Erotic Theme Parks on the "Hawaii of Korea"

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Fifty miles off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula exists its largest island, Jeju-do. It’s often billed as “the Hawaii of Korea”, which I think is a bit of an exaggeration, but nevertheless, it is a remarkably beautiful and charming getaway from the hustle and bustle of urban Korean life. Arriving on Jeju-do after a few days spent exploring Seoul, Jenn and I were looking for simple R&R with some nice scenery and a few memorable adventures.

Because the island is volcanic, most of the beaches are quite rocky. In a few places you can find narrow strips of white sand to lounge, but the real beauty is found in the island’s numerous waterfalls and stunning views afforded atop steep cliffs which overlook the valleys or the ocean. And while, as you'd imagine, the seafood is exceptional, it's also famous for heuk-daeji, or pork from a native black pig that roams the island. It’s also a major honeymoon destination for Koreans, and it’s easy to spot a newlywed couple, as they usually have hired a photographer to chase them around and document their stay. However, in addition to all the things you would expect in a resort location, Jeju-do also has some of the most bizarre man-made attractions I’ve found anywhere; particularly, by way of museums and amusement parks.

Sure, there’s the standard Jeju Folk Museum and the Jeju Museum of Art, but the island also boasts the world’s largest teddy bear museum and a trick art museum. Perhaps a nod to the newlyweds, it also houses the Museum of Sex and Health, as well as the Museum of Erotica. Even stranger are the amusement parks, including Elephant Land and MiniMiniLand, among others. But the winner of the weirdest, by far, has to be the sex-themed park, Love Land.

On the second day, Jenn and I rented a little Hyundai and set off for Hyeopjae beach. Unfortunately, the weather was too foggy for a beach stay, so we continued along the road that circumnavigates the island in search of alternate entertainment. Veering off the highway, we turned onto a street called Mysterious Road (or Ghost Road). It’s a rollercoaster of hills that cut through the forest and is said to possess special powers; for example, cars put in neutral appear to roll uphill, rather than down. Driving though the drizzly fog and feeling somewhat lost, it was a kind of creepy feeling. Definitely ghostly.

Eventually, we came to a clearing which showcased some gift shops and food stands. Across the street was the entrance to Love Land, an erotic amusement and sculpture park. We paid our entrance tickets and entered into this vast open park that was filled with sex-related displays everywhere you looked. Apparently, students from a local university founded this place in 2004, and it has turned into a major tourist attraction. Some of the sculptures are genuinely artistic, others truly twisted, while the majority are playful and humorous creations. They even managed to turn everyday objects like door handles, bathroom signs, sinks, and park benches into some erotic mutant version. It’s definitely not your typical stroll in the park, but naturally, we had to ham it up for some cheesy (and hilarious) pictures with the sculptures. It actually felt really strange to see tourists running around snapping pictures of various phallic objects, as though they were in the Louvre, but the best entertainment of all was a tour group of senior-aged Korean women. They were all dressed alike with the same haircut, and took their time strolling from one exhibit to another. Nevermind their age; there were plenty of pictures being taken and lots of “ooohhs” and “ahhhs” coming from the group. It was really a sight to see. I guess Jeju-do does have magical powers.

(additional non-PG photos available below at the Photos button).

After I wrote this, I was fact checking some things, and I found out that it was after the Korean War when Jeju-do became a popular honeymoon destination. Apparently, because many of the couples were arranged marriages, the island also became known as a center for sex education; hence, the proliferation of sex-related museums. <<<< that explains a lot

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