Originally, Marado was an island called Keum Island, meaning 'forbidden island' in Korean language. It was because of the unpredictable weather and rough sea that people could not approach the island. However, people started to live in Marado since 1883. Tradition says that a man named Kim Sung Oh, who lost all his fortune in gambling made a suggestion to the county chief to let people move into Marado. As the chief let them to do so, people including Kim came to Marado and cultivated the island.