A road through the ocean: Inside South Korea’s Jindo sea miracle

The world is a plethora of miracles and one such magical gem is in South Korea where the ocean gives birth to a natural bridge connecting two islands. The water with its ticking clock only permits access to the narrow strip for less than an hour. During this period, locals join in to witness the miracle and travellers capture their fair share of pictures.

Nature’s magic trick: The ocean that splits open in South Korea

The Miracle of Jindo is a natural phenomenon that occurs twice a year around March and June between the coastal island of Jindo and the Modo and Seodo. The south west coasts of South Korea experiences this phenomenon where a strip about 2.8 kilometres long and 40 metres wide opens up, like a secret pathway. People walk across the newly emerged land, taking in views that are nothing short of breathtaking.

Under normal conditions, the area stays completely submerged and once the high tide returns, the strip vanishes without a trace, leaving no clear sign of where it once was. And so it clearly calls for a celebration. Locals and visitors gather around to celebrate the  Jindo Sea-Parting Festival, or the Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival. Walking through the strip, they dig for razor clams, crabs, or tiny octopuses in the exposed mudflats.

The backstory

As most phenomena are, this one also has a beautiful mythical story. Legends has it that long back when people were tired of being chased by tigers in the island of Jindo, they fled the land but forgot an elderly woman named Bbyong. She prayed to the lord to save her and reunite her with her family and in that process the God of Sea Yongwang told her that the sea would open on a certain day. During these days, the villagers could walk back to the island. 

How it got the global attention

For a long time the Miracle of Jindo was a secret known to just the villagers and locals. However, in the 1970s when a French ambassador visited South Korea, the then leader told the story of this hidden wonder. Soon, global attention surged in and for boosting tourism in the country the secret was exposed. Today, hundreds of tourists gather to witness this magical event firsthand.

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