Driving through Jeju City – A Look at Local Life in Urban Jeju

Driving through Jeju City – A Look at Local Life in Urban Jeju

Hello, this is Jeju Walker. Today, we’ll be driving past Jeju Airport and heading into the nearby city. In the city, you’ll find large hotels, duty-free shops, and plenty of stores, making it a popular stop for international travelers. At the same time, it’s also where many locals live, so you can get a glimpse into everyday life in Jeju City. On TV dramas or variety shows, the background is often coastal villages or charming guesthouses. Because of that, many people imagine life in Jeju as living in a countryside home. But in reality, about half of the residents live in the old and new urban districts. We’re starting from my neighborhood on the way to the airport. It’s only about five minutes by car from my house, yet far enough from the flight path that there’s no noise at all. The markings on the road might look unfamiliar to visitors. The blue lanes are for buses and taxis, while the pink and green lanes guide vehicles to departure and arrival areas. You often see these at tricky intersections—it’s a smart idea to help reduce accidents. The Jeju–Gimpo (Seoul) route is said to be the busiest flight route in the world, with up to 7,000 flights a day. The second airport is expected to be completed in about ten years. It may be a good choice in terms of spreading out air traffic demand, but there are concerns about the environmental impact. If you cross the street at the right signal and head left, you’ll find the taxi stand. On weekends or evenings, it can get crowded, and you may have to wait 20–30 minutes for a taxi. According to taxi drivers, there’s a shortage of people willing to drive taxis. Most drivers are middle-aged or older, and many don’t prefer to work in the evenings. This has even been an issue in Seoul, with many drivers switching to delivery jobs instead. If you’re not taking a taxi, you can head to the rental car counters on the left. From there, shuttle buses take you to each rental company. Since Jeju is larger than many expect, renting a car is almost essential. If that feels difficult, a package tour might be more suitable. Do you know the little bus “Tayo”? It’s an animation loved in Korea almost as much as Pororo. I started watching it because of my child, and I like that it’s quite educational. These days, I watch TV for my child rather than for myself. We try to strictly control screen time, which means I rarely get to watch what I want. Of course, with streaming services you can watch anytime, but after a month, new content is already out, making it harder to keep up. Right now, I’m pre-watching the movie “Cars 3” before showing it to my child. Passing the airport parking lot, let’s circle back toward where we started. Now we’re entering the city—it didn’t take long, right? This area is called Yeon-dong, home to the provincial government offices. To the right is a district with hotels and many commercial facilities. This is Samda Park, where my family often comes for walks. It’s made up of four small parks around a roundabout. In summer, concerts are sometimes held here. This year, they started and ended earlier than usual, which was a bit disappointing. Now let’s turn right and head toward the commercial district. This is the “old downtown” area next to the new city. Most buildings here are 20 to 30 years old with lower ceilings. Even in the city center, buildings aren’t that different. Some new constructions are being added here and there. Here is “Nuwemaru Street,” a shopping street similar to a smaller version of Myeong-dong in Seoul. During the day it’s quiet, and more people are actually found on the main road. On the left, you can see several large hotels. The hotel buffets here are quite popular and worth recommending. To the right is the Shilla Duty-Free Shop. And in the distance, the tallest building is “Dream Tower.” I’m curious about the ocean view from the top floor. I’m sure there are vlogs about it, but I’ll resist the temptation to check. Now we’re at Nohyeong Intersection, often considered the heart of Jeju’s new city. From here, you can say the district is divided. We’ll explore more and come back. The dotted blue lane is for buses, but it only operates during rush hours. Uniquely, taxis are also allowed to use it. In the distance, you can see Jeju Halla General Hospital with its helicopter pad. It’s also a regional trauma center for severe emergency cases. I saw an ad showing that ambulances here can control traffic lights in real time—very impressive. It’s reassuring to have such a hospital nearby. Since childhood, I’ve often seen relatives struggle with serious illnesses. When someone close to you is seriously ill, I want to offer both comfort and a reminder: Never forget that hospitals are also businesses. Trusting doctors is important, but you must also recognize the hospital’s business side. So, if you face a serious illness, always get checked at more than one hospital. With CT, MRI scans, and documents, guardians can also handle consultations. And since the level of care can vary widely, make the best choice, especially for serious conditions. There are many hotels here as well, especially popular with Chinese tourists. You’ll see Chinese signs and staff who can speak the language. It’s noticeably quieter