Gangneung () is a

municipal city A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)
Population & Households
. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of Gangwon-do. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, such as Jeongdongjin, a very popular area for watching the sun rise, and Gyeongpo Beach. There is an

ROKAF The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF; ko, 대한민국 공군; RR: ''Daehanminguk Gong-gun''), also known as the ROK Air Force or South Korean Air Force, is the aerial warfare service branch of South Korea, operating under the Ministry of N ...

airbase south of downtown Gangneung that formerly doubled as a civil airport. The city hosted all the ice events for the

2018 Winter Olympics , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , winte ...

History

Gangneung was the home of the

Yemaek people Yemaek or Yamaek () was an ancient tribal group in the northern Korean Peninsula and Manchuria who are regarded by some scholars as the ancestors of modern Koreans. They had ancestral ties to various Korean kingdoms including Gojoseon, Buyeo, Go ...

in ancient times and became the land of Wiman Joseon in 129 BC. In 128 BC, Nam Ryeo, the army officer of Yaekam, punished Wujang of Wiman Korea and became the territory of the Han dynasty. In the 14th year of Goguryeo Muchheon (313), it entered Goguryeo territory. In 639, Silla occupied this place and ruled it as a 'Sogyeong' (). In 658, King Moo-yeong abolished the Sogyeong and made an arsenal to send the todok, because it was adjacent to Malgal. In 757, it was renamed Sungju and restored it in 776. It was renamed Myungju again during the Goryeo period, and it was under the jurisdiction the north of Chuncheon in the 14th year of Sungjong (995). It separated the Hamgyeong-do from the Gangeung and called it Gangneung-do, but it has always been the center of administration and military. At the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, it called to Hwadangdo and Wonchundo and rename Gangneung by the name of Gangwon Province in the 5th year of King Sejong (1423). Some areas have been incorporated into Yangyang since 1945, and Gangneung City was established in 1995 as the areas of Gangneung and Myeongju merged. On 18 September 1996 a North Korean submarine ran aground near Gangneung in an attempted infiltration mission, spurring a 49-day manhunt for the escaped passengers. For more details, refer to the

1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident The 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident occurred on 18 September 1996, near the South Korean town of Gangneung. The incident was one of the more serious instances of North Korean espionage involving the Reconnaissance General Bureau, ...

Symbols of Gangneung

The flag of the city shows a red sun in the centre and blue wave in front, on a white background. The sun represents the sunrise, the wave the sea. The flower of the city is the crepe myrtle, the tree of the city is the pine tree, its bird the

swan Swans are birds of the family (biology), family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form t ...

. The animal of Gangneung is the tiger.

Geography

Gangneung is located to the east of the Taebaek Mountains, which is the considered the 'waist' of the Korean peninsula. To the East is the Sea of Japan, and to the west are the inner side of Hongcheon County, the Pyeongchang County's Jinbu-myeon and the Daegwallyeong-myeon respectively. The southern side is connected to Donghae City and the

Jeongseon County Jeongseon (''Jeongseon-gun'') is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea. It is famous as the hometown of "Jeongseon Arirang," a traditional Korean folksong. It is also the hometown of actor Won Bin and footballer Seol Ki-hyeon. Hi ...

's critical side. The north side is adjacent to Yangyang County Hyunbuk-myeon and Hyunnam-myeon. The total area of Gangneung City is about as of the end of 2015, which accounts for 6.2% of Gangwon Province's . 80.4% of the area of Gangneung, , is forestland.

Climate

Gangneung experiences a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen: ''Cfa'') with cool to cold winters and hot, humid summers. Since Gangneung is a coastal city, it has generally milder winters and relatively cooler summers than the rest of Korea. It is bordered by mountains to the west and the sea to the east.

Administrative divisions

The district includes one town ( eup), seven townships ( myeon), 13 neighborhoods ( dong).

Tour

Sunrise

Sunrises, especially the first in the New Year, are important in traditional Korean culture. The Jeongdongjin and Gyeongpo beaches in Gangneung are popular places to enjoy a sunrise.

