The 600th Year of Gyeonggi-do

Gyeonggi-do is home to 12.55 million people (as of the end of 2013), making it the most populous metropolitan city in South Korea, overtaking Seoul. Gyeonggi-do’s population accounts for 24.1% of the total population of South Korea, with a population density of 1,234 people/㎢. The increase in population led to urbanization and the reorganization and amalgamation of the administrative areas of Gyeonggi-do.
Gyeonggi-do Province consists of twenty-eight cities, three counties, twenty districts, and 550 administrative units (i.e. eup, myeon, and dong).

The province, which covers the western central region of the Korean Peninsula, covers 10,172㎢ or 10.2% of South Korea’s territory. Of the total area of the province, 100% of the capital regional adjustment zone is under regulation, while 23.2% of the protection zone of military installations, and 11.6% of the restricted development zone. Gyeonggi-do has 413 km of coastline to the west, and is bordered by 86km of the cease-fire line to the north, Gangwon-do Province to the east, and North and South Chungcheong-do Provinces to the south, while Seoul is situated at its center.

As we as being the major driver of national economic growth, Gyeonggi-do is a new growth engine for the future based on high-tech industry. Gyeonggi-do is the base of 20.8% (720,000 companies) of all Korean enterprises and home to 23.9% (6,170,000 people) of the economically active population, occupying an important position in terms of production, exports, and employment. As of 2012, Gyeonggi-do’s GRDP (Gross Regional Domestic Product) amounted to KRW 250.9 trillion, or 20.8% of the national total. In particular, Gyeonggi-do’s mining and manufacturing businesses account for 23% of the national total, the highest proportion among metropolitan cities.

Natural Environment of Gyeonggi-do

As Gyeonggi-do is located on the Gyeonggi Landmass in terms of the Korean Peninsula’s tectonic structure, the region has a wide distribution of Precambrian metamorphic rocks. Mesozoic granite is distributed in a bell-like pattern in the north and south of Gyeonggi-do. Generally, the widespread erosion of granite led to both the formation of lowland areas like Yeoju and Icheon, and the emergence of high peaks like Bukhansan Mountain. Basalt is also found along the river valley of the Hantangang River.

The topography of Gyeonggi-do Province, as a tilted landform, is generally high in the east and low in the west. Three mountain ranges, i.e. the Masingnyeong, Gwangju, and Charyeong Mountain Ranges, extend northeast to southwest. The Masingnyeong Mountain Range forms a boundary between Hwanghae-do Province and Gyeonggi-do Province, while the Gwangju Mountain Range crosses the center of Gyeonggi-do. Gungmangbong (1,168m) and Unaksan Mountain (935m) in Gapyeong, Cheonmasan Mountain (812m) in Namyangju, and Namhansan Mountain (606m) in Gwangju are part of the Gwangju Mountain range. The Charyeong Mountain Range forms a boundary between Gyeonggi-do Province and North Chungcheong Province, and includes some five hundred mountains such as Ogapsan Mountain (609m) in South Yeoju, and Chilhyeonsan Mountain (513m) and Seounsan Mountain (543m) in Anseong. Furthermore, Incheon’s Gyeyangsan Mountain (395m), Gimpo’s Munsusan Mountain (376m), and Anyang’s Surisan Mountain (475m) and other monadnocks are situated on the low hilly areas around the west coast and the plains.

Much of Gyeonggi-do Province is situated in the Hangang River basin. The two major branches of the Hangang River, the Bukhangang River and the Namhangang River, come together at Yangsu-ri, Yangpyeong-gun. The river crosses the center of Gyeonggi-do Province, merges with the Imjingang River in the northwest, and flows into Gyeonggi Bay on the Yellow Sea. As the Hangang has always had a liberal flow of water, it was also used as a waterway for the transportation of agricultural and fishery products from the plain in the lower river basin to the capital, Seoul, during the Joseon Dynasty.

At present, the Hangang River, as the main source of water in the capital area’s water supply zone, supplies water to cities in the Hangang River basin including Seoul, Uijeongbu, Goyang, Bucheon, Anyang, and Gwacheon; to the west coast region including Incheon, Siheung, and Ansan; and to the Anseongcheon Stream basin including Suwon and Pyeongtaek. The Imjingang River converges with the Hantangang River and Yeongpyeongcheon Stream around Jeongok, and with Munsancheon Stream in the downstream area, then joins the Hangang River before flowing into Gyeonggi Bay. Anseongcheon Stream has a narrow area of the basin, but it forms Asan Lake together with the confluence of Hwanggujicheon Stream, Jinwicheon Stream, and Anseongcheon’s branch and flows into the Asan Bay.

