This article is the narrative of Jeju people as a collectivity and of their quest for future directions. It is a story of a small island people, but at the same time, it is not unique to Jeju people, but applies to all humanity. There are many different visions and stories about what Jeju identity is and what its future should be. It appears that not one of the stories told by different groups can be left out, although they seem to compete with each other, and there are different audiences for different stories. I was very much moved and touched, when I learned about Jeju people’s narratives and quest and wanted to tell the story to the outside world. My story is that of an outsider.

• Ok-Kyung Pak(Research associate - anthropologist Centre of East Asian Studies University of Montreal)