Created by volcanic activity that has taken place since 1.2 million years ago, Jeju Island, as a whole, displays such magnificent diversity of volcanic topography to be called "a huge, living volcanic museum." Thanks to its superb natural scenery and geological significance that shows the history of the earth's creation, "Jeju volcanic island and lava tubes" that encompass Mt. Hallasan, the Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone and Geomunoreum Lava Tube System was inscribed as World Natural Heritage in 2007.

Rising 1,950 m above sea level at the center of Jeju Island, Mt. Hallasan has Baeknokdam Crater, a huge crater, at its summit. It contains curious rock formations and cliffs, and 40 or so oreums (Jeju's dialect signifying volcanic cones). Moreover, it is home to 1,800 types of plants including diverse arctic-alpine plants, which produce splendid scenery in each season. Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone, located on the east coast of Jeju like an old enormous castle, creates a magnificent spectacle of the sun rising in the morning, which has earned it its other name of "oreum where the sun rises." As a hydrovolcano that was formed by volcanic eruption from the shallow seabed, its internal structure exposed along the sea cliff are highly regarded as important research material that illustrates the eruption and deposit processes of the hydrovolcano. As a group of lava tube caves created by lava that erupted from Geomunoreum and flowed down onto the seashore about 100,000 to 300,000 years ago, Geomunoreum Lava Tube System includes Bengdwigul Lava Tube, Manjanggul Lava Tube, Gimnyeonggul Lava Tube, Yongcheondonggul Lava Tube and Dangcheomuldonggul Lava Tube. In particular, Yongcheondonggul Lava Tube and Dangcheomuldonggul Lava Tube are rare caves in the world, because despite both being lava tube caves, they also display the qualities of a limestone cave, displaying awesome sights and mysteries that draw gasps of admiration from viewers.