East Jeju Oreum Walks: Yongnuni, Darangswi and Akkeun Darangswi

Jeju has more than 360 oreum, the small volcanic cones that dot the island around Hallasan, and the farmland of Gujwa in the east is one of the places where they gather most thickly. Most can be climbed in half an hour, and from the top you look out over stone-walled fields, neighbouring cones, and on clear days Seongsan Ilchulbong and Udo. Three oreum with very different characters sit about 20 minutes' drive from Onpyeong, close enough that a morning covers two or three of them.

Yongnuni Oreum: the easy first climb

Yongnuni rises to 247.8 m above sea level, only 88 m above the surrounding land. It is a little over 20 minutes from the car park to the top, along a ridge of soft, rolling curves, which makes it our first suggestion for anyone new to oreum. The name is usually explained as "a lying dragon", after its shape. From the summit, Seongsan Ilchulbong, Udo and Jimibong line up in one view.

So many visitors came that the slopes began to erode, and in February 2021 Yongnuni was closed for a nature rest period. It reopened in July 2023, but private land and vegetation recovery areas remain fenced off, so only part of the ridge is open. Staying on the marked path is how this cone stays open at all.

Darangswi Oreum: the "queen of oreum"

At 382 m above sea level and 227 m above the plain, Darangswi is the biggest of the three. Its clean, symmetrical cone earned it the nickname "queen of the oreum", and its round crater, said to look like the moon, gave it another name, Wollangbong. The crater at the top is more than 100 m deep, a dizzying drop, and a path of about 1.5 km runs around its rim.

• The climb — steep stone steps through cedar trees at first, then zigzag timber stairs and coir-matted path. Twenty to thirty minutes to the top; an hour to an hour and a half with the rim loop.
• The view — fully open in every direction: Seongsan Ilchulbong and Udo one way, Hallasan the other.
• Darangswi Cave — near the oreum is the cave where eleven villagers hiding during the Jeju April 3 massacres were killed in December 1948. It was found in 1991; the entrance is sealed and a marker stone stands in its place.

Akkeun Darangswi: a ten-minute climb into silver grass

The small cone directly across from Darangswi's car park is Akkeun Darangswi. "Akkeun" means "lesser" or "second" in the Jeju language, so the name simply means "little Darangswi". A narrow path up the west slope reaches the crater rim in about ten minutes, and in autumn silver grass as tall as you are fills the crater. Seen from the top of Darangswi, its round crater is laid out below you, which is the scene in the Akkeun Darangswi place photo on this page. Some sections may be closed; follow the notices on site.

When to go

• Autumn (October to November) — silver grass season. The ridges of Akkeun Darangswi and Yongnuni turn silver.
• Sunrise — from the top of Darangswi or Yongnuni the sun comes up toward Seongsan Ilchulbong. You will climb in the dark, so bring a torch and skip it when the stairs are wet.
• Summer — ticks live in the long grass. Wear long sleeves and trousers and shake out your clothes afterwards.
• Wind — nothing shelters the summit ridges. On a windy day, stick to the lower Yongnuni or Akkeun Darangswi.

Getting there from the house

From Onpyeong it is about 18 minutes by car to Yongnuni and about 20 minutes to the shared Darangswi and Akkeun Darangswi car park. The two car parks are five minutes apart, so you can climb Yongnuni first and then walk Darangswi and Akkeun Darangswi, all three before lunch. We do not recommend the bus: the walk from the nearest stop is long and runs along fast roads. After the oreum, the Seongsan coastal walks take you back to the sea, or continue under the trees at Bijarim and Saryeoni forest.