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Great Korean Railway Journeys S01E05 Gwangju to Jeju
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00:01South Korea by rail
00:04These trains are capable of more than 200 mpH
00:08The opportunity to explore one of the world's most successful countries
00:14amidst towering skyscrapers in gleaming mega cities
00:18architectural statement
00:21I'll ride the wave of Korean culture sweeping the West. It's got this very spicy song
00:27And encounter ancient civilizations and traditions
00:33On a peninsula divided by war along a border between
00:37Capitalism and communism the sense of tension here is powerful. I'll see how out of destruction and
00:45Partition South Koreans have forged an impressive new identity
01:02The ATX Fanshawe Train number 427
01:07Departing for
01:09Bootho and 1825
01:118000
01:125100
01:138000
01:158000
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01:158000
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01:169000
01:169000
01:189000
01:30My Korean excursion, which began at the frontier with the north, is nearing its end in the
01:36south of the peninsula.
01:40My impression of Korea from the train window is that it's in two parts, city and mountain.
01:47And the trains cut through the mountains in tunnels and on viaducts.
01:53It's an amazing achievement of civil engineering.
01:56But the tunnels are very frequent and they're very long.
02:00So don't expect to get many glimpses of spectacular Korean countryside from the train.
02:12Starting at the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, my first stop was the
02:17dynamic capital of Seoul.
02:19I visited Daejeon, an historic Gyeongju, before exploring the southern port of Busan.
02:26From Jeonju in the west, I'll travel to the city of Gwangju, synonymous with Korea's fight
02:32for democracy.
02:33And I'll finish on the subtropical volcanic island of Jeju.
02:41This morning, my high-speed KTX train, travelling at almost 200 miles per hour, has brought me
02:48to Gwangju, the country's sixth largest city, with a population of one and a half million.
02:55The transport hub of the south-west, on the river Yong, in the centre of North Juella province,
03:01it lies at the foot of Mount Mudung, almost 4,000 feet above.
03:14In the rural area of Gwanguk-dong, around eight miles out of the city, I've come to discover
03:21a passion that is integral to this nation's culture.
03:26One food could be said to be the most characteristic of Korea.
03:31They'd been making it for more than 3,000 years.
03:34In the cold winters of the peninsula, people had no access to fresh food.
03:40And they staved off starvation by, in the autumn, fermenting vegetables that were then stored.
03:48It's called kimchi.
03:50And today it appears at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
03:57South Koreans eat around 2 million tonnes of the spicy dish every year.
04:03And over the past decade, it's become increasingly popular around the world.
04:07At her village restaurant, kimchi expert, Ran Lim, is going to share her recipe with me.
04:14Mrs Lim, hello.
04:17What a pleasure to meet you.
04:20I understand that you are a sort of champion of kimchi making.
04:25In the year 2023, I was a member of the Yim Ran Kimchi.
04:36Now, tell me about some of the things we have here, please.
04:56Oh, lovely ingredients.
05:00Beautiful.
05:01Aren't they beautiful?
05:01It's beautiful.
05:03What's the best, what's the best?
05:06It feels really good about it.
05:07It was beautiful.
05:12I thought they were fine when you came here, too.
05:14It was great.
05:16So after that, there was a lot of people that were here.
05:26People from Hawaii and were there who came here.
05:27Before I started to come here, their parents, they were gathered here.
05:31How many people might be gathered together?
05:33I usually have 7-10 people.
05:39It's about 3-4 days.
05:42I put them in a bag.
05:45I put them in the bag and put them in the bag.
05:56Will you show me, please, how you make a kimchi?
06:11What's in this spicy sauce?
06:25Lovely smells.
06:28You seem to have wonderful vegetables.
06:32Are all these vegetables from close by?
06:34In this valley, I put the kimchi with the kimchi.
06:43This is a mountain mountain.
06:45It's called the mother mountain mountain.
06:48The mountain mountain mountain is so warm and warm.
06:53It's called the mother mountain mountain mountain.
06:57Here.
06:59Here.
07:00Here.
07:00Here, we put this.
07:01The meat.
07:02Everything is so fresh and so beautiful.
07:05This is the meat.
07:08This is the meat.
07:15Yes.
07:16Yeah.
07:16We're spreading that all over there.
07:18Uh-huh.
07:20Leaf by leaf.
07:21Yeah.
07:23How did you learn to make kimchi?
07:48Oh.
07:54It's very good.