Gyeongpodae Area

Gangneung is considered special due to its access to both a lake and the sea. Gyeongpodae is a pavilion overlooking a

Gyeongpo lake Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

. It is said that one can see the moon five times when at Gyeongpodae. One sees the moon once in the sky, once reflected in the lake, once reflected in the sea, once reflected in the drinking glass, and once more in the eyes of a lover. The site of Gyeongpodae is known for its location east of the centre of the city.Korea Tourism Organization (2005)
Gyeongpodae
. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Inside the Gyeongpodae pavilion, built with 28 pillars, is the ''Gyeongpodaebu'', a poem by

Yul Gok Yi Yi (; December 26, 1536 – February 27, 1584) was a Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi I is often referred to by his pen name Yulgok ("Chestnut valley"). He was also a politician The nearby Gyeongpo Beach has a sandy beach and a line of fresh seafood restaurants, with its proximity to Seoul making it a popular summer destination.

Beach

In addition to the Jungdongjin beach where '' Sandglass'', a TV series was taken, there are 18 beaches such as Anmok beach,

Gyeongpo beach Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

, Gangmun beach.

Jungdongjin

Jeongdongjin Beach is about 250 meters long and is famous for its beautiful sunrise scenery. In particular, the sunrise seen from the top of Goseong Mountain is known to be the most beautiful.

Culture

Heritage

There are a total of 128 cultural properties in Gangneung. Among them, there are 34 State-designated heritage and 58 Province-designated heritage. National Treasure No. 51, a gate to an official inn, is in Gangneung. This gate is the front gate of the Gangneung official inn built in the

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

. It is the oldest gate in the Goryeo Dynasty and is the only cultural property designated as a national treasure among the buildings in Gangwon-do. Ojukheon is the birthplace of Shin Saimdang and Yulgok Lee. It was designated as Treasure No. 165 by being recognized as one of the oldest architecture in the Korea and being a rare example of preserving the shape of the house of the Joseon Dynasty.

Gangneung Guseongsa site Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

, which was founded by Burma in the 13th year of King Munsung of Silla(851), has been designated as Korea's Historic Site No.448. Inside the temple, treasures are designated as Treasures No. 85, Treasures No. 86, There is a stone Buddhist image designated as No. 38.

Festivals

Gangneung has numerous festivals. The biggest and most famous is the Gangneung

Dano Festival Dano (Hangul: ), also called Surit-nal (Hangul: ), is a Korean traditional holiday that falls on the 5th day of the fifth month of the lunar Korean calendar. It is an official holiday in North Korea and one of the major traditional holidays in S ...

(강릉단오제) at the Dano fairground near the Namdae River. In 1967, the Gangneung Dano Festival was designated Korean National Immaterial Cultural Heritage No. 13. On November 11, 2005, it was designated by UNESCO as one of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". Nowadays, it is a combination of several commemoration rites and traditional plays. A highlight is the traditional Gwanno Mask Dance (Gwanno Gamyeongeuk), which is only performed at this festival. In addition to well established festivals like the Dano, there are several newer festivals in Gangneung, such as the IJAF (

International Junior Art Festival The International Junior Art Festival (IJAF, ko, 강릉국제청소년예술축전) is a youth festival which is held annually at Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, South Korea, for four days at the beginning of August. With 300 participants from seven ...

) enjoys great popularity. The IJAF is a cultural festival for youth from all over the world. The festival includes both performances of the participating groups and a diversified cultural program demonstrating the essence of Korean culture. Since 2002, the IJAF takes place at Gyeongpo Beach in the end of July. Also, the Gyeongpo Rock Festival was established in 2006. This festival, mostly attracting young people, offers young Korean bands from the Gangneung area a stage for their performances.

Museum

There are a number of historical remains and museums in Gangneung. The most prominent being the Ojukheon Museum, which is named after a special black bamboo growing in this area. It was the birthplace of the famous artist, calligrapher and poet Shin Saimdang (1504–1551) (whose image is on the 50,000 won note), and her son, the scholar Yulgok (1536–1584) (whose image is on the South Korean 5,000 won note). In 1963, the Ojukheon Museum was designated as National Cultural Heritage No. 165. It includes one of the oldest wooden buildings in Korea. The Hwanhee and Fantapia Museums, established in 2013, opened anew in November 2020 Housed in a new structure of contemporary architecture it is the only cup museum in Asia. The museum's collection contains 2,000 cups from 70 countries. Currently, 1,500 are on display. Several shrines and old residential buildings deliver insight into the lives of these famous Koreans. Next to the Ojukheon Museum there is the Gangneung Municipal Museum which shows folklore and antique pieces from the history of the city. Located in the hills surrounding Gangneung City, there is the revealing Daegwallyeong Museum. It consists of a private collection with more than 1000 artifacts and shows the agricultural history of the region.

