Looking over the black stone fences, the oval-shaped yellow-brownish thatched-roof house comes into sight. At a quick glance, it seem no different from those of the mainland with roof coverings made of rice stalks forming the upside down v-shape. However, the Jeju people spread thatch on the roof instead of making them into coverings and fasten the roof with thatch ropes much like a net. In that way, Jeju traditional thatched-roof houses have a distinctly beautiful oval shape like the oreums that dot the island. The streamlined roof was designed to withstand the strong winds.
There are three types of thatched-roof houses in Jeju. Sometimes one house forms a unit while a two-house unit called a dugeori has an angeori (inside one) and bakgeori (outside one) respectively set parallel or perpendicular to each other. One more house called mokeori can be added to form one unit called sekeori (three house unit). The angeori and bakgeori are two separate houses in which sangbang (open wooden floor), gudeul (room with floor heating), gopang (storeroom), and jeongji (kitchen) are arranged in a rectangular structure. The parents and the eldest son's family lived separately in the angeori and bakgeori respectively, lessening potential conflicts and enhancing the convenience of the dwelling.
The outer walls of the traditional thatched-roof house were called chukdam. Natural stones are gathered and carefully piled up to build walls. Clay paste mixed with barley stalks is added to the stone walls to chink the small openings between the stones. In this way, the walls can become even stronger and function as windshields. This natural house breathes like a living organism, offering a cool place in the summer and a warm space in the winter. The walls of barley stalks and stones create a rather unpolished but friendly impression with its unique texture that is distinctive from the walls of other regions in Korea.
The black stone fences surrounding the house are open to the ollae. Around the house, there is a shemak where cows are raised, a field attached to a house where vegetables are grown, a pigpen outhouse (tongshi) where pigs are raised, a small back garden for the family (andusi) and a neulgup where thatch is stocked.
Inside the wall, many essential and functional places are well utilized, reflecting the busy and dynamic life of the Jeju people. From the outside, however, the house and outbuildings hint at a calm and relaxed atmosphere. In harmony with nature, the Jeju thatched-roof house and the walls surrounding it are one of the best symbols of Jeju and the sight of them make Jeju Islanders living away from thier hometown feel nostalgic.
