The History of Gyeonggi-do 600 Years

Specialization of the Manual Industry

In the 18th century, the manual industry of Gyeonggi-do, which was largely self-sufficient and consisted mainly of temporary or part-time work, became highly specialized and began manufacturing goods for commercialization. Examples of this trend include hwamunseok (sedge mats woven with floral or other patterns) from Ganghwado and brassware from Anseong. In particular, Anseong brassware gained popularity nationwide and earned the nickname ‘Anseong-machum’ [literally ‘custom-made in Anseong,’ figuratively ‘ideal fit’].

Center of the Giho School

Joseon society came to be dominated by Neo-Confucianism. After the 16th century, the Neo-Confucian world was led by Toegye Yi Hwang’s Yeongnam School and by Yulgok Yi I’s Giho School. The Giho School was composed of literati who had studied under or associated with Yi I, and was formed by Confucian scholars largely drawn from Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheong-do and Jeolla-do Provinces.

The Home of Silhak

In the late Joseon Period, when Neo-Confucianism had reached its limit, Silhak (Korean Confucian Social Reform Movement) emerged and began to develop in Gyeonggi-do Province. Silhak was led by a group of reform-minded scholars from Gyeonggi-do, Seoul and the Namhangang River area. While staying in Ansan, Yi Ik (pen-name: Seongho) strived to concentrate on his studies and foster his disciples, and established the Seongho School, which is also called Geungi School or Gyeongsechiyong School. Jeong Yak-yong (pen-name: Dasan), who came from Gwangju in Gyeonggi-do Province, synthesized Silhak into a more comprehensive system of thought. Moreover, many Silhak scholars who were living near Seoul formed new schools of thought with people who shared the same academic tendencies through kinship, regional or educational ties.

Establishment of ‘Yangmingism’ (Doctrines of Wang Yangming)

The study of ‘Yangmingism’ began in earnest in 1709 (the 35th year of the reign of King Sukjong) when Jeong Je-du moved from Ansan to Ganghwa Hagok. The Ganghwa School of Yangmingism was formed by members of Jeong’s family including his grandsons-in-law Yi Gwang-myeong and Shin Dae-u when they moved to Ganghwado Island.

The Birthplace of Catholicism in Korea

Gyeonggi-do Province is the birthplace of Korean Catholicism. Yi Byeok, Yi Seung-hun, Gwon Cheol-sin, Jeong Yak-yong and his brother studied the ‘Western Learning’, i.e. Catholicism, introduced from China and accepted it as their religion. Cheonjinam in Gwangju and Jueosa in Yeoju are considered the birthplaces of Korean Catholicism. Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean Catholic priest, devoted himself to missionary works around Golbaemasil in Yongin, as well as in Mirinae, Anseong, and areas of Gwangju and Icheon.

Construction of Hwaseong Fortress

Designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, Hwaseong Fortress is significant in that it was the largest construction project ever undertaken during the Joseon Dynasty, and was the result of Silhak scholars’ ideas and techniques, which were relatively advanced for the time. A renowned Silhak scholar named Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836) introduced new technologies in the construction of the fortifications, including the use of a multiple pulley system, drawing on Chinese and Western scientific techniques; while a new building material, i.e. bricks, previously recommended by Silhak scholars, was also used for the first time.

Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty

As Gyeonggi-do surrounds the capital city, most of the royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are situated within the province. Due to the reorganization of the province’s administrative areas, some tombs became part of Seoul, but a total of thirty-one royal tombs are located in Gyeonggi-do Province, including the East Nine Royal Tombs in Guri, the Hongneung and Yureung Royal Tombs in Namyangju, the West Five Royal Tombs in Goyang, and the Yungneung and Geolleung Royal Tombs in Hwaseong. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Joseon royal tombs are much more than simply the tombs of bygone Korean kings: they are outstanding cultural heritages that attest to the cultural excellence of the Joseon Dynasty.

Buddhist Cultural Heritages

Although Buddhism was replaced by Confucianism as the state religion during the Joseon Dynasty, many large Buddhist temples continued to be established in Gyeonggi-do Province, mainly as guardian temples dedicated to protecting the tombs of kings and queens.

