Namhae: Not Just the Southern Sea, a Bundle of Joy and Schnitzel
Written and photographed by Wilson Melbostad
Open your minds and let’s use our imaginations for a second. Don’t worry I’m not going to hypnotize you, I don’t have those capabilities. This will only take but a second. Okay, are you ready? Let’s play a word association game. Bratwurst. Ocean. Korea. Stairs. Islands. South. Geumsan. Pensions. Are you thinking of what I’m thinking? Perhaps not, perhaps you forgot to look at the title of this piece, or perhaps I also should just get on with this article. Essentially, I want to tell you about a recent trip I took out to the island of Namhae and why you and your pals should think about making a jaunt out there, too.
Officially called “Namhaedo Island” (남해도; “Namhae” means South Sea, see word-association-game word 6), it is the fifth biggest island in Korea. Located in Gyeongsangnam-do, it takes a little bit of effort to get out to the island from Gwangju, but the island is car- and bus-accessible thanks to the Namhae Suspension Bridge that looks strikingly similar to the casually infamous Golden Gate Bridge of my home abode of San Francisco. In fact, as I was in the car driving over the bridge, I was able to convince myself, if not but just for a few seconds, that I was back home breathing that fresh California air. Though I could go on about my transfixion with the bridge, I think it much better suits the readers to discuss the other major attractions on the island. How about starting with our first word from the word association game? Bratwurst, one of the most popular German sausages, was selected to represent Namhae’s German Village. The village, made with the support of the Korean government, was built for those Koreans who worked as miners and nurses in Germany during the 1960s. The village is built on a hill overlooking the bay and is surrounded with, as you might imagine, very European looking homes as well as plenty of pitstops where one can sip on some tasty German beers. The village has become a little touristy in recent years but definitely still worth a peek.
How about word-association-game word number 3 – Stairs? Well, this word selection was a little bit of a reach, but I was referencing the Gacheon Daraengi Village. With man-made rice paddy fields built into the side of the hill, the site of these stair-like coastal cliffs will take your breath away. This is especially true if you chowed down on an aggressive amount of bratwurst in the German village before deciding to ascend these arduous slopes like I did. If you head down the road a tad, there you will find the Gacheon Jiget-gil Trail that leads directly into the terraced fields as well as a coastal trail that takes you over a suspension bridge giving one a fantastic view of the waves crashing up against the cliffs below. 
Word 7, “Geumsan,” refers to, well, Geumsan Boriam Temple! The temple, officially part of Hallyeohaesang National Park, offers one of the best views in all of South Korea. Those with interest can either hike the entire mountain (which is indeed a challenging climb) or can park at the temple’s parking lot and stroll up to the viewing platform. Once there, folks can enjoy a miraculous view of Sangju Silver Sand Beach and the Namhae valley below.
Where to stay you ask? Well look no further than word 8. There are plenty of wonderful oceanside pensions to choose from. We chose the Seongu-ri area, which is closer to the Gacheon Daraengi Village but a little far from the German Village. However, a quick search online will bring up lots of cool locales for you to choose from. Happy traveling, friends!
The Author
Wilson Melbostad is an international human rights attorney hailing from San Francisco, California. Wilson has returned to Gwangju to undertake his newest project: the Organization for Migrant Legal Aid (OMLA), which operates out of the Gwangju International Center. He has also taken on the position of managing editor of the Gwangju News.