Religious architecture

Gangneung Imdeungdong Cathedral Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

is a cathedral-style Roman Catholic sanctuary in Gangwon province. It was constructed in the 1950s. It became Registered cultural heritage No.457.

Transportation

On Gangneung city, the expressway is Donghae Expressway which connects

Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

to Gangneung and Yeongdong Expressway which connects Yangyang County and Donghae City. National highway is National Route 7(part of Asian Highway Route 6) which connects

Goseong County Goseong may refer to: * Goseong County, South Gyeongsang, a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea * Goseong County, Gangwon, a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea * Kosong County Kosŏng County () is a '' kun'', or county, in Kang ...

to Busan. It takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to Seoul by road. The

Yeongdong Line The Yeongdong Line is a line of Korail. It connects Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province with Gangneung in Gangwon Province. From Yeongju, it crosses the Taebaek Mountains and reaches the Sea of Japan (East Sea) at Donghae, thence proceedin ...

passes Yeongju city to Gangneung. before 2006, Saemaeul-ho stopped at Jeongdongjin station and Gangneung station and it took 5.5 hours at Cheongnyangni station, but now only Mugunghwa-ho is stopped, It takes 6 hours to drive. In 2017, Gyeonggang Line was opened and Gangneung station was designated as an essential-stop station. The time between Gangneung station and Cheongnyangni station has been reduced from the existing 6 hours to the minimum of 114 minutes after KTX operation. It was operated by Gangneung Airport for air traffic, but passed the passenger transportation right to Yangyang International Airport in 2002 and closed its service as an airport.

Road

Yeongdong Expressway passed city west to east, Donghae Expressway passed through the city from south to north. National Route 6, 7, 35, 59 passed through city.

Train

KTX-Sancheon is essential stop Jinbu and Gangneung station. On

period, increased frequency of KTX. KTX Gangneung Station

Buses

Local transit operators connect communities in the city divided three regions. This is managed by

Gangneung City Office Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

and the operation is carried out by each transportation company.

Gangneung Intercity Bus Terminal Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

operates the

intercity bus An intercity bus service (North American English) or intercity coach service (British English and Commonwealth English), also called a long-distance, express, over-the-road, commercial, long-haul, or highway bus or coach service, is a public tr ...

and operates six Express Bus line in the Gangneung Express Bus Terminal, the largest terminal in Gangwon Province.

Taxi

A total of 589 units in Gangneung are operating taxi licenses. The basic fare of Gangneung city taxi is 2,800 won for 2 km. After that, 100 won will be charged for 152m from 2 km to 6 km, and 200 won will be charged for 152m after 6 km. but Jumunjin area, Gangdong-meon, Okgye area are designated as exceptional areas to 45% extra charge.

Sea transport

Gangneung Port Passenger Terminal Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

Gangneung Harbor Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

handles the Gangneung-Ulneung passenger ship.

Sports

Football

Gangneung is the home of the K3 League football club

Gangneung City FC Gangneung Citizen FC is a South Korean Association football club based in the city of Gangneung. Currently Gangneung Citizen FC plays in the K3 League. In 2019 they became the final champions of the Korea National League before it was integrated ...

and is one of the two cities where

K League K League (Hangul: K리그) is South Korea's professional football league. It includes first division K League 1 and second division K League 2. History Until the 1970s, South Korean football operated two major football leagues, the National S ...

football team Gangwon FC plays its home matches. Since 1976, Gangneung Jeil High School and Gangneung Junior high school soccer team rivalry Derby, which is held every day in the Dano Festival, have become popular.

Ice Hockey

In 2016, Daemyung Killer Whales, which is affiliated with the Gangneung Hockey Center, is active in the

Asia League Ice Hockey Asia League Ice Hockey ( ja, アジアリーグアイスホッケー; ko, 아시아리그 아이스하키) or ALIH (AL) is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with teams from Japan, South Korea, and ...

2018 Winter Olympics

The city 'Gangneung Coastal Cluster' was the venue for the indoor sports of the

and

Paralympics The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...