For example, Silleuksa Temple in Yeoju is the guardian temple of the tomb of King Sejong (Yeongneung); Bongseonsa Temple in Namyangju guards the tomb of King Sejo (Gwangneung); and Bongeunsa Temple in Gwangju guards the tombs of King Seongjong (Seolleung) and King Jungjong (Jeongneung), while Yongjusa Temple in Suwon was built to protect the tomb of Crown Prince Sado (Hyeollyungwon).

The Siege of Haengju was a great victory for General Gwon Yul and the 2,300 soldiers under his command, who succeeded in repelling 30,000 Japanese troops at Haengju Fortress in 1593. According to one legend, the Joseon forces ran out of arrows at the height of the battle, so they fought with their bare hands, throwing stones down upon the enemy. It is said that the women inside the fortress cut pieces of cloth from their skirts and attached them to their waist to carry stones to the soldiers defending the walls.

Establishment of Yusubu (Administrative Organization)

After the Manchu Invasion of Korea in 1636, the Joseon Dynasty elevated the status of its administrative organizations, for example, the Gwangjubu became the yusubu in 1683 (the 9th year of the reign of King Sukjong), and Suwon became the yusubu in 1793 (the 17th year of the reign of King Jeongjo). The governor of Gwangjuyusu also served as its military commander, Sueosa with a force of 6,000 soldiers at his disposal. The Royal Guards (Jangyongyeong and Oeyeong), which were established by King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, were stationed at the Suwonyusubu. As such, the yusubu was a military bureau established for the protection of the capital Hanyang.

Reinforcement of Fortifications

One of the most significant defense sites around the capital was Ganghwado Island. As the island was situated at the entrance to Hanyang via the Hangang River from the West Sea, it was a major strategic point in the defenses of Hanyang. As such, the yusubu was established on the island in 1627 (the 5th year of the reign of King Injo), followed by the construction of an external wall (Oeseong) in 1691 (the 17th year of the reign of King Sukjong) to reinforce Ganghwado’s defenses. Following its destruction, the wall was rebuilt with bricks between 1742 and 1744. Meanwhile, the internal wall (Naeseong) was restored in 1711 based on the structure that was built in the Goryeo period.

After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Japan began to interfere in the domestic affairs of Korea through their political advisor in Korea, spurring the formation of righteous armies all around the country. In April 1905, righteous armies including Yi In-eung started an uprising across the Gyeonggi-do region.

In July 1907, when Japan dispersed the Korean military by force, the soldiers joined the righteous armies, thereby reinforcing them. In December 1907, the Sipsamdochanguidaejinso, a united righteous army, was established by combining Gyeonggi-do’s righteous army with those from other regions including Hwanghae-do, Gangwon-do, and Chungcheong-do Provinces. Around August 1908, the Changuiwonsubu, or united righteous army of the northeast region of Gyeonggi-do, was formed and began to fight. The Gyeonggi-do righteous army’s struggle to defend the country from Japanese invasions continued for about twenty years, and its spirit was inherited by the army of national independence under the Japanese Colonial Rule.

The March 1st Movement

In 1919, the March 1st Movement, whose principal aim was to secure independence from Japanese colonial rule, started in Seoul and spread across the country. The March 1st Movement in Gyeonggi-do Province was led by students, farmers, Cheondoists, Christians, Buddhist monks, Sicheongyo believers, small merchants, and laborers.
Unlike other regions, Gyeonggi-do’s March 1st Movement was carried out with particular vehemence for about two months, resulting in numerous casualties. In the beginning, the movement was led by young intellectuals from Seoul and Gaeseong, with many urban laborers and merchants taking part, too. The movement reached its peak in the Gyeonggi-do region between the end of March and the beginning of April, spreading from cities to rural areas, and independence demonstrations were held in cities. The movement switched from peaceful and nonviolent demonstration to armed resistance. Armed struggle was originally a means of self-defense, but it ultimately became offensive armed resistance. In early April, the largest armed demonstration took place in Anseong and Suwon in Gyeonggi-do Province.
As the demonstration gathered momentum, the Japanese government arrested and killed some of its members. In early April 1919, the Japanese brutally oppressed the demonstrators in retaliation against the assassination of a Japanese policeman during the demonstration in Suwon, and the armed demonstrations held in Wongok and Yangseong-myeon, Anseong-gun County. The Jeam-ri Church Massacre also occurred at that time.
Of the country’s thirteen provinces, Gyeonggi-do Province saw the most active March 1st Movement of all, with over 282 independence demonstrations involving more than 170,000 people in total.

