Jeongbang Falls is a spot that should be on any Jeju itinerary. Sure, it’s on every “Top 10” listicle about Jeju Island and every tour bus on the southern circuit will take you there. But this is one of those spots that’s on the list with good reason. It’s quite impressive and flows year round, as hopefully you’ll see from the photos and video below!
Having said that, I typically don’t recommend it for a proposal because of the crowds. The rocks are quite slippery and there are only a few spots you can comfortably stand two people. On top of that, the opening hours mean that we can’t get in when the light is nice during most of the year. With all those caveats, Jason still wanted to use this spot for his proposal to Michelle as he really liked the view.
A few days before this big moment for the pair, a storm hit Korea and we had massive flooding and high winds all over the peninsula. My flight down to Jeju Island had to head all the way over the Yellow Sea to avoid the core of the storm but it looked like things would ease up a little by the morning for our shoot. I was a little worried on the way down, but with Korea, and especially Jeju, the weather can change in an instant. So we were hoping for the best!
The following morning, I woke up to an overcast sky but no rain. The forecast had rain on it for the afternoon again, but the morning looked looked like it would work for us. I finished my morning coffee and headed over to the location early to ensure we’d be ready for every moment. As I arrived, the skies opened up and the rain came down extremely hard for about 15 minutes. Then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped and we were able to head down to the falls as they opened.
I quickly confirmed with Jason that he’d be okay to climb over the rocks even though they were quite wet from the rain and he said they’d make it happen. So, we got ourselves into place to photograph and film this big moment. With the rocks being so slippery and footholds being unsteady, we’d have very little ability to move once things got underway. Thankfully, Jason and Michelle made it over without issue and were able to stand exactly where we’d planned. Jason had picked the most dramatic, but probably most difficult spot in the area for this, which made for fun even on the way in.
With a thin layer of clouds slightly softening the morning light, rather than the blazing sun we would have had without the storm, the images and video came out great. This is always a worry at this location as we’re unable to get in before 9 o’clock due to the opening hours. The harsh sun at this time of the morning in summer causes hard-edged shadows that can give an unflattering feeling to the images. But, clouds bring not only a little respite from the stinging heat of summer, but a softer look to the light, which is perfect for a moment like this.
After the proposal, though, that changed and we got about 30 minutes of the hot, harsh, summer sun to work with for our post-proposal shoot. We made use of the falls, the ocean, and then the Chinese gardens nearby the entrance for a few shots before parting ways and letting the couple enjoy their final day on Jeju. As I was driving back to the north of the island to head home, the skies opened up once again and the rest of the day was blanketed in heavy rain. The couple was incredibly lucky to have that little window in the storm for their big moment.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look into the process of working together and the challenges that can face us when organising a proposal, especially in a busy tourist location in summer. Please do reach out to discuss having your own proposal documented by us. We’d love to hear from you!