Jeongbang Waterfall

Walk down the steps onto a shore of round boulders and you see water falling from the top of the cliff, crossing a rock pool and mixing straight into the waves. Jeongbang Waterfall lies about 1.5 km south-east of central Seogwipo, and the rare sight of a waterfall dropping directly into the sea has made it one of Jeju's signature views. It is counted among Jeju's three great waterfalls, alongside Cheonjiyeon and Cheonjeyeon.

The falls and the legends

A stream running down the southern slopes of Hallasan reaches a coastal cliff of columnar basalt and drops over it. The falls are about 23 m high, up to around 8 m wide when the water is high, and the pool below is about 5 m deep. It is described as the only waterfall in East Asia that falls directly into the sea.

Legends cluster here. Seobul (Xu Fu), sent by China's First Emperor Qin Shi Huang to find the herb of immortality, is said to have passed by and carved "Seobul gwacha" (Seobul passed here) on the cliff; because he then returned westwards, the town was supposedly named Seogwipo, "the port of returning west". Another legend says that if you beat a drum beneath the falls, a dragon will rise and dance with you. The falls have long been listed among the Ten and the Twelve Scenic Views of Jeju, and in 1702 the Jeju governor Yi Hyeong-sang was painted viewing them from a boat in the album Tamna Sullyeokdo. They were designated a national Scenic Site in 2008.

History to remember

Jeongbang Waterfall was also a massacre site during the Jeju 4·3 violence. Local people were killed here on several occasions in 1948–1949, and the bodies of villagers killed at a former tobacco factory above the falls are said to have been thrown down the waterfall. Please keep that history in mind as you visit.

What to see

• The falls up close: from the boulder shore at the foot of the steps. On sunny days a rainbow often forms in the spray.
• Pines on the cliffs: old pine trees lean out from the clifftop over the sea.
• Seobok Exhibition Hall: right next to the entrance, telling the Seobul legend.
• Sojeongbang Waterfall: a lower waterfall a short distance east, on Jeju Olle Route 6.

Nearby

• Sojeongbang Waterfall: low and icy cold, it has long been a place for "water bathing" under the falls; standing under it on Baekjung (the 14th day of the seventh lunar month) was believed to ward off illness.
• Cheonjiyeon Waterfall: another of Jeju's three great waterfalls, close to Jeongbang.
• Lee Jung-seop Art Gallery: a gallery named after the painter Lee Jung-seop, in old Seogwipo.

Tripto tips

• Hours and tickets: listed hours are 09:00–17:20; admission is KRW 2,000 for adults and KRW 1,000 for children. Open all year, with a car park.
• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour for the falls alone.
• Take care: the shore is covered in large, rounded and slippery boulders. Wear sturdy shoes and keep back from the falls when the water is high. There are steps from the entrance down to the shore.
• Best time: after rain the falls are at their fullest. Arriving at opening time helps you avoid tour groups.
• Combine with: Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, the Lee Jung-seop Art Gallery and old Seogwipo town are close by, making an easy half-day.