Baekdo Island 여수 백도

Located 30㎞ east of Geomundo Island, Baekdo Island is comprised of dozens of uninhabited rock islets. As such, the island is not accessible on foot, but can be viewed from a sightseeing cruise ship. Along with Geomundo and several other islands in the region, Baekdo Island is part of the Dadohae Maritime National Park.

Island History
Most of Baekdo's legend and history has been dervied by the settlers of Geomundo Island. As Baekdo's islets can be seen from Geomundo, they have always played a part in the daily lives of the people from Geomundo. Rituals are held on Geomundo every August to worship the god that is believed to live on Baekdo, and thought to prevent people with impure minds from visiting by creating dense fog.
The number of islets that make up Baekdo remains disputable. The island group was said to be composed of 100 islets, hence Baekdo ("baek" meaning "hundred", and "do" meanining "island"). However, modern day counts vary, from anywhere between 24 and 67, according to the actions of the tides. The official number of islets is 39.
Baekdo Island is divided in to two island groups: Sangbaekdo to the north, and Habaekdo to the south. During the Japanese occupation of the area, the names of island groups were reversed; Habaekdo, located closer to Japan, had been referred to as the northern group. The names were changed back to its original state during the 1990's.