Remove ads

South Gyeongsang Province (Korean: 경상남도, romanized: Gyeongsangnam-do, Korean pronunciation: [kjʌŋ.saŋ.nam.do]) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and tourist attraction, is located in this province. Automobile and petrochemical factories are largely concentrated along the southern part of the province, extending from Ulsan through Busan, Changwon, and Jinju.

Quick Facts 경상남도, Korean transcription(s) ...
South Gyeongsang Province
경상남도
Korean transcription(s)
  Hangul경상남도
  Hanja
  McCune‑ReischauerKyŏngsang-namdo
  Revised RomanizationGyeongsangnam-do
Thumb
Thumb
Thumb
Coordinates: 35°15′N 128°15′E
CountrySouth Korea
RegionYeongnam
CapitalChangwon
Subdivisions8 cities; 10 counties
Government
  GovernorPark Wan-su
(People Power)
Area
  Total
10,533 km2 (4,067 sq mi)
  Rank4th
Population
 (December, 2018)
  Total
3,447,687
  Rank2nd
  Density327.86/km2 (849.2/sq mi)
DemonymGyeongnamian
Metropolitan Symbols
  FlowerRose
  TreeZelkova
  BirdWhite heron
GDP
  TotalKR₩ 120 trillion
US$ 96 billion (2022)
ISO 3166 codeKR-48
DialectGyeongsang
WebsiteOfficial website (English)
Close
Remove ads

Etymology

The name derives from Korean Gyeongsang 'joyous furthermore'; from gyeong (Korean 경, Hanja ) 'celebrate' and sang (Korean 상, Hanja ) 'append to'. The name derives from the names of the principal cities of Gyeongju (경주; 慶州) and Sangju (상주; 尙州).

History

Joseon

In 1407, for military purposes, the administrative districts were reorganized, with Gyeongsang-do being divided into Gyeongsangjwa-do (or Gyeongsangjwa Province; left) and Gyeongsangwu-do (or Gyeongsangwu Province; right) as the reference points of the Nakdonggang River.[2]

Before 1895, the area corresponding to modern-day South Gyeongsang Province was part of Gyeongsang Province, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon dynastic kingdom. In 1895, southern Gyeongsang was replaced by the districts of Jinju in the west and Dongnae (modern-day Busan) in the east. In 1896, they were merged to form South Gyeongsang Province.

Today

The provincial capital was originally at Jinju; it moved in 1925 to Busan. During the Japanese rule over Korea, the province was known as Keishōnan-dō. In 1948, South Gyeongsang Province became part of South Korea. In 1963, Busan separated from South Gyeongsang Province to become a Directly Governed City (Jikhalsi). In 1983, the provincial capital moved from Busan to Changwon. In 1995, Busan became a Metropolitan City (Gwangyeoksi), and Ulsan separated from South Gyeongsang Province to become a Metropolitan City in 1997.

Remove ads

Geography

The province is part of the Yeongnam region, on the north by North Gyeongsang Province, on the west by North Jeolla Province and South Jeolla Province, and on the south by the Korea Strait far from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Most of the province is drained by the Nakdong River and its tributaries. The total area of the province is 10,533 square kilometres (4,067 sq mi).[3]

The tail of the Taebaek Mountains reaches the east of the Province, and the Nakdonggang River flows in the middle of the mountain range. The Province is bordered by the Sobaek Mountains and Honam to the west. The central lowland spreads along the Nakdonggang River basin. The Nakdonggang River is collecting tributaries of Gyeongsangnam-do to develop the Gimhae Delta Plain near the downstream. Jirisan, Deogyusan, and Bagunsan are lined up in the west.[4]

Remove ads

Demographics

More information Year, Pop. ...
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1980 2,689,376    
1990 2,810,194+0.44%
2000 2,978,502+0.58%
2010 3,160,154+0.59%
2015 3,334,524+1.08%
2020 3,333,056−0.01%
Source: Citypopulation[5]
Close

Religion in South Gyeongsang (2015)[6]

  Not religious (55.1%)
  Buddhism (29.4%)
  Protestantism (10.5%)
  Catholicism (4.2%)
  Other (including Won Buddhism) (0.8%)
Remove ads

Resources

The Nakdong delta plain around Gimhae is one of the best granaries in South Korea. Agricultural products form Gyeongsangnam-do include rice, beans, potatoes, and barley. The area is renowned for its cotton, sesame, and fruits which are grown along the southern seaside. A number of marine products are caught. The province is one of the country's leading fisheries.

Major cities

More information Largest cities in South Gyeongsang ProvinceCitypopulation, Rank ...
 