in the mornings, but evenings can get quite crowded. Until last spring, I had my studio nearby. I was surprised how many people came just to eat “pork bone stew” (Gamjatang). Since there are many government offices, I assumed it was just a convenient lunch option. But surprisingly, many foreign visitors came as well. It’s a shame that restaurants don’t explain how best to enjoy it. You must always order fried rice after the stew! Some Koreans even eat Gamjatang just for the fried rice at the end. Please, install traffic lights at this intersection! From here, we enter a mainly residential district. It’s mostly apartment complexes with plenty of convenient facilities. With supermarkets, shops, academies, and hospitals, this may be one of the most convenient areas in Jeju. Compared to the coast or countryside, the neighborhood doesn’t have much unique charm. But I think this might be the only truly walkable area in Jeju. Elsewhere, you usually need to drive 5–10 minutes for daily needs. Here, you can do everything on foot, just like in Seoul. You’ll see many apartment complexes lined up. There are also prestigious high schools and a university here. Because of Jeju’s geography, many roads slope down toward the coast, while uphill roads lead toward Hallasan Mountain. Nearby are Halla Arboretum and the police headquarters. This area really has everything. Since I need to make a U-turn, let’s stop by the arboretum. Like in Seoul, I’ve explored many places since moving here. Partly because of my photography work, and partly because I’ve moved house three times and offices twice in Jeju. But I don’t know Seogwipo as well. Even though I lived there for a month, perhaps because it’s far from the airport, it felt more isolated. I’d love to share stories from Seogwipo someday. I can’t drive too deep in here, but I can show you the atmosphere. In the early evening, you may even see wild deer here. It’s also home to cozy, quiet cafés where you can really relax. Let’s also take a look inside the apartment complexes off the main road. In these side streets, you’ll find many private academies. Parents here seem very focused on their children’s education. In Korea, academies provide not only education but also childcare. Since many parents work, leaving kids alone isn’t an easy choice. If after-school clubs were more developed, private tutoring costs could be reduced. But in Korea’s culture, where university admission is the top priority, after-school activities often lead back to academics. Ultimately, this intense competition is for better jobs. The gap between big corporations and small companies in salary and benefits is huge. If that gap were smaller, the pressure would certainly ease. Just two years ago, I wanted to move here mainly because of the large supermarkets. I used to spend a lot of time and energy every weekend shopping. But since last year, I’ve been ordering groceries on my phone, so I no longer have a strong reason to move here. Lifestyle changes can even affect real estate. And these changes seem to come faster and faster. For me, within just a year, editing photos without AI tools has become almost impossible. Of course, I can still edit manually, but it takes too much time. That extra time translates into higher costs, making it hard to compete. Self-driving cars, robots, logistics wars—these might all arrive within the next decade. Let’s embrace the changes. We’re back again at Nohyeong Intersection, the center of the city. Here’s Dream Tower. When I first moved to Jeju, construction had been halted. But before I knew it, it turned into this huge building. I had hoped for a department store or mall rather than a hotel and casino—it was a bit disappointing. Most of the buildings here are hospitals—the kind of place you hope not to visit. Even around the elementary school, the street is lined with hospitals. This marks about the edge of the city. Beyond here, the Peace Road leads toward Aewol and Seogwipo. On the right is Jeju Halla University. Here on the right is a relatively new cinema and shopping mall. It’s not large, but it’s one of the go-to spots on rainy days. This is where you’ll find Jeju’s provincial government, council, and education offices. It’s always quiet here, both on weekdays and weekends. It’s also near my home. Public corporations and broadcasting stations are located here too, but the commercial district isn’t very developed. That concludes today’s drive. Thank you for joining me.

Take a closer look at everyday life in Jeju City, just a few minutes away from Jeju International Airport. This drive introduces you to the urban side of Jeju, where modern apartments, government offices, hotels, and duty-free shops stand alongside quiet residential neighborhoods. Unlike the seaside villages often shown in dramas, nearly half of Jeju’s residents live in this city area, offering a glimpse into the island’s daily rhythm.

📍 Route: Jeju Airport → Yeon-dong → Old & New Downtown → Nohyeong Intersection → Halla Arboretum → Residential Districts → City Landmarks

🏙️ Highlights: Jeju Airport surroundings, duty-free shops, Dream Tower, Samda Park, local apartments, schools, and Halla Arboretum

🚗 Style: Virtual city drive with local commentary about life, culture, and urban development in Jeju

#Jeju #SouthKorea #JejuCity

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