Jeju D'oh Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mount Halla

The Hallasan National Park, featuring Mount Halla (also known as Hallasan), at the center of the island is the focal point of the Biosphere Reserve along with two stream corridors, and three islets. Hallasan is the highest mountain in South Korea.

Four major ecosystems encompass the island: alpine coniferous forest, temperate broadleaf forest, warm temperate evergreen lucidophyll forest, and temperate grassland. It became a Biosphere Reserve in 2002 because of the many endangered plants and animals found on the island. The island boasts 134 taxa of Korean endemic plants and 103 species of animals. Endangered species on the island include the green sea turtle, black-faced spoonbill, and Steller sea lion.

According to the UNESCO website, as of 2022, Jeju Island was the only site where all four Internationally Designated Areas occur. These are Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes World Heritage Site, Jeju Island Biosphere Reserve, Jeju Island UNESCO Global Geopark and 2 RAMSAR wetland sites: 1100 Altitude Wetland and Muljangori-Oreaum Wetland.

This question was given protected status and entered into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's resident conservation expert tazman6619.

Answer: Lava tube formation

Most caves around the world are formed over thousands, if not millions, of years through water erosion of limestone but the caves on Jeju Island were formed by volcanic activity that led to lava tubes. Interestingly, these tubes then began to exhibit normal cave life with limestone structures being formed in them. This makes these caves unique from caves found anywhere else on earth.

The Geomunoreum Lava Tube System is "regarded as the finest such cave system in the world", according to the UNESCO website. Numerous caves and tubes have been discovered so far with some being designated as natural monuments. Examples are the Bukoreumdonggul Lava Tube, Mangjanggul Lava Tube, and Dangcheomuldonggul Lava Tube. The Mangjanggul Lava Tube, The Hyeopjaegul Lava Tube, the Ssangyonggul Cave, the Seonheulli Bengdwigul Cave, and the Gimnyeongsagul Cave are all open to the public for tours. Visible in these caves are stalactites, stalagmites, and stone pillars.

This question was rappelled into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's resident spelunking enthusiast tazman6619.

Answer: Adult-themed park

The park's website describes itself as "a place where love-oriented art and eroticism meet" and, essentially, it is dedicated to sex. The park features over 140 statues of people in various sexual positions and showcases a series of sex education films.

The impetus for the theme park arose when the island had earned a reputation, after World War II, as a centre for honeymooners. This was during an era where overseas visitors were restricted and a large number of the Korean couples were the result of arranged marriages. Legends abound that the starts to these honeymoons were awkward and that the staff at the main hotel were called upon to be "professional icebreakers". Read that as you may. In addition, erotic entertainment was also provided as a means to help the newlyweds to relax.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who was too terrified to write jokes about this subject.

Answer: Sunrise Peak

This is one of the most scenic attractions on Jeju Island, boasting one of the most majestic views of the sunrise and sunset that you could see. To accommodate this the locals have built a series of stairs that will take you to the island's peak. The climb up and down is likely to take an hour of your time.

The island is a tuff cone. Tuff cones are formed when the magma from a volcanic eruption makes contact with a water source; in Jeju's case, the sea. They are steep in nature with a wide crater at the top. The Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone is about 600 feet in height and its crater is 1950 feet in diameter. Its flora is of great interest as it contains six very rare plants, in particular the Aeginetia indica (forest ghost flower), which is only found on this island.

This question erupted from the not so tuff cone of Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Answer: Jeju horses

The Jeju horses have an incredible pedigree, and it was in order to preserve this unique heritage and to stop them dying out that the breed was labelled Natural Monument No. 347. There were some 150 horses in total at that stage, of ten different coat types, each identified by its coat colour.

It is estimated from the remains found on the island that horses have been on Jejudo since the Bronze age, and historical records indicate horses were bred for agricultural purposes and that horses bred on the land were presented as gifts to royalty. The original breeding stock was thought to have come from Mongolia.