 
Largest cities in South Gyeongsang Province
Citypopulation[7]
Rank Pop.
Thumb
Changwon
Thumb
Gimhae
1Changwon1,029,389 Thumb
Jinju
Thumb
Yangsan
2Gimhae552,427
3Jinju352,403
4Yangsan351,206
5Geoje246,965
6Tongyeong127,984
7Sacheon111,184
8Miryang103,228
9Haman65,279
10Geochang59,595
Close

The largest cities in the region are Busan and Ulsan, which are separately administered as provincial-level Metropolitan Cities. Apart from the capital Changwon, other large or notable cities include Gimhae and Jinju.

Attractions

Thumb
Yeongnamnu in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province. A pavilion from the Joseon.

Gyeongsangnam-do is the home of Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many tourists. It is in the national park around Jirisan (1,915 m) on the border with Jeollabuk-do. The temple was first built in 802.

Changnyeong County contains three major tourist attractions for the province: Upo Wetland, the natural hotsprings of Bugok, and Hwawangsan.

Yangsan-si contains two major temples for the province: Tongdosa and Naewon Temple

Remove ads

Culture

Festival

Thumb
Jinhae Naval Port Festival

Beginning in 2002, the Tongyeong International Music Festival is one of the most important music events in Asia. Held every spring, the festival consists of stages from well-known classical music figures and aspiring musicians. It aims to foster young composers and performers.[8]

Jinhae Naval Port Festival, one of the biggest cherry blossom festivals in South Korea, is held in Jinhae.[9]

The Haman Water Fireworks Festival takes place around Buddha's Birthday in April every year. It is one of the cultures that has existed since the Joseon Dynasty. It originated from the heart of praying for peace in the country.[10]

Tourism

The Jinju National Museum opened in 1984 as the first national museum in South Gyeongsang Province. Visitors can experience cultural heritages in the Province, including Gaya.[11]

Haeinsa, one of Korea's top three temples, was built in 802 by two monks Seung-woon and Lee Jung. The temple houses various treasures along with Woodblocks of national treasures, including the Tripitaka Koreana and Janggyeong Panjeon.[12]

Administrative divisions

Thumb
Gimhae
Thumb
Tongyeong
Thumb
Yangsan

Gyeongsangnam-do is divided into 8 cities (si) and 10 counties (gun). The names below are given in English, hangul, and hanja.

More information Map, # ...
Map # Name Hangul Hanja Population (2024)[13] Subdivisions
Thumb
Specific City
1 Changwon 창원시 昌原市 1,001,902 5 ilban-gu — 2 eup, 6 myeon, 54 haengjeong-dong
2 Gimhae 김해시 金海市 531,966 1 eup, 6 myeon, 12 haengjeong-dong
City
3 Jinju 진주시 晉州市 339,338 1 eup, 15 myeon, 15 haengjeong-dong
4 Yangsan 양산시 梁山市 358,074 1 eup, 4 myeon, 8 haengjeong-dong
5 Geoje 거제시 巨濟市 232,921 9 myeon, 10 haengjeong-dong
6 Tongyeong 통영시 統營市 118,896 1 eup, 6 myeon, 8 haengjeong-dong
7 Sacheon 사천시 泗川市 108,650 1 eup, 7 myeon, 6 haengjeong-dong
8 Miryang 밀양시 密陽市 100,802 2 eup, 9 myeon, 5 haengjeong-dong
County
9 Haman County 함안군 咸安郡 59,102 2 eup, 8 myeon
10 Geochang County 거창군 居昌郡 59,737 1 eup, 11 myeon
11 Changnyeong County 창녕군 昌寧郡 56,246 2 eup, 12 myeon
12 Goseong County 고성군 固城郡 48,356 1 eup, 13 myeon
13 Namhae County 남해군 南海郡 40,060 1 eup, 9 myeon
14 Hapcheon County 합천군 陜川郡 40,440 1 eup, 16 myeon
15 Hadong County 하동군 河東郡 40,909 1 eup, 12 myeon
16 Hamyang County 함양군 咸陽郡 36,307 1 eup, 10 myeon
17 Sancheong County 산청군 山淸郡 33,373 1 eup, 10 myeon
18 Uiryeong County 의령군 宜寧郡 25,168 1 eup, 12 myeon
Close

Government

Government Complex South Gyeongsang Province

Thumb
Gyeongnam Regional Government Complex in Changwon

Gyeongnam Regional Government Complex was built to integrate government agencies in Changwon and Masan. It was completed in March 2013.[14]

Governor

Sister districts

Notable people from South Gyeongsang Province

Thumb
Koo In-hwoi

See also

Thumb
Changnyeong Temple at the base of Mount Hwawang

References

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.

Remove ads