08:03It's got this very spicy sauce.
08:08It's really lovely.
08:10It's so good.
08:12Congratulations.
08:14Your family and your friends are very lucky.
08:37Back in Gwangju, I've come to investigate a dark chapter
08:41in South Korea's history.
08:44Here in the centre of the city,
08:47May the 18th Memorial Park was opened in 1998
08:51to honour the people who fought for the nation's freedom.
09:02Since the division of the peninsula into south and north,
09:06the Republic of Korea has been a beacon of capitalism,
09:10but not always of democracy.
09:13During the 1960s and 70s, there were military coups,
09:19the imposition of martial law,
09:21and the suspension of basic civil liberties.
09:25Here in Gwangju, in response in 1980,
09:29first students and then other citizens began to demonstrate
09:32demanding freedom.
09:34And that uprising was crushed with many people killed.
09:40But that violent reaction is now seen as a key moment
09:43in the recovery of democracy,
09:46because it was a national disgrace never to be repeated.
09:53Army General Chun Doo-hwan led a military coup
09:57and declared martial law in April 1980.
10:01People took to the streets, calling for democratic elections,
10:05and Gwangju became the centre of the protests.
10:08I'm meeting former chairman of the Bereave Families Association,
10:12Suman Chong.
10:14I'm Michael.
10:16We meet in front of this very emotive monument
10:19to the victims of the uprising of 1980.
10:22Please tell me about your connection to those events.
10:29In May 1980, during the Gwangju Democratic Uprising,
10:33my younger brother was arrested by the martial law troops and killed.
10:38Arriving in downtown Gwangju with a group of people
10:41to hold a memorial service,
10:43I was also arrested and detained.
10:47On the 18th of May, around 600 students,
10:50demonstrating against the suppression of academic freedom,
10:54were met with tear gas, batons, and live ammunition.
10:57Others joined them,
10:59and an estimated quarter of a million people
11:01took to the streets, demanding an end to military rule.
11:05How was your brother killed?
11:09After being arrested by the martial law troops,
11:12my younger brother was beaten and collapsed
11:14in front of the provincial government building on May 20th.
11:18He was transported to a military base, and he passed away.
11:23After nine days, army tanks moved in
11:27to crush the rebellion with brute force.
11:29Official government figures estimate that 165 civilians were killed,
11:34but those involved believe it was closer to 2,000.
11:40At that time, all roads from Gwangju to other cities were blocked.
11:45All means of communication were cut off,
11:48including newspapers, TV and radio.
11:51The government at the time concealed the atrocities
11:53committed by the martial law troops against the people.
11:57However, over time, people came to learn about Gwangju.
12:05Over the following decade, the pro-democracy movement
12:07continued to grow nationwide,
12:10and in 1993, South Koreans elected Kim Yong-sam,
12:15their first civilian president in more than three decades.
12:18As you look back on it now,
12:21what role do you think the uprising has played
12:24in the history of modern Korea?
12:28Korean democracy is rooted in the blood shed by the citizens of Gwangju
12:33during the May 18th democratic uprising.
12:37I believe the people have a much higher level of democratic awareness
12:41than the politicians.
12:46That democratic spirit was tested in 2024,
12:50when President Yoon Suk-yeol suddenly declared martial law,
12:55a move that was dramatically thwarted by parliament a few hours later.
13:01As someone who experienced May 18th,
13:04I believe that this recent martial law would never succeed.
13:09You were right, it did not succeed.
13:13Today's Korean people would never accept a coup.
13:20More than 700 people, who lost their lives in the protests,
13:25are buried here in the Park Cemetery.
13:28May 18th is a national day of commemoration
13:31to honour those who took part in the uprising,
13:34and they're remembered inside this monument.
13:40Mr Junk, how many names do you think there are here,
13:44and will you please show me the ones that
13:46are of most importance to you?
13:50Hello, Ivan Khan.
13:51You got them agora,
13:53There are 4,000s items about this in the past.
14:00There were pretty much more dates
14:25How long were you in prison?
14:29It must be a very moving experience for you to come to this beautiful monument.
14:33Yes, when all of the people were here,
14:40all of them were gathered here.
14:44Every time, every time,
14:47every time,
14:49I would not have to do this.
14:54Mr. Cheng, it's been a great honor to meet you.
14:58You fought for freedom,
14:59and to honor the memory of your brother.
15:18My tour has taken me the length and breadth of South Korea by rail.
