Walking the Path of Friendship: The ASEAN-Korea Olle Trail

 

Ten commemorative benches on Jeju Island's coastal trail unite Southeast Asia and South Korea through nature, culture, and shared experiences.

 

Where volcanic cliffs meet cerulean Pacific waters, a new chapter in ASEAN-Korea relations is being written along a 19.6-kilometre coastal footpath winding through Jeju Island's most breathtaking landscapes.

 

Jeju Olle Trail Route 8, now officially designated the "ASEAN-Korea Olle," has become a living monument to enduring friendship between South Korea and Southeast Asia's ten nations. 

 

Along this trail, ten symbolic benches at scenic viewpoints each represent an ASEAN member state—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

 

 

On November 11, 2025, a commemorative ceremony at Parnas Hotel Jeju's outdoor garden celebrated the project's completion, bringing together ASEAN ambassadors to South Korea, Jeju provincial representatives, Jeju Olle Foundation officials, and journalists from across Southeast Asia, including The Nation from Thailand.

 

In Jeju's distinctive dialect, an "olle" is the narrow alley connecting a family home to the main road—an intimate pathway bridging private life with the wider world.

 

"Just as an olle connects home to street, this trail connects Korea to ASEAN," explained Kim Jae-shin, secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre. "It is the pathway that brings our peoples together, that transforms distant neighbours into close friends."
 

 

 

 

Ten Benches, One Vision

The commemorative benches are not ordinary park furniture—they are interactive cultural spaces thoughtfully designed to reflect each ASEAN nation's unique identity. 
 

 

Positioned at the trail's most spectacular viewpoints, each bench serves as both a resting place for enjoying Jeju's scenery and an educational touchpoint where visitors discover ASEAN cultures through informational signage and QR codes.

 

 

Imagine sitting on the Indonesian bench as waves crash against hexagonal basalt columns below, or resting on the Philippine bench while watching the sunset paint the sky amber and rose. Each stop offers physical respite and a moment to contemplate Southeast Asia's rich cultural tapestry.

 

For South Korean locals and international tourists alike, the benches function as permanent "cultural markers," making it easier to experience and understand ASEAN's diversity without leaving Jeju.

 

 

 

A Trail Born from Inspiration

The ASEAN-Korea Olle builds upon the remarkable success of the Jeju Olle Trail network, which has welcomed over eight million visitors since 2007. 

 

The concept sprang from the mind of former journalist Suh Myung-sook, a Jeju native inspired by Spain's legendary Camino de Santiago. Her vision: create walking paths that would reveal the island's soul.

 

Today, that vision has materialised into 21 connected main routes, six sub-routes, and a short spur to Jeju International Airport—totalling 437 kilometres that wind through volcanic landscapes, fishing villages, indigenous forests, and urban centres. 

 

The trails are marked by distinctive orange and blue arrows painted on walls and telegraph poles, plus charming horse-shaped markers called "ganse" that guide hikers forward.
 

 

 

The Jeju Olle Foundation has made these paths remarkably accessible, offering free English-guided hikes, mobile app navigation, and multilingual route information. Several routes, including Route 8, even feature wheelchair-accessible sections.

 

 

 

Route 8: A Journey Through Geological Wonders

Route 8 stretches 19.6 kilometres from Wolpyeong to Daepyeong, typically taking five to six hours to complete. 

 

The trail's showstopper is Jusangjeolli Cliff, where hexagonal basalt columns formed when volcanic lava rapidly cooled meeting the ocean, creating striking geometric patterns rising like organ pipes up to 20 metres high.

 

The path continues through Yerae Ecological Park's seasonal flowers, past Jungmun Saekdal Beach's soft sand and crystal waters, along the naturally beautiful Yeol-ri Coastal Path, and culminates at Daepyeong-ri fishing village. 

 

Along the way, hikers encounter Yakcheon-sa Temple, one of Asia's largest Buddhist temples, whose serene atmosphere provides contemplative counterpoint to the dramatic coastal sections.

 

 

 

A Celebration 35 Years in the Making

The designation came in November 2024, marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Korea dialogue relations. The project evolved from a simple idea by Singapore's then-Ambassador Eric Teo to create ASEAN signage along the trail into the comprehensive cultural landmark now standing along Route 8.

 

Kim Jae-shin opened the ceremony emphasizing how the trail broadens understanding of ASEAN on Korea's most beautiful island: "A 'Road' connects destinations to destinations, people to people, and hearts to hearts. I hope that the ASEAN-Korea Olle and the ten ASEAN benches establish themselves as instruments towards the path of friendship."

