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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 sauce
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
00:42I'll see how out of destruction and partition South Koreans have forged an
00:48impressive new identity
01:03The ATX Fanshawe train number 427
01:07departing towards Bukul at 1825
01:11It's now a rush
01:12545
01:14Please take behind the yellow TV line
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,
01:48and 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, so don't expect to get many glimpses
02:03of spectacular Korean countryside from the train.
02:11Starting at the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, my first stop was the
02:17dynamic capital of Seoul.
02:18I've visited Daejeon and historic Gyeongju before exploring the southern port of Busan.
02:26From Gyeongju 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 southwest, on the River Yong, in the centre of North Duella province,
03:01it lies at the foot of Mount Mudung, almost 4,000 feet above.
03:14In the rural area of Gwangju, 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, and they staved
03:41off starvation by, in the autumn, fermenting vegetables that were then stored.
03:48It's called kimchi, and today, it appears at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
03:58South Koreans eat around 2 million tons 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.
04:13Mrs. Lim, hello.
04:17What a pleasure to meet you.
04:20I understand that you are a sort of champion of kimchi making.
04:35Fantastic.
04:36Now, tell me about some of the things we have here, please.
04:55Oh, lovely ingredients.
04:59Beautiful, aren't they beautiful?
05:01How many drinks have you been in the past?
05:04Maybe you have, like, a good?
05:08A lot of Winston-Dedevice, really good, so...
05:14Be it again.
05:14Even if you look up here, what?
05:17Do you want to do this?
05:18You want to do this together?
05:19Are you doing this together?
05:21The good cooking changing everything?
05:21Are you doing this together?
05:22You're doing this together?
05:22Do you do it together?
05:23For me, what you should do that?
05:23We don't want to do this together?
05:23It's a whole thing, so...
05:23You're doing it together.
05:25You can do it together.
05:26I do it together when you put a picture here.
05:30How many people might be gathered together?
05:33If you do a kimchi, it's about 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 the 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?
06:34I put them in the bag.
06:39I put the kimchi in the bag.
06:43This is a mountain mountain.
06:45It's called the mother mountain mountain.
06:48The mountain mountain mountain is a mountain mountain.
06:53It's a mountain mountain mountain.
06:55It's a mountain mountain mountain.
06:57It's a mountain mountain mountain.
06:59It's a mountain mountain mountain mountain.
07:02Everything is so fresh and so beautiful.
07:05It's a mountain mountain mountain.
07:08No substitute for the hands, it seems.
07:11It's a mountain mountain mountain.
07:12And now...
07:14This is the ice...
07:16Yeah, we're spreading that all over there.
07:18Uh-huh.
07:19Leaf by leaf.
07:21Yeah.
07:23How did you learn to make kimchi?
07:25I learned from my mother to my mother.
07:29I came to get married and made food.
07:34So I made this kimchi so I can make it well.
07:39I can make this kimchi in the world.
07:45I have a feeling that I can make this kimchi.
07:49Oh.
07:52Mmm.
07:53Mmm, it'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.
08:35MUSIC PLAYS
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 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,
09:16there were military coups,
09:18the 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
09:31began to demonstrate demanding 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.
10:14Hello.
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 to 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 took to the streets,
11:03demanding an end to military rule.
11:06How was your brother killed?
11:09After being arrested by the martial law troops,
11:12my younger brother was beaten and collapsed in front of the provincial government building
11:16on May 20th.
11:18He was transported to a military base, and he passed away.
11:23After nine days, army tanks moved in to crush the rebellion with brute force.
11:30Official government figures estimate that 165 civilians were killed,
11:35but 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, including newspapers, TV and radio.
11:50The government at the time concealed the atrocities committed by the martial law troops
11:55against the people.
11:57However, over time, people came to learn about Gwangju.
12:04Over the following decade, the pro-democracy movement continued to grow nationwide,
12:10and in 1993, South Koreans elected Kim Yong-sam, their first civilian president in more than three decades.
12:18As you look back on it now, what role do you think the uprising has played in the history of
12:26modern Korea?
12:28Korean democracy is rooted in the blood shed by the citizens of Gwangju during the May 18th democratic uprising.
12:37I believe the people have a much higher level of democratic awareness than the politicians.
12:46That democratic spirit was tested in 2024 when President Yoon Suk-yeol suddenly declared martial law,
12:54a move that was dramatically thwarted by parliament a few hours later.
13:01As someone who experienced May 18th, I believe that this recent martial law would never succeed.
13:08You 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 are buried here in the park's cemetery.
13:28May 18th is a national day of commemoration to honour those who took part in the uprising,
13:33and 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 are of most importance to you?
13:48What do you think of the KZ boomerang?
14:04Well, what do you think about this monument?
14:07What about this monument?
14:08You have a sense of his name?
14:13You can be a sense of her life.
14:15You know, she took part in the camp of a refugee man.
14:18You may have a sum of her, but you'll recognize her,
14:25How long were you in prison?
14:29It must be a very moving experience for you to come to this beautiful monument.
14:54It must have been a great honor to meet you. You fought for freedom and honor the memory of your
15:01brother.
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, at the far south of the peninsula,
15:28I'll set sail from Wondo to Jeju, one of more than 3,000 islands scattered around the coast.
15:40From the ferry terminal, it'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 two million years ago by an eruption and that has left a volcano nearly 2,000 metres
16:14high,
16:15making it the tallest mountain in the country.
16:19The island is a bit more than 70 kilometres long, about 30 kilometres wide,
16:25home to more than 600,000 people.
16:28And very popular with Korean holidaymakers who find it both relaxing and romantic.
16:35For my part, I find volcanoes scary and fascinating.
