Yeonpyeongdo Island

Yeonpyeongdo is one of the five northwest islands of South Korea, only about 12 km from the Gangnyeong Peninsula of North Korea's Hwanghae Province. It was once a fishing island where more than 1,500 boats gathered in the croaker season and a floating market sprang up on the water. Today it is known for blue crabs and for the memory of the 2010 shelling, and a visit brings quiet fishing-village life and the reality of division face to face.

About the island

The group belongs to Yeonpyeong-myeon in Ongjin County, Incheon. Most people live on Daeyeonpyeongdo (Big Yeonpyeong), while Soyeonpyeongdo (Small Yeonpyeong) lies about 5 km to the south, alongside several islets. Big Yeonpyeong is about 3.4 km from the Northern Limit Line, the maritime border, and is joined by a sea wall of some 870 m to the islet of Dangseom, where the ferry pier is. Shell mounds and prehistoric pottery found around the island show that people have lived here for a very long time. In the Joseon era it belonged to Haeju in Hwanghae Province; after liberation it fell south of the 38th parallel, joined Ongjin County in Gyeonggi Province and became part of Incheon in 1995.

Croakers and General Im Gyeong-eop

Yeonpyeong was famous for yellow croaker. In the May season more than 1,500 boats used to gather here and a market was held on the water, a tradition that ended after 1968; today the fishing grounds are known for blue crabs. Legend says that during the Manchu invasion of 1636 General Im Gyeong-eop, sailing to rescue the crown prince held hostage by the Qing, ran out of food, anchored at Yeonpyeong and stuck branches into the mudflat. When the tide went out, croakers hung from every branch. Islanders link the start of croaker fishing to him, and Chungminsa, a shrine in his honour, still stands on the island.

23 November 2010

The waters off Yeonpyeong saw naval clashes between the two Koreas in 1999 and 2002. On 23 November 2010 North Korea fired around 170 shells at Big Yeonpyeong, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians. It is recorded as the first time since the 1953 armistice that the North directly shelled South Korean territory. You will pass memorial sites and military units as you walk around, so explore with respect.

Places to see on the island

• Chungminsa: the shrine to General Im Gyeong-eop, a natural stop to recall the croaker legend and the island's older history.
• Dangseom and the sea wall: the ferry docks at the islet of Dangseom, linked to Big Yeonpyeong by a sea wall of some 870 m; from the pier you walk or ride along this causeway into the village.
• Soyeonpyeongdo: the small island about 5 km to the south is roughly one sixth the size of Big Yeonpyeong. It is almost entirely hill, rising to 214 m at Yeonhwabong, and about 100 people live on its northwestern shore.
• Island life: many residents fish or farm, and the large military presence gives the island a strongly male population. The first outside influence is said to have arrived in the 1910s, when a Catholic family settled here and founded a small mission chapel.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: ferries run from the Incheon Coastal Passenger Terminal. Check timetables and possible cancellations before you set off.
• ID: you need ID to board the ferry, and some places on the island also ask for it. Foreign visitors should bring their passport.
• Weather: sailings are often suspended in bad weather on the Yellow Sea. Leave some slack after your return date.
• Time needed: because of the ferry schedule, most visitors stay at least one night, even to see only Big Yeonpyeong.
• Etiquette: do not photograph military facilities or soldiers.