Marine debris is increasing off the coast of Jeju Island. More than 20,000 tons of garbage are collected every year. The coastline of Jeju Island is increasingly polluted by marine waste, including as rubbish that has been dumped there or flotsam and jetsom that have been carried in by foreign currents.

The damage caused by this state is varied. First, it threatens the lives of marine life. In fact, more than 1 million animals die in the ocean every year due to pollution. Second, trash often gets caught in fishing nets and breaks them, disrupting fishing operations. Third, marine waste disposal is extremely expensive. Not only is it difficult to collect all the garbage, but it's also very difficult to dispose of it.

In order to reduce marine refuse, Jeju Island has implemented policies to clean up the marine environment. One of the most prominent is the 'Beach Coin'. This is an environmental movement that offers coffee coupons in exchange for picking up trash on the beach. It runs every Wednesday from this month to September at Hwangwoochi and Yongmyeong Beach.

The government is also introducing a 'Pet Beach'. This is a beach adoption program where groups such as companies and schools take over a part of a beach and take care of it. Geumneung Beach and Peyseon Beach are designated as adopted beaches and are managed accordingly. Other programs include 'Flopper', where you can pick up trash while surfing, and the 'Cinnack', where you can pick up trash and exchange it for snacks. By actively participating in these events, we can actually do something to keep our beaches clean. We can protect Jeju Island's beautiful nature for prosperity.