Nami Island An Emerald Jewel

One of my favorite places in Korea is Nami Island or Namisum. I would like to share some
excerpts from an article I wrote in the Arirang a
publication of the Amercan Women's Club.

Not far from the bustle of city life is an emerald jewel in the North Han River: Nami Island. Its pristine beauty and proximity to Seoul make it a perfect day trip. This wonderful retreat is only a 90 minute bus ride away. It is famous for its beauty and for being a romantic setting. It draws thousands of tourists each year, many of whom are drawn by its fame for being the setting of the popular Korean television series "Winter Sonata" Its natural beauty also makes it a welcome home for artists and writers and has become known by the nicknames Song Island and Fairy Tale World.

The history of the island is interesting. Its name comes from the fact that it is home to the tomb of General Nami (1441-1469) who was appointed minister of the Military Board at age 25 after suppressing Lee Shi-ae's Revolt during the reign of King Sejo of the Joseon Dynasty. but was later branded a traitor and executed at the age of 26.
Nami only became an island when it became separated from the mainland in July 1943 with the completion of the Cheongpyeong Dam. The island is situated on the border between two of South Korea's northern provinces, Byeonggi-do and Gangwon-do. Its open grassy areas are a wonderful place for picnics and get-togethers.
An avenue of pine trees greeted us as we stepped off the 10 minute ferry ride. As we began our trek we fell in love with the island like so many before us. Like those artists, we loved the unique combination of the environmental focus, artistic expression and culture.
Since motorized vehicles are not permitted, traffic jams and car horns are conspicuously absent.
Bicycles of various varieties were available for rent but we chose to walk at a leisurely pace and experience the fresh air.
Many of the paths lead to the central square's restaurants and shops. A number of scenic spots are concentrated in the town square.
Nami has been the setting for both movies and television shows. It is most famous for the movie Choi In-ho's Winterreise and as I mentioned previously, the Korean television drama"Winter Sonata" which was re-broadcast throughout Asia. Many Japanese tourists visit the island because of the popularity of this show. There are signs around the island indicating the locations of many of the scenes that were depicted in the drama.
We of course had to re-enact the poses from the show. And while we were laughing and striking poses, a film crew from the Seoul television station MBC asked us if they could videotape us and we would be featured in a television special on Nami Island. It was the highlight of our day, being rocketed to instant stardom by being featured on Korean TV. It is a great memory of our time in Korea

An interesting term that you may hear in reference to Nami is "Hallyu"
According to www.seoul style.com
Hallyu means the love for Korean pop culture, or the appreciation of all things Korean. Hallyu began when the rest of Asia discovered Korean soap operas. Korean marketing people started to see a Korea-centric trend flowing throughout Asia, Hawaii,and even in parts of Russia. They dubbed this flow"The Korean Wave" or Hallyu.
This interesting aside provides some background that helps to understand some of the popularity of Nami.
Nami was a delight for the senses. I felt a kind of kinship with the many that have been smitten with this "Song Island"
If you listen...you can hear their gentle whispers.


For more information, visit the web site www.namsum.com