Ever wondered why Jeju has so many stonewalls? Meet Jeju’s stonemason

The structure’s plain name doesn’t do justice to its rather unusual characteristic ― namely, the visible gaps that exist between each of the stacked stones of varying shapes and sizes. From a cursory glance, the wall may look as if it’s ready to collapse at any moment without warning. But its holes, which let air pass through instead of blocking it altogether, are what makes it a surprisingly sturdy and strategic protection against the island’s strong winds, said stonemason Jo Hwan-jin on a recent breezy day as he sat in the middle of a stone wall-lined pathway in Jeju’s northwestern town of Hallim.