I was born and raised in Jeju Island. Jeju is a special place for me because my family, friends, and many of my school memories are there. I also love swimming, so I really enjoy swimming in the beautiful sea of Jeju.
I love nature, so I prefer traveling to places with beautiful scenery. These two pictures were taken in Boracay and Mongolia. In Boracay, I enjoyed the beautiful sea with my university friends. In Mongolia, I was impressed by the animals and the beautiful stars in the night sky.
The place I want to visit next is Switzerland. I would love to hike in the Alps and enjoy the beautiful scenery someday.
HOPE Project – Marine Litter on the Gimnyeong Coast, Jeju Island
H – Home Region
[Marine Litter Found Along the Coast of Jeju Island]
Jeju Island is surrounded by the sea and has a diverse natural environment, including Hallasan Mountain, volcanic hills called oreum, gotjawal forests, and beautiful coastlines. The sea is closely connected to the daily lives of Jeju residents and plays an important role in the island’s major industries, such as tourism and fishing.
I have frequently visited many beaches in Jeju, including Hamdeok, Gimnyeong, and Woljeongri. Through these visits, I noticed that each beach has slightly different natural surroundings, landscapes, and ways in which people use the coastal areas.
When I visited the Gimnyeong coast, I noticed litter scattered around the beach and rocky areas. There was household litter, such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, and drink containers, as well as pieces of Styrofoam and ropes that appeared to have washed ashore from the sea.
Therefore, I selected marine litter that I observed along the Gimnyeong coast as the local environmental issue to explore in this HOPE project.
O – Overview, Observation & Objective
[Observing the Gimnyeong Coast and Identifying the Causes of Marine Litter]
While closely observing the Gimnyeong coast, the first thing I noticed was that different types of litter were found in different locations.
On the sandy beach and near walking paths, I found household litter, including plastic bottles, drink containers, plastic bags, and food packaging. This litter appeared to have been left behind by beach visitors or blown into the area by the wind.
In contrast, pieces of Styrofoam and ropes were found near the water and around rocky areas. Some of the litter was deeply trapped between volcanic rocks, while other pieces had accumulated in areas reached by the waves. Based on these observations, I thought that some of this litter might have been carried by ocean currents and waves before washing ashore.
I also found litter that appeared to be related to fishing activities, such as ropes and fishing nets. This suggested that marine litter along the Gimnyeong coast might include not only household waste left behind by beach visitors but also waste generated by fishing activities.
Rather than simply observing that there was a lot of litter on the Gimnyeong coast, I decided to investigate the issue by focusing on the following question:
“What types of litter are found along the Gimnyeong coast, where are they found, and why do they accumulate in these locations?”
Through this question, I aimed to identify the possible causes of marine litter based on my observations.
P – Plan
[Reducing Marine Litter]
Based on my observations, I plan to organize activities that students can easily participate in to help address the marine litter problem.
First, I will choose a specific area of the Gimnyeong coast and organize a plogging activity with my family or friends. While walking along the beach, we will collect litter and classify it into categories, such as household waste, including plastic bottles and plastic bags, Styrofoam, and fishing-related waste.
During the activity, we will also briefly record the types of litter collected and the locations where they were found.
I will then consider different solutions depending on the possible causes of the litter.
If large amounts of household waste, such as drink containers and food packaging, are found, it will be important to encourage beach visitors to take their own rubbish home. If large amounts of Styrofoam and ropes that appear to have washed ashore are found, regular coastal cleanups will be necessary rather than a single cleanup activity.
Another activity that students can easily carry out is creating posters that encourage people to keep beaches clean.
Based on the problems they have directly observed, students will come up with practical suggestions, such as “Take your rubbish home,” “Reduce the use of disposable products,” and “Pick up at least one piece of litter when visiting the beach.” They will then express these ideas through drawings and posters.
In this way, the project will combine collecting litter, developing solutions based on its possible causes, and encouraging other people to take action.
E – Execute & Example
[Taking Action and Sharing the Results]
I will carry out the activities planned in the P stage at the Gimnyeong coast.
Before starting the activity, I will take photographs of the selected cleanup area to record its original condition. Then, I will spend approximately 30 minutes walking along the beach with my family or friends and collecting litter.
While collecting litter, we will record its type, quantity, and location.
After completing the cleanup, we will sort the collected litter into categories and identify which type was found most frequently. We will then compare the results with the possible causes identified during the O stage.
For example, if large amounts of Styrofoam and ropes are collected near the water or around volcanic rocks, this may support my initial assumption that some of the litter was washed ashore from the sea.
After the plogging activity, I will take another photograph of the same location and compare the before-and-after images. This will help demonstrate that even a short cleanup activity can make a visible difference to the local environment.
Finally, I will share the posters we created and the results of our cleanup activity with my family and friends.
Through this project, I hope to encourage others to take small but meaningful actions when visiting Jeju’s beaches, such as taking their own rubbish home or picking up litter they find nearby.
By sharing our experiences and results, we can show how simple actions in our local community can contribute to protecting the marine environment.
