Indigenous Island Autonomy and Special Economic Zone Status: Developmental tensions of Jeju Free International City, South Korea

Islands are associated with both high levels of autonomous status and sovereign status on the one hand and the creation of exceptional spaces on the other, both linked with the development of distinctive island cultures. This article argues that there is a tension between these tendencies, as is illustrated by the case of Jeju Island, South Korea. Jeju is a self-governing province and subnational island jurisdiction (SNIJ). Its autonomy is rooted in contested understandings of Jeju natives as an Indigenous people, distinct from the people of the Korean Peninsula. In practice, however, Jeju’s autonomy is used as a tool for containing a special economic zone (SEZ) aimed at attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to South Korea as a whole. By taking an island studies approach, this paper shows how Jeju’s ostensible Indigenous autonomy has been compromised by the island’s use as an exceptional space crafted in conscious relation to the mainland. Key governance mechanisms on Jeju do not prioritise Indigenous rights. Studies of island political and economic development require careful analysis of how diverse political and economic processes are influenced by islandness itself.