North Korea’s Military Provocations

As the part of the MDL that passes Paju-si is the closest section to Seoul, and the Imjingang River flows from west to north of Paju, it became the major channel for North Korean infiltration into the South. Until the 1970s, inter-Korean military conflict broke out on a regular basis in this area. In January 1968, a North Korean raiding party entered Seoul through Paju and launched a surprise attack on the Cheongwadae (Blue House). In addition, many incidents such as infiltration by North Korean agent, and South-North gunfights occurred in the area.

Underground tunnels in the MDL posed another threat after military confrontations and infiltration by armed agents. The 3rd Tunnel, the most significant of the tunnels dug by North Korea, was discovered on October 17, 1978. The tunnel was discovered in Wondang-ri, Gunnae-myeon, Paju-si, just 435m away from the MDL and 4 km away from the Panmunjeom. According to the report, which shocked the South Korean public, this huge arched underground tunnel was designed to enable 30,000 armed agents to pass through it in one hour.

Panmunjeom, the Gateway to South and North

Panmunjeom is both a scene of inter-Korean confrontation that illustrates the pain of national division and a window of reconciliation toward unification. Panmunjeom was the only road connecting the South and North by land, before the opening of the Gyeongui Railroad Line and the East Sea Line Inter-Korean Connecting Road. Panmunjeom attracted worldwide attention on October 25, 1951 when the Armistice Conference was moved there from Gaeseong, and it became the leading symbol of national division. On July 27, 1953, at the end of the long Armistice negotiations, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjeom, which simultaneously became the conference hall of the Military Armistice Commission.

As Panmunjeom is in the Joint Security Area, where South Korean and North Korean forces are deployed in a permanent stand-off, there is always a risk of conflict. One of the biggest conflicts was the Axe Murder Incident of August 18, 1976. As such, Panmunjeom, the main symbol of the Armistice Agreement, could have become the flashpoint for the resumption of military conflict.

Then, in the 1970s, there was a huge change at Panmunjeom. On August 12, 1971, North Korea agreed to South Korea’s proposal to hold talks between the South and North Korean Red Cross Societies, and, on August 20, the historic first Inter-Korean Meeting after the Korean War took place in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission Meeting Room at Panmunjeom. Moreover, Panmunjeom was used as a venue for direct inter-Korean contact, and various talks were held there including the meeting of the South-North Coordinating Committee, the South-North Korea Sports Conference, the South-North Korea Economy Conference, and the Inter-Korean Parliamentary Talks.

The opening ceremony for the Donghae temporary road was held on February 11, 2003, and a trial tourism program consisting of visits to Geumgangsan Mountain by land was launched. On June 14, 2003, the two sides re-connected the Gyeongui and Donghae lines, more than fifty years after they were disconnected. In 2007, the South-North railway was opened and operated temporarily. Inter-Korean economic cooperation began in earnest as tourism to Geumgangsan Mountain and Gaeseong got under way, and South Korean companies set up factories in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex in which North Koreans worked.

However, tensions and confrontations between South and North have continued despite the increase in inter-Korean exchange. Armed skirmishes broke out in the western sea border on two occasions, in 1999 and 2002, and North Korea conducted a nuclear test in 2006. Since then, the occurrence of a series of confrontations - including the incident in which a South Korean tourist was shot dead near Geumgangsan Mountain in 2008, the sinking of the Cheonan ship in March 2010, and the shelling of Yeonpyeongdo Island in 2010 – has put an end to any further inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, with the exception of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.