Significance of Gyeonggi-do’s 600 Years

Gyeonggi-do marked the 600th year of its establishment in 2014. The origins of Gyeonggi-do Province as an administrative and regional entity go back to January 18, 1414 (the 14th year of the reign of King Taejong of the Joseon Dynasty), when the original name of the area ‘Gyeonggi jwaudoseong’ was changed to ‘Gyeonggi’ (Annals of King Taejong: Volume 27) Thus, the current region of Gyeonggi-do was established 600 years ago when the early Joseon Dynasty reformed the regional administration into an eight-province system.

Originally, Gyeong meant a ‘capital where the king resides’ and Gi ‘the area surrounding the capital’. Therefore, the location of the Gyeonggi-do was changed according to capital of the time.

During the Goryeo Dynasty when the name Gyeonggi first appeared, Gaeseong was the capital of the dynasty, so the area surrounding Gaeseong was known as Gyeonggi. As the Joseon Dynasty superseded the Goryeo Dynasty in 1392 and established its capital in Hanyang (the old name for Seoul) in 1394, Gyeonggi’s location was also changed. Thereafter, Gyeonggi-do became firmly established in its present location surrounding Seoul.

The reorganization of the area now named Gyeonggi-do region took place following the foundation of the Joseon Dynasty. As the location of the new capital was moved southward, the northern area of Gaeseong became part of Hwanghae-do Province because it was far from Hanyang, while Gwangju, Suwon, Yanggeun (an old town in Yangpyeong-gun County), Yonggu (the old name for North Yongin), Cheoin (the old name for South Yongin), and Icheon – all of which used to belong to Yanggwang-do Province - became areas of Gyeonggi-do.

In 1398 (the 7th year of the reign of King Taejo), Chungcheong-do’s Jinwi (present-day North Pyeongtaek) was merged with Gyeonggi-do, while in 1402 (the 2nd year of the reign of King Taejong), Gyeonggi jwaudo was renamed as Gyeonggi jwaudoseong. Then, in 1413, some areas of Gyeonggi-do were re-merged with Hwanghae-do and Gangwon-do Provinces, while Chungcheong-do Province’s Anseong and Yangji (present-day South Yongin area) and Gangwon-do Province’s Gapyeong were made part of Gyeonggi-do. During the reign of King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty, Cheorwon and Anhyeop (present-day area of Icheon) became part of Gangwon-do Province, while Juksan in Chungcheong-do became part of Gyeonggi-do.

The Gyeonggi-do has long been a focal point of cultural integration. During the Three Kingdoms Period, the region was connected with the diverse cultures of the three main kingdoms on the peninsula via the Hangang River. In the early Goryeo period, as the regional cultures of powerful clans developed, the Gyeonggi-do became a center of integration by embracing and overcoming differences. The Goryeo Dynasty established a centralized state system while accepting the autonomy of each regional entity, and local figures from Gyeonggi-do served as leaders of the state at that time.

Regarding the language, culture, and customs, the Giho Cultural Area was formed with the provinces of Hwanghae-do, Chungcheong-do, and Gyeonggi-do as the center. In the 16th century the Giho Group of Neo-Confucianism played an active part in Gyeonggi-do, while during the 18th century the doctrines of Yangmingism and Silhak, which were highly critical of and tried to overcome Neo-Confucianism, were very popular. One particular school of Silhak composed of members with the same academic views, including Yi Ik in Ansan, Yu Hyeong-won in Suwon, An Jeong-bok in Gwangju, and Jeong Yak-yong in Namyangju, was formed in the area close to Seoul and led the development of the national culture while dominating the world of ideas during the late Joseon period.

Gyeonggi-do, together with Seoul, played a key role in the economic development of the country during the process of industrialization. Along with the construction of the transport network, the rapid industrialization led to the formation of the ‘capital area’ followed by a large increase in its population and the consequent urbanization. However, industrialization and urbanization also had many undesirable side effects including the unequal distribution of regional and national development. In addition, Gyeonggi-do, as the region surrounding Seoul, was saddled with numerous overlapping regulations. At this time, Gyeonggi-do lost its independent status and displayed what may be termed a Seoul-dependent phenomenon.

Gyeonggi-do, characterized by tragic stories of war and division, has taken on the important mission of leading the age of unification through reconciliation and cooperation. Gyeonggi-do needs to play an active role in inter-Korean reconciliation, exchange, and economic cooperation at the provincial level. Moreover, Gyeonggi-do has established the nation’s telecommunication and IT infrastructure, essential pre-requisites for the 21st-century knowledge-based industry, and has the potential to grow as Northeast Asia’s leading logistics hub. The West Coast Era (centered on Gyeonggi Bay and the surrounding coastline) is already on track, and if the mood of inter-Korean exchange leads to national reconciliation, Gyeonggi-do, as the center of a unified Korea and the base of the Northeast Asian economic area, will be able to make its slogan ‘Global Inspiration Gyeonggi-do’ a reality.