Kim Young-gap Gallery Dumoak in Jeju

2017-07-17 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

There are so many artists in Jeju. People who are currently active, people who occasionally sell their artwork while running a coffee shop, and people who have passed away but left their names and works behind. No matter which area you visit, you'll run into one of these three types. Among them is someone I had never heard of but who is highly praised by people in the industry: Kim Young-gap, the original owner of the Kim Young-gap Gallery we are visiting today.

According to my older sister's briefing before we went, it boils down to: 'The place we're going to now is famous for a photographer, but we're going because the garden inside is pretty, not for the artist.' The briefing already sounds boring. This is big trouble. ~~I want to go to a museum.~~

Entrance made of a stone wall and a rusty iron sign that reads Kim Young Gap Gallery Dumoak

Rusty iron information board with an introduction and visiting hours for Kim Young Gap Gallery Dumoak — So 'Dumoak' is the old name for Hallasan (Mount Halla)!

Iron sculpture of a girl with Thank you for visiting this remote place written on her skirt — A statue of a woman who looks like she took a left hook to the jaw greets visitors right as they enter.

Winter garden landscape with daffodils blooming between a stone wall and bare trees

Clusters of yellow and white daffodils blooming under a stone wall

Close-up of three daffodils with yellow centers and white petals — She said the garden was pretty, and it really is well-maintained. There are lots of fascinating flowers, and it's great for walking.

Snowy garden and people seen through an open wooden door

Several jars gathered on one side of a snowy garden

Large and small brown jars gathered under a tree in a snowy garden

Snow falling on a wooden deck path next to a white building

When you enter, there's a garden, followed by an exhibition space displaying photos taken by Kim Young-gap during his lifetime, and a coffee shop behind that. People like me, who aren't very close to or interested in art, spend a lot of time looking at the flowers in the garden, while others spend their time inside the exhibition hall. Still, since it's photography, it feels a bit less burdensome. The photos act as a record of Jeju, so it's fun to look at them while comparing them to present-day Jeju. There were also exhibits of places I had visited a few days ago, and looking at them made me think, 'This must be what riding a time machine feels like.' Of course, I'm only saying this assuming you actually want to feel something; generally, you'll probably be back outside in 5 minutes.

Entrance to a gallery building with white exterior walls and a wooden deck in the falling snow — The coffee shop. Uniquely, it's an unmanned cafe.

Several white mugs and a water pitcher placed on a bar table

Menu board on the wall, a capsule coffee machine, and a birdhouse-shaped payment box — I have to make the coffee myself (and it's a 500 KRW capsule coffee at that), serve it myself, and wash the dishes myself, yet it's only 1,000 KRW cheaper than the cafe in front of my house where the owner does everything for you. They don't even take cards. ~~Mr. Kim Young-gap must have been good at business, too.~~

White dog walking on an outdoor stone path in the falling snow

White dog walking under a pine tree in a snowy garden — A neighborhood dog excited about the snow. ~~Maybe they raise it here.~~

Dolhareubang (stone grandfather statue) sculpture carrying a camera

Small human-shaped clay figures placed among the grass

Several small clay dolls placed among the grass — Am I the only one who thinks of My Neighbor Totoro? It looks exactly the same.

Single red camellia flower blooming among green leaves

Walking path lined with stone walls and trees on a cloudy day

Daffodils blooming on the roadside next to a stone wall — The prettiest thing in this space is the path. The path itself is truly wonderful. There weren't many kids around, probably because it snowed, but it's a great path for kids to run around and have fun on.

White arrow and human-shaped symbol drawn on a dark, rain-soaked stone floor — Restroom sign

It's probably a magical space for photographers, but for regular people—especially regular guys—it's just a place with a pretty path. I offer my sincere condolences in advance to all the men who will inevitably be dragged here by the hand of their girlfriend or wife.

Sea and trees seen beyond a field full of yellow canola flowers — The canola flowers have already bloomed beautifully. And in places like this, people charging a "photo spot fee" are waiting with glaring eyes like hyenas. Jeju has now become more capitalistic than Seoul and a place that demands money even more than the Philippines.

Silhouettes of leafless trees under a dark cloudy sky

Silhouette of a bare tree standing against a cloudy sky