Sangumburi Crater

Most of Jeju's oreums rise like hills, but Sangumburi in Gyorae-ri, Jocheon-eup, is a deep crater sunk into almost flat grassland. Walk a little way up the slope and a huge bowl suddenly opens beneath your feet, said to be larger than Baengnokdam, the crater lake on top of Hallasan. It is a designated Natural Monument.

What kind of crater is it

Sangumburi measures about 2,067 m around its outer rim and about 756 m around the inner one, and is roughly 100 m deep. The rim stands only 5–30 m above the surrounding plain, so from a distance it does not look like a mountain at all. Rain that falls into the crater drains away through its porous floor, so no lake forms.

For a long time Sangumburi was described as a maar, a crater blasted out by an explosion with hardly any lava. More recent research, however, suggests it is a collapse (pit) crater formed when the ground sank, so explanations of how it formed vary between sources. Sangumburi was designated a Natural Monument in 1979.

Name and seasons

The name Sangumburi is usually explained as "a hole in the mountain", in other words a crater. In spring you may see clouds forming on the crater floor and rising up, and wildflowers such as Korean asters, gentians and grass-of-Parnassus bloom through the seasons. The crater was also a filming location for the film Love Wind Love Song.

What to see

• Crater viewpoint: An easy path from the entrance leads up to the rim, where you can see the deep crater and the oreum-dotted grassland beyond in one view.
• Two forests in one crater: The sunny north-facing wall is covered with evergreen broadleaf trees such as red-leaf oak, Machilus and Castanopsis, while the shadier south wall has deciduous trees such as sawtooth oak and maple. Compare how the colours of the two sides differ.
• Wildlife: The crater is home to animals such as roe deer and badgers, and rare plant communities are preserved inside.
• Silver grass: In autumn the slopes around the crater turn silver with eulalia (silver grass), and together with the autumn leaves in the crater this is when Sangumburi is at its most colourful.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: March–June and September–October 09:00–18:40 (last entry 18:00); July–August and November–February 09:00–17:40 (last entry 17:00). Hours may change with the weather.
• Admission: Adults KRW 7,000, youth and children KRW 6,000. Visitors aged 65 and over and Jeju residents pay KRW 5,000 with ID. Cards are accepted.
• Time needed: 40 minutes to an hour to walk up to the viewpoint and back.
• Best time: Autumn, when the silver grass is out, is the most rewarding season. It can be cold and windy on the rim, so bring a layer.
• Combine with: Jeju Stone Park is about 3.5 km away, and together with the forest trails around Gyorae-ri you can plan a day in Jeju's eastern uplands.
• Getting there: The address is 768 Bijarim-ro, Jocheon-eup, Jeju City. A car is easier than public transport, and there is a car park. Phone +82 64-783-9900.