Geomeun Oreum (), popularly called Geum Oreum () and alternately called Geumak (), is an ''

oreum ''Oreum'' () refers to the around 360 small rising extinct volcanoes on Jeju Island, in Jeju Province, South Korea. They are commonly described as cinder cones or parasitic cones, and are often inside larger volcanic craters. Etymology The ...

'' (small extinct volcano; parasitic cone) in

Hallim Hallim () is a Eup (administrative division), town located in Jeju City, Jeju Province, South Korea. The population of Hallim is 20,910 people and 10,737 households (10,776 men and 10,134 women, as of December 2023). The island Biyangdo (Hallim), ...

, Jeju City, Jeju Province, South Korea.

Toponymy

The ''oreum'''s name possibly refers to the color black, in reference to its dark soil. "Geom" may also mean "god", suggesting that the ''oreum'' had an important local spiritual role.

Description

Its highest point is above sea level. It has a height from base of , and covers an area of . It has a conical shape. There is a cell tower at the summit, as well as a guard post. There is a

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...

around deep at the top of the mountain called Wangmae or Ammae (). It has an area of . Within the crater is a marshy area that develops a pond after rain. This area is called Geumakdam (). Amphibians live in this marshy area and have been affected by human activity at the top. The ''oreum'' is on privately-owned land. Before 2009, livestock used to graze on the ''oreum''; they were relocated in order to accommodate the safety of tourists. The owners of the ''oreum'' dispose of waste on the ''oreum'' and maintain its infrastructure. It is popular for tourists, as it is normally possible to drive up to the summit. From the top, tourists can engage in paragliding. A 2017 news article reported that driving up to the very top was restricted. The top reportedly has views of

Hallasan Hallasan is a shield volcano on Jeju Island in South Korea; it is the highest point of South Korea and the second-highest mountain in Korea overall, after Paektu Mountain. The area around the mountain is a designated national park, the Hallas ...

and

Sanbangsan Sanbangsan () is a volcano located on the southwest coast of Jeju Island, in , Seogwipo, Jeju Province, South Korea. It is a trachytic lava dome that is tall. Part of the Jeju Island UNESCO Global Geoparks, UNESCO Global Geopark, the mountain i ...

. In 2017, it was reported that the ''oreum'' had an influx of popularity after it was featured in a TV program. For other publicly-owned ''oreum'', such as

Yongnuni Oreum Yongnuni Oreum () is an ''oreum'' (small extinct volcano) in Gujwa, Jeju City, Jeju Province, South Korea. Toponymy It is generally agreed that the ''oreums name means "dragon lying down"; the ''oreum'' is said to resemble such. An altern ...

, the local government enacted halts on tourist activity in order to safeguard the environment. As this ''oreum'' is privately owned, the owners declined to do so. There is also a trail that goes up the ''oreum'', and one through its forests. The forest trail opened in 2009. During the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period, tunnels were dug into the ''oreum''. Locals hid inside these tunnels during the 1948 Jeju uprising.

References

{{reflist Mountains of Jeju Province Cinder cones Tourist attractions in Jeju Province Jeju City