The breed is extremely hardy; the modern breed is used for horseracing and does not require horseshoes to be fitted. In addition, they have excellent tolerance for low temperatures and can be turned out to paddock without horse blankets.

Since the horses have been the subject of preservation activities, a breeding program has been managed by a government-appointed body called the 'Jeju Stockbreeding Promotion Institute'. This body registers each foal born in the program, and the coat colour, and issues certificates of pedigree. Paternity tests are maintained by the International Society of Animal Genetics.

This horse was ridden into the quiz by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid. Hi-yo, Silver!

Answer: Diving

The Haenyeo of Jeju dive without breathing apparatus to harvest a variety of seafood including shellfish and seaweed. They can hold their breaths for more than two minutes at a time and dive as deep as 30 m (98 ft). In the olden days, the haenyeo wore cotton swimsuits that did not insulate the body so well. Therefore, they could only stay in the water for 1 - 3 hours, depending on the season. The introduction of wetsuits allowed them to remain in the water for up to six hours, even in winter. Diving in Jeju began in the 5th century and it was originally a male profession. However, women started entering the industry and by the 18th century there were more female divers than male divers. Multiple reasons have been offered to explain this shift. Among them are that many men died at sea leaving the women to support the family and that women are physiologically better able to withstand cold waters. Sadly, Haenyeo numbers have fallen with the onset of industrialisation. Girls today choose not to enter this backbreaking occupation in favour of education and better opportunities in other sectors.

Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing harvested this question while diving ... with a copious supply of oxygen!

Answer: World peace

Jeju Island is a UNESCO Global Geopark that also has elements recognized as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Chief among these is the Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut which is not only supported and performed by the shamans, but is also supported by the Haenyeo, who are local female divers, and ship owners, all of whom prepare food and sacrifices. The rituals are performed for the goddess of the winds (Grandmother Yeondeung), the Dragon King Yongwang, and the mountain gods. Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut is a seasonal rite and a cultural festival.

Phoenix Rising's resident shaman tazman6619 offered this question to Grandmother Yeondeung in hopes the quiz would perform well.

Answer: Tangerine

Jeju produces the bulk of Korean tangerines. The tangerines of Jeju are noted for their sweetness. Historically, Jeju tangerines have been gifted to the royal family, used in ceremonial rites and consumed for medicinal purposes. In 2018, following a summit between the North Korean and South Korean leaders, North Korea sent two tonnes of their prized pine mushrooms to South Korea, while South Korea reciprocated the gesture by gifting 200 tonnes of Jeju tangerines to their northern neighbour.

This question was freshly picked by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: Squid Game

"Squid Game" is a 2021 South Korean television drama (commonly referred to as "K-Drama") that quickly shot to the top of the NETFLIX streaming service global rankings. The plot involves a high-stakes contest in which 456 down-on-their-luck players battle to the death for a massive purse by playing popular childhood games. Player 067 is a North Korean defector named Sae-byeok. When asked what she would do with the money should she win, Sae-byeok responds that she would rescue her mother from North Korea and buy a house for her and her brother. She also expresses a desire to visit Jeju Island, having seen it on television and noting that it looked "exotic and nothing like Korea". Indeed, the very real Jeju Island is renowned for its natural beauty and is often referred to as the "Hawaii of Korea".

This question was inked by Phoenix Rising's JCSon.

Answer: Basalt rock

Jeju Island was formed some two million years ago as a result of volcanic activity and, as such, the island is primarily made up of basalt and lava. This provides it with some unique environments. The island's logo showcases its name in black script as a nod to this structure and uniqueness. It also indicates that its traditions should be preserved and built upon.

Underneath the script are two lines of green and blue. The green symbolizes the natural environment around Hallasan, a volcano and the highest point in South Korea. The area is designated a national park. The blue represents the Jeju Sea. The logo is finished off with an orange tick above the second "j" in Jeju, which is meant to point to the island's hope for a bright future.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who, generally, likes logos... except for the Nike one. For some reason it ticks him off.