제주도, 무인도서 지키는 '반려섬' 제도 본격 추진
Jeju Launches 'Companion Island' Program for Its Uninhabited Islands
Part of the August 3, 2026 daily edition
제주도가 올해부터 ‘반려섬’ 활동을 새로 시작합니다. 반려섬 활동은 기업이나 단체가 사람이 살지 않는 섬을 맡아서 정기적으로 환경 정화 활동을 하는 것입니다. 제주도가 관리하는 무인도는 모두 71개인데, 올해는 그중 7개 섬에서 먼저 시작합니다. 반려섬을 맡은 기업은 2년 동안 활동을 이어 가면서 해마다 정화 활동을 두 번 이상 해야 합니다. 지금까지 두 기업이 참여하게 되었고, 각각 차귀도와 지귀도를 맡았습니다. 제주도는 앞으로 참여하는 기업과 반려섬을 조금씩 늘릴 계획입니다.
Translation
Jeju Province is newly starting its "companion island" activity this year. The companion island activity is when a company or organisation takes charge of an island where no one lives and regularly carries out environmental cleanup work there. Jeju manages 71 uninhabited islands in all, and this year it is starting with seven of those islands first. A company that has taken on a companion island keeps the activity going for two years, and while doing so it must carry out cleanup work at least twice each year. So far two companies have come to take part, and they have taken charge of Chagwido and Jigwido respectively. Jeju plans to gradually increase the number of participating companies and companion islands from now on.
Vocabulary
- 무인도명사 (noun)uninhabited island
- 정화명사 (noun)cleanup, purification
- 맡다동사 (verb)to take charge of, to take on
- 정기적으로부사 (adverb)regularly, on a regular basis
- 참여하다동사 (verb)to take part, to participate
- 늘리다동사 (verb)to increase (something)
Grammar points
-는 것the act of ~ing
Attach -는 것 to a verb stem to turn the verb into a noun, like English "~ing" or "the thing that ~". It is very common in explanations: A는 B가 ...하는 것입니다 means "A is (the practice of) B doing ...". With adjectives and past events the form changes to -(으)ㄴ 것.
Example: 제가 좋아하는 것은 바닷가에서 사진을 찍는 것입니다.
What I like is taking photos at the seaside.
-(으)면서while ~ing
-(으)면서 joins two actions done by the same subject at the same time: the first clause is the background action, the second is the main one. Use -면서 after a vowel and -으면서 after a consonant. Both clauses must share one subject.
Example: 저는 음악을 들으면서 바닷가를 걷습니다.
I walk along the seaside while listening to music.
-게 되다come to ~, end up ~ing
-게 되다 attaches to a verb stem and shows that a situation came about, often through circumstances or someone else's decision rather than the speaker's own plan. The past form -게 되었습니다 reports the new state that has resulted.
Example: 저는 이번 여름에 제주도에 가게 되었습니다.
It turned out that I'm going to Jeju this summer.
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