Haenyeo Restaurant Seongsan

SeafoodFeatured by Mark Wiens

About

Near the base of Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) in eastern Jeju, a cluster of small restaurants run by actual haenyeo — the island's legendary female free divers — offers some of the freshest seafood you will find anywhere in Korea. The haenyeo dive daily for abalone, sea urchin, turban shells, and octopus, and serve what they catch in simple preparations that let the quality of the seafood shine: raw sliced abalone, sea urchin bibimbap, and spicy octopus. Eating here connects visitors directly to Jeju's living maritime heritage, which was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.