16:5360 miles from the mainland, Jeju 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, there is a subtle change in climate to subtropical.
17:33And that has led to extensive forestation of the slopes of the volcano.
17:37And now there is a lovely network of hiking paths that run through.
17:43Jeju attracts around 15 million tourists every year,
17:47mostly from within Korea, but also from China, Taiwan and Japan.
17:52Along its coastline, perfect white sands contrast dramatically with projections of black volcanic rock.
18:07I'm standing on solidified lava.
18:11And that island is one of the so-called parasite cones that 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.
18:27Lava pours forth at more than 1,000 degrees centigrade.
18:31And it can form underground passageways as it melts the rock on its way.
18:37And when that cataclysm is over, it can leave beautiful caves.
18:45Just 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, a South Korean national monument.
19:03I'm going to explore them with Yongmun Jeon, professor of volcanology at Gwangju's Joseon University.
19:12Professor Jeon, my privilege to meet you.
19:14I'm Michael.
19:16Welcome to Korea.
19:18Welcome to Jeju.
19:18Welcome 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, extending for over 200 metres.
19:34Professor Jeon, I am so amazed, so surprised at how big this lava tube is.
19:41200,000 years ago, the hot lava moved this way, and several days, it slowly, slowly melts
19:48and makes some very huge lava tube.
19:51Two million years ago, the volcano activity starts.
19:55This island is still an active volcano.
19:57Wow.
19:58We seem to have these stalagotites.
20:01These cannot be made of volcanic rock.
20:04This rock is not volcanic rocks.
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 that developed the white beach, composed of the shell fragments.
20:26Shell fragments moved by the wind, and then the rainwater dissolves the mineral.
20:32And then they seep into the cave, make us some new crystals.
20:37Right, and we can see the water still coming through.
20:38Yeah, still crystals, still making.
20:40How unusual is this?
20:42It is unique.
20:43Unique?
20:43Yes.
20:44Wow.
20:44The cave are divided in two types, the 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?
20:56Uh, lava tubes only discovered in the volcanic area, like Hawaii, Canary Island, and then, uh, Iceland only.
21:06Not too many.
21:07Uh, how many do you have here in Jeju?
21:09Uh, over the 200.
21:17Wow.
21:18Professor, here we have what looks like a pillar.
21:22Yes.
21:22When the lava moves inside the cave, the lava is very hot, extremely hot, and the ceiling and the bottom
21:29part is melting down.
21:30But this part remains.
21:32A tough bit of rock that has survived.
21:34I wanted to ask you about another feature of, um, Jeju.
21:39Um, this thing called Aurum.
21:41Aurum, yeah.
21:42Aurum is the small volcano, is the, 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 again and again.
21:58Are volcanologists like you able to predict when there could be another eruption?
22:04Yeah, uh, 1,000 years ago, volcanic activity happened in this island.
22:08But nowadays, we check in the monitoring and then lava fluctuation.
22:12Maybe several hundred years, we will be exploding again.
22:15But now it's the same.
22:16We've no need to worry.
22:17Not today.
22:18Not today.
22:19It's been the most wonderful visit.
22:33Juju's dramatic landscape and natural beauty have made it a popular place to visit.
22:39But away from the crowds, rural life has changed little over the years.
22:44A few miles along the coast, in the village of Gwidioq,
22:47I've come to discover a traditional community that's unique to the island.
22:53The henyu, the word means women of the sea.
22:57dive without breathing equipment to 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
23:16who are also a precious Korean cultural phenomenon.
23:36Morning, ladies!
23:38Woo!
23:40Morning!
23:41Good morning, good morning.
23:44I love it.
23:46Good morning, good morning, good morning.
23:47Good morning.
23:48Good morning.
23:49Good morning.
23:52Mmm, that's...
23:53Well, thank you.
23:54LAUGHTER
24:02LAUGHTER
24:03LAUGHTER
24:08Hanyo 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.
24:1950 years.
24:2150 years!
24:2310 years!
24:2510 years!
24:2610 years!
24:2710 years!
24:2910 years!
24:29You're the babies!
24:30The newcomers!
24:33And what is it you catch?
24:40Is it dangerous?
24:44No, really?
24:47Huge octopus!
24:48My goodness!
24:50LAUGHTER
24:52It's an octopus!
24:53It's an octopus!
24:54It's an octopus!
24:56It's huge!
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!
25:05Big stones!
25:06Big stones!
25:07Under the big stones!
25:08Big stones!
25:11So you have to move the big stones!
25:13You have to be strong!
25:18Wow!
25:20Oh, look at that vicious weapon!
25:22How long could you hold your breath?
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,
25:38over 20,000 women made their living diving here for up to seven hours a day.
25:45No, no, no, no, no!
25:49Why only women?
25:51It's hard for men, so they're all gone.
25:54They're all gone.
25:55They're all gone.
26:00Before their dives and on their return,
26:03the Henyu gather around the campfire of their stone bulltok,
26:07or meeting place,
26:08to cook some of their catch and to sing traditional songs.
26:12A quick journey from the sea to the stomach.
26:19Mmm!
26:21Ladies, I will soon leave Korea.
26:25When I'm at home 9,000 kilometers away,
26:29I shall think back to my lovely meeting with the Henyu women.
26:33Will you sing a song for me, please?
26:35One, please.
26:37One option by enjoying the time,
26:39One, one, two.
26:41Can I do?
26:45Another way!
26:47One!
26:48Oh
27:18Oh
27:32Bye-bye come back safe. Bye-bye
27:59Koreans have suffered terribly from colonization and from war and even today the people in the north are some of
28:08the poorest and most repressed in the world
28:11But 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
28:42Even envy
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