Jindo Island: Home of Korea's Moses Miracle

Jindo Island is an island located on the southwestern part of Korea, specifically in South Jeolla province. Located about 120 kilometers south of Mokpo, Jindo is the third largest island in Korea next to Jeju and Geoje islands. By bus, it takes about 6 hours to reach Mokpo from Seoul and another hour to finally reach Jindo from Mokpo. By plane, it only takes 50 minutes to travel from Seoul to Mokpo. Jindo Island is separated from the mainland by the Myeongyang Strait, but the strait is now spanned by the Jindo Bridge, South Korea’s longest suspension bridge.

Jindo Island is famous not only for its Jindo breed dogs nor the Baekjodoraeji or the seasonal home of swans coming across the sea from foreign countries, but is also known for its Jindo-arirang (traditional folk song Arirang originated from Jindo). But most of all, Jindo Island’s most impressive attraction is the Yeongdeungsal or what is more popularly known as Korean’s version of the “Moses Miracle”.

What is the “Moses Miracle”? Well, it is a natural occurrence wherein twice a year, during the end of February and the middle of June, the water recedes and a land path about 2.8 kilometers long and 40 meters wide is revealed, uniting the islands of Jindo and Modo for about an hour and then submerges again. I actually saw some photos of the said event in various promotional materials for Jindo, and it does leave one wondering, how such a phenomenon happens, a secret of nature that remains unanswered and a complete mystery.

To coincide with the Yeongdeungsal, the Yeongdeung Festival is held which lasts for three to four days. Various traditional Korean folk culture performances are conducted during the said festival and is also attended by people from all around the world.

So, if you would like to experience the so called “Moses Miracle”, you better start planning your trip to Korea’s Jindo Island for next year’s event.