AS ISLANDS GO, the first impression of Ulleungdo tends to be a little underwhelming. Rising out of South Korea’s East Sea, this squat, dark mound of cedar- and juniper-cloaked volcanic rock seems an unlikely dream destination, especially as getting here is, to put it mildly, a major schlep.
And yet, for generations, successive waves of curious travelers—lured first by word of mouth and latterly by gorgeous Instagram posts—have braved the rough seas from the mainland, inexorably drawn to the island’s mix of unearthly raw beauty, unique outdoorsy pursuits and incredible cuisine and, most vitally, spiritual energy.
For reasons now lost in time, Ulleungdo is believed to be an energy gateway, a natural conjunction between the primal forces of the Earth and the sky in which the waters are suffused with…