K-Pop Destinations: The Exiled Emperor's Island In "Empress Ki"

There's a lovely scene early on in "Empress Ki" where Ha Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook are racing each other on horseback. As they race down the shore, he jumps on to her horse and they wind up falling into the ocean. That scene was filmed on Daechongdo Island, which is said to be home to some of Korea's finest beaches. It's the island where the King of Korea protects the exiled emperor and Yuan's tyrant El Temur plans to invade with his men disguised as Korean soldiers. His plan is to disgrace Korea and create an excuse for Yuan to destroy the nation.

History tells us that the real exiled Emperor arrived in style, bringing along 100 relatives and promptly built a palace there.

Fortunately, Daechongdo Island is still as beautiful as the day the emperor arrived. It's a lovely place to hike and swim, much less glamorous and much more peaceful than the well-known Jeju Island. It's a quiet place prone to rolling sea fogs and quick dramatic climate changes.

However the island is not without its dangers. It is near the South-North Korean demarcation line, which makes it an important strategic location and one that vacationers cannot freely explore. Vacationers are advised to stay on the carefully marked hiking trails when they visit, as there are minefields in the vegetation. So, the island remains as beautiful as it was in Empress Ki's time and is potentially even more treacherous.

Still, it's worth a visit for those who love nature and the quick-paced drama.

To get there, take a passenger ferry headed toward Baengneongdo from the Incheon port coastal terminal. The ferry leaves at 8 a.m., 8:50 a.m., and 1 p.m.

For more information, call +82-32-1330 (English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese) or visit www.daecheongdo.com and www.ongjin.go.kr.

Tags
Empress Ki
Ha Ji Won
Ju Jin Mo
Ji Chang wook
k-pop destinations
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