The dawning of Port Dodong on Ullungdo Island, rising steeply in the East Sea. As I failed in taking a sun rising scene kep in mind at first due to the weather condition, I took this photo instead. I was struck by its color shade for a while. (It is located 268 km northeast of Pohang City in Kyoungsang-bookto, southeastern part of the Korean peninsula, the photo of which was taken in the summer of 1975.) In the mid-1970's, the island people were so hospitable that we were crusing around the island aboard a post boat instead of a cruise ship which was not available at that time. I had been enchanted by the beautiful surrounding scenery before I saw the captain and postmaster fishing up a few of yellowtails as large as an arm's length with a reel-type fishing-rod, leaving his steering wheel to someone else. The sight of the fish made my mouth watering above all. Looking at me, the postmaster-turned-captain-turned fisherman said to me, ``I'll invite you soon. See you then.'' I said to myself, ``Good. He deserves the postmanship, who recognizes a man like me," and went to the prow of the boat. After a while, I heard him broadcasting an announcement, ``Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

Would anyone who want to have some fresh raw fish dish? please come over to the stern right now.''
I was a little disappointed to this announcement, as I had expected him to invite me alone for the food.
Anyway, I walked toward the stern, where a dozen or half of the passengers gathered around a large tin-bowl full of heaped uliced yellowtails sprayed at random with vinegared red-pepper hot-sauce called ``cho-go-chu-jang'' in Korean.
There was even a large bottle of Korean crude spirit called `mak-soju' beside the fish that lay on the hood of the engine room.
Struck by the unhygienic sight, I hesitated to take the food at first, but I tried a bit with my hand like others because there were neither chopsticks nor spoons.
Nonetheless, it tasted excellent.
It was so delicious that I was struck by its taste.
After every guest had a taste of the row fish, the postmaster-fisherman invited me to a glass of `soju' first of all, saying, ``Help yourself.''
On my way from the sightseeing around the island, I was much delighted with the idea that the raw yellowtails, I had eaten migh have been worth as much as twice the boat fare that was considered very cheap, too.
Besides, there were many other episodes during my first visit to the island, including story about a seductive beauty I met at a bar who had hated and fled the mainland to this tiny island.
As I couldn't forget the island people's hospitality and the delicious taste of the yellowtails, I decided to visit the island again.
This timeI prepared some of imported lures and started toward the island.
Unfortunately I was not able to access to the island due to heavy storm.
A few years later, I had an opportunity to revisit the island.
Despite many of high-speed tourist boats available this time, I insisted on the same humble post boat again.
Fortunately the captain was the same man.
I was very glad to see him again, which brought me a great relaxation.
However, I got disappointed at the boat which was too fast for me to catch fish.
I found out that it engine was upgraded for more speed to cope with the other tourist ship, which are able to complete sailing around the island within a half day instead of a whole day long before.
I guessed my dream of the big yellowtail has gone forever.
But my eagerness compelled me to ask the captain, nay the postmaster for a favor for me, saying to him, ``Please just one time.''
At last the good captain allowed me to throw an angle, slowing down his boat near the pier, and said to me, ``Well, come on. Go ahead.''
A few minutes after I was exulted to throw my hook, I felt a thing heavy.
Pressing my excitement, I tried to draw it up, but it was too heavy for me to able to pull it up.
Seeing this, my neighbors began to gather around me and helped me to draw it up, making much ado aboard.
But, alas, it was not a big yellowtail but a lump of vinly plastic that came up forward.
What a shame on me! I was only dumb-struck.
It made me sad that the remote island of Ulungdo is not safe from pollution.
It occurred many years ago. How much is it polluted nowadays?
The problem is too significant.
We must make every effort to preserve and save our natural environment.