Woman in Her 70s Found Dead Among Tetrapods at Jongdal Port in Jeju

【Financial News | Jeju—Reporter Jeong Yong-bok】A woman in her 70s who went out to collect seafood at Jongdal Port in Jeju was found dead among tetrapods. Jeju has recorded the highest number of tetrapod-related accidents in September over the past five years, prompting calls for extra caution during coastal activities in the fall.
According to the Seogwipo Coast Guard on the 22nd, a family report was received at 8:49 p.m. on the 21st stating, "A woman in her 70s, identified only as A, went out to collect seafood in the morning and has not returned home."
After receiving the report, the Coast Guard searched the area around Jongdal Port in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, and found A among the tetrapods at 9:09 p.m.
A was already dead when she was found. The Coast Guard is investigating how she came to be among the tetrapods and the exact cause of her death. So far, specific details of the incident, including whether she fell or drowned, have not been confirmed.
Tetrapods are structures made of large concrete units installed in an interlocking arrangement to reduce the force of waves. Their rounded surfaces and the deep, complex spaces between the structures make it difficult for people to get out on their own if they lose their footing.
According to figures compiled by the Jeju Eastern Fire Station, 163 tetrapod-related safety accidents occurred across Jeju from 2021 through 2025. September recorded the highest monthly total, with 26 cases.
In July this year, a fisherman in his 70s also fell beneath tetrapods at a harbor in Dodu 2(i)-dong, Jeju City, and died.
The Coast Guard is investigating the exact circumstances of the Jongdal Port incident as well as the cause of A's death.


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