Pyeongchang Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seou ...

. All these facilities, except for the

Gangneung Curling Centre Gangneung Gymnasium (강릉실내종합체육관) is a multi-purpose indoor arena, located in the coastal city of Gangneung, South Korea. It was opened in 1998 for Ice hockey at the 1999 Asian Winter Games, ice hockey at the 1999 Asian Winter Games ...

, were built for the Olympics. * Gangneung Olympic Park ** Gangneung Hockey Centre – Ice Hockey (Olympics and Paralympics) **

– Curling (Olympics and Paralympics) **

Gangneung Oval The Gangneung Oval (Korean: 강릉 스피드 스케이팅 경기장) is a speed skating oval in South Korea, which was used for the speed skating competitions at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The building of the oval was started in September 2013. Th ...

– Speed skating ** Gangneung Ice Arena – Short track speed skating and Figure skating * Kwandong Hockey Centre - Ice Hockey (Olympics) The city also hosted an Olympic Village for the athletes and a media village.

Image gallery

File:Korea-Gangneung-House of Heo family-01.jpg, The birth house of Heo Nanseolheon, a famous Korean poet of the 17th century. File:Korea-Gangneung-Ojukheon-01.jpg, The birthplace of

Yul Gok Yi Yi (; December 26, 1536 – February 27, 1584) was a Korean philosopher, writer, and Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi I is often referred to by his pen name Yulgok ("Chestnut valley"). He was also a politicianSeongyojang, a country house built and owned by a prominent yangban family in Gangneung. Built in the 19th century. File:Korea-Gangneung-Seongyojang-02.jpg, A closer view at Seongyojang. File:World Cup Bridge in Gangneung.jpg, World Cup Bridge (Woldeukeopgyo).

Sister cities

Chichibu is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,159 in 26,380 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Chichibu is in the westernmost part of Saitama. Unli ...

, Saitama, Japan, since February 16, 1983 *

Öskemen Oskemen ( kk, Өскемен, translit=Öskemen ), or Ust-Kamenogorsk (russian: Усть-Каменого́рск), is the administrative center of East Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan. Population: Name The city has two official names. In the ...

East Kazakhstan East Kazakhstan Region ( kk, Шығыс Қазақстан облысы, translit=Şyğys Qazaqstan oblysy; russian: Восточно-Казахстанская область, Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast) is a region of Kazakhstan. It occupi ...

, Kazakhstan, since 2011 * Mangshi, Yunnan, China, since November 21, 2012 * Indang, Cavite, Philippines, since 2013 *

Algemesí Algemesí () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' of Ribera Alta (comarca), Ribera Alta in the Valencia (autonomous community), Valencian Community, Spain. The town of Algemesí is on ...

, Spain, since 2015

Notable people

* Edward Young-min Kwon, celebrity chef *

Yeon Woo-jin Yeon or less commonly Youn (연) is a Korean surname. The name may correspond to the Chinese surnames Yan (燕, 延) or Lian (連). The hanja 延 is much more common than 燕 and 連. Yeon may also refer to the extinct surname (淵). Origin � ...

, actor * JR ( NU'EST), idol * Yezi ( Fiestar), idol * Kim Seo-hyung, actress * Jeon Yeo-bin, actress *

Sin Saimdang Shin Saimdang (Hangul: 신사임당, Hanja: 申師任堂; 29 October 1504 – 17 May 1551) was a Korean artist, writer, calligraphist, and poet, who lived during the Joseon period. She was born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Her birth home, ...

, a Korean artist, writer, calligraphist, and poet. *

Kim Bo-sung Heo Seok Kim Bo-sung (born Heo Seok; June 27, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Awards and nominations References External links * * 1966 births Living people South Korean male television actors South Korean male film actors South K ...

, a South Korean actor * Yi I, a Korean philosopher and writer *

Choi Han-bit Choi Han-bit () is a South Korean model, actress and singer. She is a member of the South-Korean girl group Mercury. She is a graduate of the School of Dance at the Korean National University of Arts in Seoul, where she majored in Korean dance, ...

, model, actress, singer and idol

References

External links

City government home page

Gangneung-si: Official Site of Korea Tourism Org

Seongyojang House
{{Authority control Cities in Gangwon Province, South Korea Port cities and towns in South Korea