15:23This morning, on the final leg of my journey,
15:26at the far south of the peninsula,
15:28I'll set sail from Wondo to Jeju,
15:31one of more than 3,000 islands scattered around the coast.
15:40From the ferry terminal,
15:42it's a two-and-a-half-hour trip across the East China Sea.
16:00I'm very excited to be on my way to Jeju, which is the largest island in Korea.
16:07It was formed 2 million years ago by an eruption,
16:11and that has left a volcano nearly 2,000 metres high,
16:15making it the tallest mountain in the country.
16:19The island's a bit more than 70 kilometres long,
16:23about 30 kilometres wide,
16:25home to more than 600,000 people,
16:28and very popular with Korean holiday makers
16:32who find it both relaxing and romantic.
16:36For my part, I find volcanoes scary and fascinating.
16:5360 miles from the mainland,
16:56Jeju is dominated by Mount Hala,
16:58Korea's largest volcano in the centre of the island.
17:08To the west of Jeju City Port, on the northern coast,
17:13Hyopje Beach is considered the best on the island.
17:26Although Jeju is very close to the Korea mainland,
17:29there is a subtle change in climate to subtropical,
17:32and that has led to extensive forestation
17:35of the slopes of the volcano,
17:37and now there's a lovely network of hiking paths that run through.
17:43Jeju attracts around 15 million tourists every year,
17:47mostly from within Korea,
17:49but also from China, Taiwan and Japan.
17:52Along its coastline, perfect white sands contrast dramatically
17:57with projections of black volcanic rock.
18:08I'm standing on solidified lava,
18:11and that island is one of the so-called parasite cones
18:14that can be found across and around Jeju.
18:18These are lesser extinct volcanoes, known here as Aurum.
18:25The power of the volcano is terrifying.
18:28Lava pours forth at more than 1,000 degrees centigrade,
18:31and it can form underground passageways
18:35as it melts the rock on its way.
18:37And when that cataclysm is over, it can leave beautiful caves.
18:44Just behind the beach, Halim Park, covering 25 acres,
18:49is one of the island's most popular sites for visitors.
18:57Beneath its glorious botanical gardens are Hyopje Caves,
19:01a South Korean national monument.
19:03I'm going to explore them with Yongmun Jeon,
19:06Professor of Volcanology at Gwangju's Joseon University.
19:12Professor John, my privilege to meet you.
19:14I'm Michael.
19:17Welcome to Korea.
19:18Welcome to Jeju.
19:19Welcome to the very famous cave.
19:21That's fantastic.
19:22I'm really looking forward to this.
19:24This sort of geological wonder is known as a lava tube.
19:29Here is one of the largest on the island,
19:31extending for over 200 metres.
19:33Professor John, I am so amazed, so surprised,
19:37at how big this lava tube is.
19:42200,000 years ago, the hot lava moved this way,
19:46and several days, it slowly, slowly melts
19:48and makes us a very huge lava tube.
19:51Two million years ago, the volcano activity started.
19:55This island is still an active volcano.
19:57Wow.
19:58We seem to have these stalactites.
20:01These cannot be made of volcanic rock.
20:04This rock is not volcanic rock.
20:06It's a yellowish colour.
20:07It is carbonate.
20:08Yes.
20:09Very special, very strange features.
20:12Normally, lava tube is black colour.
20:14Yeah.
20:15Where did this limestone come from?
20:16Yeah, this is very interesting.
20:18So, near the coast, there are many...
20:21They developed the white beach,
20:23composed of the shell fragments.
20:26Shell fragments moved by the winds,
20:28and then the rainwater dissolves the mineral.
20:32And then they seep into the cave,
20:35make us some new crystal.
20:36Right, and we can see the water still coming through.
20:38Yeah, still crystal, still making.
20:40How unusual is this?
20:42It is unique.
20:43Unique?
20:43Yes.
20:44Wow.
20:44The caves are divided two types,
20:46the limestone cave and the lava tube simultaneously.
20:50It's very beautiful.
20:51It's fantastic.
20:52Now, how unusual are these lava tubes in the world?
20:57Lava tubes only discovered in the volcanic area,
21:01like Hawaii, Canary Island, and then Iceland only.
21:06Not too many.
21:07How many do you have here in Jeju?
21:10Over 200.
21:12Wow.
21:18Professor, here we have what looks like a pillar.
21:22Yes.
