwon-pil reporter)

Jeju sea has become a dumping place

Jeju Island is filled with garbage such as vinyl in the sea. [47 times of Moon Island]


A small island in the western part of Jeju, Chogwipo, has been designated as a natural reserve for a long time and has been banned from public access. The azure Jeju sea, viewed from Daegwipo Island, was shining brightly in the sun. However, when we started diving, a completely different landscape was unfolded in the sea. On the floor, dozens of thumb-sized lead bins (sinkers, fishing line hangers) were piled up like tombs, plastic bags filled with plastic bags such as sweets bags and PET bottles filled the gap between the rocks.

A leadbind found in the sea in Jeju Island. [JoongAng Ilbo; Picture 47]

The garbage found in the sea in Jeju Island. [JoongAng Ilbo; Picture 47]

The diver is looking around the garbage such as the PET bottles piled up in the waters near the Jungbang Falls in Seogwipo City, Jeju Island. [Photo Underwater World Lee Sun Myung]

Odor in the Sanjie Stream next to Dongmun Market


Sanji Stream is a representative ecological stream of Jeju City where freshwater flowing from Halla Mountain meets the sea. It was also a model of Cheonggyecheon restoration plan in Seoul. However, a few years ago, a variety of domestic sewage and wastes from the famous Dongmun Market attracted visitors to the bottom of the river. Jeju City has removed 200 tons of sediment in last month through dredging work.


The vanishing Gotjawal due to hectic development


Hwasun Gojawal of Hwasunri in Andeok - myeon, Seogwipo City, Jeju Island. (Chun Kwon-pil reporter)

Gotjawal is a forest where rocks are stacked as the lava that flows down from the volcanic eruption is hardened and split. Gotjawal can store rainwater through a rock gap by penetrating into groundwater. Jeju is an island, but Gotjawal provides an abundance of water. However, due to the unpaved development, the area of ​​Gotjawal is rapidly decreasing and the groundwater is running out. According to Jeju Island, 22.216 square kilometers (22.3%) of the total area (99.525㎢) of Gotjawal was destroyed as it was developed as a golf course and an English education city.


A view of Gotjawal from the viewpoint of the southern peak. The forest on the left side of the road is lush, but the forest on the right is plagued by the development of the resort. (Chun Kwon-pil reporter)

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