 

 

Wong Kai Jiun, Ambassador of Singapore and chair of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul, called the project a "full-circle moment," noting how his predecessor sparked the initial idea. 

 

He highlighted the trail's tourism significance: "The ROK is one of the top travel destinations for ASEAN tourists, and Jeju is amongst the top destinations in the ROK for ASEAN travellers."

 

 

Ambassador Wong emphasized that strong relations depend on people-to-people bonds: "It is precisely initiatives like this ASEAN-Korea Olle Trail that promotes this softer, people-to-people aspect of ASEAN-ROK relations."

 

Kim Ae-sook, vice governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, noted that Jeju maintains exchanges with seven ASEAN cities, including Bali, Da Nang, Bangkok, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and Cebu.

 

"These benches symbolise the friendship and peace between Jeju and ASEAN. Jeju Province will continue walking steadily on the path of sustainable cooperation, holding hands with each ASEAN nation."
 

 

Ahn Eun-joo, CEO of the Jeju Olle Foundation, shared exciting trends: "We have heard that a 'Complete 100km of Jeju Olle' trip is emerging as a new travel trend amongst young women in their thirties and forties, particularly from Malaysia and Singapore."
 

 

 

A New Model for Cultural Diplomacy

The ASEAN-Korea Olle represents "walking diplomacy"—literally embedding cross-cultural learning into the landscape itself rather than limiting cultural exchange to museums or official programmes.

 

The trail complements other ASEAN-Korea cultural initiatives on Jeju, including the ASEAN Culture & Tourism Book Corner at Jeju ASEAN Hall in the Jeju International Peace Centre, which opened during ASEAN Week 2024 displaying books donated by the ASEAN-Korea Centre and all ten ASEAN embassies.

 

 

 

Why This Matters Now

The trail arrives at a pivotal moment. November 2024 marked the first anniversary of ASEAN-Korea Dialogue Relations' elevation to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 

 

While trade reached record levels and free trade area upgrade negotiations are scheduled for early 2026, there's growing recognition that sustainable partnerships require strong people-to-people foundations.

 

The trail's appeal to younger Southeast Asian travellers is particularly significant. Young women from Malaysia and Singapore increasingly choose to complete 100-kilometre Olle Trail sections as meaningful travel combining physical challenge, natural beauty, and cultural discovery. 

 

This demographic represents the future of ASEAN-Korea relations.

 

 

A Vision for the Future

As the sun sets over the Pacific, casting shadows across the ASEAN benches, the vision becomes clear: these benches are statements of intent, declarations that friendship between nations can be built through shared experiences in nature.

 

The ASEAN-Korea Olle demonstrates that meaningful connections happen when people from different cultures pause together to appreciate beauty. 

 

For future hikers—whether from Bangkok or Busan, Manila or Mokpo, Singapore or Seoul—the message is simple yet profound: we are connected, we are neighbours, and the paths between us are open for those willing to walk them.

 

In an era often characterised by division, the ASEAN-Korea Olle offers a different vision: one where connection is cultivated through shared appreciation of natural beauty, where education happens on coastal paths, and where sitting on a bench overlooking the Pacific can be an act of cultural exchange and diplomatic engagement.

 

 

Planning Your Visit

Ready to walk the path of friendship? Route 8 is classified as medium difficulty—suitable for reasonably fit walkers who can tackle five to six hours of hiking. Don't worry about completing it all at once; public transportation allows you to hop on and off at various points.

 

Timing matters. Spring brings wildflowers dancing through Yerae Ecological Park, while autumn showcases Jeju's famous foliage and offers relief from summer's humidity. Winter hiking is possible with proper clothing, though spring and autumn provide the most comfortable conditions.

 

Look for distinctive basalt sign-stones at starting points featuring maps and course information. At the start, midpoint, and finish, you'll find stamp stations with unique stamps for each route. 

 

 

Collecting these stamps in a Jeju Olle Passport has become a beloved ritual among completist hikers—a tangible記 of your journey.

 

Fuel your adventure at restaurants and cafés near Daepo Port, Jungmun Saekdal Beach, and along the route, many serving fresh seasonal seafood that tastes even better after hours of coastal walking. 

 

Accommodation ranges from cosy guesthouses to hotels in nearby Seogwipo, Jeju's second-largest city and the perfect base for Olle Trail adventures.

 

The trail awaits. The benches are ready. And the path of friendship stretches ahead, inviting all who walk it to discover not just Jeju's breathtaking landscapes, but also the rich cultural heritage of ten Southeast Asian nations and the enduring bonds that unite them with South Korea.