Surgeon Hong Seung-jig sits in front of his clinic on the scenic farmland in Aewol-eup, Jeju Island. Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

• ●Cancer thwarted a surgeon’s dream to create a self-sufficient community.  

• ●However, the clinic he started on scenic farmland has emerged as a tourist destination.  

A one-story brick building sits in the middle of Aewol-eup, a rustic town in the western part of Jeju Island. The building looks out at a spectacular view, a 16,520 square-meter green tea farm. On the other side of the compound stands a chicken coop. Near there is farmland with various vegetables and mushrooms growing on tree stumps.

Inside the building is a clinic run by surgeon Hong Seung-jig, 64, who previously served as director of the Jeju Medical Center.

Oddly, his clinic on the scenic farmland has emerged as a tourist destination among travelers to Jeju.  

Hong’s initial plan was to set up a self-sufficient village where he could live together with like-minded, environmentally aware islanders. After giving up on his experiment to grow various crops and vegetables 15 years ago, he began planting green tea trees in his spare time.

“Green tea trees can grow for 50 years, which saved me a lot of time and energy. They also make the site look fantastic,” he said. 

After successfully laying the groundwork for his dream, he got devastating news about his health. Cancer cells were growing in his body. He underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Cancer struck again years later. He said his current health condition is “serious” but did not wish to elaborate on the type of cancer or give more details.  

Due to his declining health, his life-long dream of creating a self-sufficient eco-village was put to the test. 

Little progress has been made in his eco-village project, but his farm has been generating a following simply for its scenic beauty as more and more visitors and passers-by are uploading posts on the internet and speaking about their fond memories of the place. 

Although his dream to create a self-sufficient community has become a distant goal, his wish to mingle with like-minded people has been realized as tourists and patients keep coming in.   

Hong personally renovated an old warehouse years ago to relocate his clinic, which used to be in Jeju City. It opened its doors to patients three years ago.  

The surgeon’s clients are local residents with minor problems, such as cuts, lipomas, sores and lumps. Tourists who were injured during their exploration of the southern resort island also visit his clinic. If necessary, Hong even performs surgery.  

Asked if he’s disturbed by non-patient visitors, the surgeon shook his head. He said he welcomes people visiting his farm.

“It’s good to hear that my farm has become a source of inspiration for some visitors,” he said.  

It’s become a common scene at his clinic to see him chat with his patients over green tea and snacks after treatment.

“The other day, two young tourists who were injured during their trip came here. After treatment, they asked if there were nearby restaurants where they could have lunch. My staff and I were about to eat at that time and had plenty of food to share, so I told them if they want, they could join us. We had lunch together, which was another fond memory that I have with my patients,” said the surgeon. “All of us had a good time then.”    

Born and raised in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, Hong came to Jeju 30 years ago after he was hired by a local hospital as a surgeon.  

He purchased his property from a local farmer months after his arrival and created the scenic farm from scratch.

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