"What if only sea tangerines grow?" The miracle a 6th-grade boy's joke brought to Gapa Island

At the southwestern tip of Jeju Island, a place where wind and waves determine the island's day. Gapa Island, a small island encountered even before Mara Island, undulates with waves of green barley in the spring. This island, which is encountered even before Mara Island, has been inhabited since 1842 and is currently home to about 300 residents. It holds deep stories from ancient history to the present, as evidenced by the discovery of about 180 dolmens. This charming island, which has seen over 100,000 visitors this spring alone, has recently welcomed a very special 'new family member': tangerine trees that have taken root on Gapa Island for the first time.

"I thought it was a joke..." 6th-grader Beom-jun's dream becomes reality

Originally, there were no tangerine trees on Gapa Island. Perhaps it was due to the barren environment and strong winds. To the children here, tangerines were close to a fruit of imagination. What broke this silence was the pure question of Beom-jun, a 6th-grader at Gapa Island Elementary School. Beom-jun wrote a piece titled "What if only sea tangerines grow." It contained his worries about whether they could eat plenty of tangerines if they planted them on Gapa Island, along with his dream of creating an orchard to plant fruit.

Those who first heard this story burst into laughter. This was because the story of a child wanting to plant tangerines on an island where tangerines do not grow sounded like a cute joke. However, a participant in the video shared the situation at the time, saying, "At first, I thought the citrus research institute was joking, but it was surprising that it actually became real." The child's small voice has essentially created a miracle. With the help of the research institute, tangerine trees were planted in a sunny spot prepared for them, and the children joined in with their small hands to welcome the new family members. As the saying goes, "Since they say Jeju doesn't only have these things, such things are being created on Gapa Island too," the child's dream has become reality.

People living on the island of wind, haenyeo and farmers

Life on Gapa Island follows the rhythm of nature. Farmers cultivate barley, which is strong against the wind, to conduct winter farming. When spring arrives, the entire island turns green to welcome visitors, and in April, when the green barley festival is held, there are so many visitors that the ferry services from Unjin Port, where regular passenger ships run, must be increased. However, behind the beautiful scenery lies the intensity of people who have carved out their lives while fighting the rough sea.

The sea of Gapa Island is a bountiful 'sea field' for the haenyeo. Once they arrive at the sea field, located about 5km away by a ten-minute boat ride, the haenyeo's work begins. This year, Sargassum is in abundance, and the soft corals, called the flowers of the sea, are in full bloom. Including Yong-hae, an 8th-year haenyeo, highly skilled Sanggun haenyeo dive into the sea every day amidst tension. The statement, "I am always tense because it is not a world where I can breathe," clearly shows the attitude of Gapa Island haenyeo toward nature. Older or less skilled haenyeo continue their lives by doing sea harvesting in coastal areas around 4m deep. Gapa Island seaweed, grown in the strong currents, is famous for its high quality.

Comfort provided by low roofs and the wind

For those exhausted by the high building forests of urban areas, Gapa Island is a space of comfort provided by low roofs and the constantly blowing wind. Singer Choi Baek-ho also expressed special affection for the charm of Gapa Island, saying, "To city dwellers exhausted by high buildings in the city, the low roofs and this wind are extremely attractive." He also conveyed another side of Gapa Island, saying even the desolation of winter "has such beauty."

Beyond the green waves of the green barley field, tangerine trees containing a child's dream are now growing on Gapa Island. The new story being written by the island of wind, Gapa Island, has only just begun.