Our Guide To: Jeju Island Dol Hareubang Statues

When visiting Jeju Island there are so many places and things to explore, but one landmark (or should I say landmarks) that you cannot miss in particular is the Jeju Island Dol Hareubang. Dol Hareubang can be found all around the island; they are stone statues that are carved from volcanic rock that is native to Jeju Island. Not only do they stand tall at about 3 meters (9 feet) high, but they have distinctive features: bulging eyes with no pupils, ominous smiles, mushroom-like hats, and their hands wrapped around their bellies. The literal meaning of Dol Hareubang is “grandfather made of stone”. The word “Dol” translates to stone or rock and “Hareubang” is grandfather but in the Jeju dialect. Interestingly enough, the appearance of these statues are almost grandfather or elderly-like.

Dol Hareubang

Similar carved statues can be found all the way across the world on Easter Island which are known as Moai statues. These Moai statues have a similar stature to the Dol Hareubang, standing at up to 10 meters high and being an average height of 5 meters. The Moai statues were carved from the Rano Raraku volcanic ash. Like the Dol Hareubang, Moai statues have certain facial features. This is because the statues were created to honor important people or ancestors who have passed, and they were essentially representative of those beings.

Easter Island Statues

The origins of the Dol Hareubang are not as clear cut as the Moai statues, but it is believed that there are some correlations to the shamanic traditions of the island. In fact, they are sometimes viewed as guardians of the island that ward off evil spirits and even demons. The Dol Hareubang– however— serve other purposes as well, such as being a tourist attraction. In fact, you can take a part of Jeju Island home with you in the form of a Dol Hareubang magnet or juice bottles sculpted in the shape of the statues.

Check out our recommendations for the top places you have to visit in Jeju and take a look at some of our hottest Jeju-inspired items below! See more Daebak lifestyle items here.