21:23When the lava moves inside the cave,
21:25the lava is very hot, extremely hot,
21:27and the ceiling and the bottom part is melting down.
21:30But this part remains.
21:32A tough bit of rock that has survived.
21:35Yes.
21:35I wanted to ask you about another feature of Jeju,
21:39this thing called Aurum.
21:41Aurum, yeah.
21:42Aurum is the small volcano,
21:44it's the eruption by just one time.
21:47The Hala mountain is the central volcano.
21:49There are 420 Aurum that scatter all of the Jeju Island.
21:54It is the evidence of the active volcanic eruption
21:57again and again.
21:59Are volcanologists like you able to predict
22:02when there could be another eruption?
22:04Yeah, 1,000 years ago,
22:06volcanic activity happened in this island.
22:08But nowadays, we check in the monitoring
22:10and then lava fluctuation.
22:12Maybe several hundred years will be exploding again.
22:15But now it's the same.
22:16We've no need to worry.
22:18Not today.
22:18Not today.
22:19It's been the most wonderful visit.
22:27It's been the last possible visit.
22:33Jayju's dramatic landscape and natural beauty
22:36have made it a popular place to visit.
22:39But away from the crowds,
22:41rural life has changed little over the years.
22:43A few miles along the coast, in the village of Gwydioc,
22:47I've come to discover a traditional community
22:50that's unique to the island.
22:53The henyu, the word means women of the sea,
22:58dive without breathing equipment
23:01to recover seafood from the depths.
23:03They are descended from countless generations of women
23:07who have similarly risked their lives.
23:10As I near the end of my Korean adventure,
23:13I am privileged to meet these fearless women
23:17who are also a precious Korean cultural phenomenon.
23:36Morning, ladies!
23:38Morning!
23:39Good morning, ladies.
23:45I love you soon.
23:46Morning, glory, glory.
23:47Go now, come on.
23:50This is the main thing.
23:53That's...
23:54I don't know what to do when I was born.
24:01I don't know what to do when I was born.
24:08Henyeo have made a living and supported their communities,
24:12diving off Jeju's shores for hundreds of years.
24:15How long have you all been doing this?
24:1950 years.
24:2150 years, 50 years.
24:2410 years.
24:2610 years.
24:2810 years, 10 years.
24:29You're the babies, the newcomers.
24:33And what is it you catch?
24:40Is it dangerous?
24:45No, really, huge octopus.
24:48My goodness.
24:50Oh!
24:53Octopus.
24:54It's so big.
24:56It's so big.
24:58Where are the abalone and the sea creeps?
25:00Are they on rocks?
25:01Are they deep down?
25:03Where do you find them?
25:04Big stones.
25:06Big stones.
25:07Under the big stones.
25:11So you have to move the big stones.
25:13You have to be strong.
25:14How long?
25:15We use this one.
25:17We use this one.
25:18We use this one.
25:18Wow.
25:20Oh, look at that vicious weapon.
25:22How long?
25:23Could you hold your breath?
25:25One, two.
25:26I admire you.
25:27I admire you so much.
25:29You are so brave.
25:31Today, just a few thousand Henyu are keeping the tradition alive.
25:36But at its peak around 60 years ago, over 20,000 women made their living diving here for up to
25:42seven hours a day.
25:45No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
25:49Why only women?
25:52That's why men are so hard.
25:53They're all gone.
25:55They're all gone.
26:00Before their dives, and on their return, the Henyu gather around the campfire of their stone bull talk, or meeting
26:08place, to cook some of their catch and to sing traditional songs.
26:12A quick journey from the sea to the stomach.
26:21Ladies, I will soon leave Korea.
26:25When I'm at home 9,000 kilometers away, I shall think back to my lovely meeting with the Henyu women.
26:33Will you sing a song for me, please?
26:35Today, one is easy for you to learn.
26:39One.
26:41Ah
26:56ah
26:57ah
26:59Oh
27:32Bye-bye come back safe. Bye-bye
28:00Koreans have suffered terribly from colonisation and from war and even today the people in the north are some of
28:08the poorest and most repressed in the world
28:12But the progress in the south has to be seen to be believed
28:18Skyscraper crammed cities are squeezed between mountains and efficiently connected by high-speed trains that rush through tunnels and over
28:27viaduct
28:28Things work here
28:30Koreans are buzzy and competitive and yet they have a culture of working together
28:37Whilst enjoying the welcome here. I've also felt admiration and even envy
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