Amtaedo Island

Amtaedo, in the sea west of Mokpo, is the island where tenant farmers took on their landlord a century ago and won. Today a bridge links it to the mainland, and at the crossroads near the bridge an elderly couple painted on a wall greets visitors, their hair formed by real camellia trees. It is the gateway to the island-hopping drives across Sinan's archipelago.

The island and its bridges

Amtaedo belongs to Amtae-myeon in Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, about 25 km west of Mokpo. Its highest point is Seungbongsan (355 m). For a long time the only way here was by ferry from Mokpo, but on 4 April 2019 the Cheonsa Bridge opened between Aphaedo and Amtaedo, and the island became reachable by car. At 10.8 km in total, it was the first bridge in Korea to combine a cable-stayed span and a suspension span. Amtaedo is also linked by bridges to the neighbouring islands of Jaeundo, Palgeumdo and Chupodo.

The Amtaedo tenant farmers' dispute

Under Japanese colonial rule most of the island's farmland was split between a few landlords. When the landlord Mun Jae-cheol raised rents to 70–80% of the harvest in the early 1920s, the farmers formed the Amtae Tenant Association in August 1923, led by Seo Tae-seok, and demanded that rent be cut to 40% or less. When they were refused, they stopped paying.

In 1924, after a clash led to around 50 arrests, the island's youth and women's associations joined in. In June about 400 islanders crossed to Mokpo by boat and staged a sit-in in front of the police station and court, and in July 600 people went on hunger strike outside the court. On 30 August an agreement fixed rent at 40%. The victory inspired similar disputes on Dochodo, Jaeundo and other islands. In November 2023 a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary was held at the tenant farmers' memorial tower on the island.

What to see

• Gidong crossroads mural: a smiling elderly couple painted on a wall so that the real camellia trees growing behind it become their hair. Locals call it the "camellia perm" mural.
• Amtaedo Tenant Farmers' Struggle Memorial Tower: a monument to the 1920s dispute.
• Seo Yong-sun memorial gallery: opened in November 2023 in a converted farm co-op warehouse in Danggo-ri, it shows a cycle of paintings on the dispute that the artist Seo Yong-sun worked on for 16 months.
• Amtaedo Lighthouse: a small brick lighthouse built in 1913 on a hill on the north-east coast. You can walk around the site, but the tower itself is closed.
• Nomansa: a small temple said to date from 1873, known for a spring fed by water dripping from cracks in the rock.
• Songgok-ri Maehyang Stele: a provincial monument recording a maehyang ritual, in which incense wood was buried by the sea with prayers for the future.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: the easiest route is from Mokpo across Aphaedo and over the Cheonsa Bridge. The bridge is a motorway, so you cannot cross it on foot or by bicycle. Buses on the islands are infrequent, so a car is far more practical.
• Time needed: 2–3 hours for Amtaedo alone; add the bridge-linked islands of Jaeundo, Palgeumdo and Anjwado and the day goes quickly.
• Best time: the camellia mural looks best from late winter into spring, when the trees flower. Garlic and barley are the island's main crops, so spring also brings green barley fields.
• Before you go: facilities on the island are limited. Plan meals and fuel in advance, and check the gallery's opening hours with Sinan County before visiting.