city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in
Gyeonggi
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
Province, South Korea. It lies close to
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
in the heart of the
Seoul National Capital Area
The Seoul Capital Area (SCA), Sudogwon (, ) or Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-west South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2020) is ranked as the fifth largest met ...
, and also lies just east of
Anyang
Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively.
It had a ...
.
Seoul Subway Line 4
Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 4 (dubbed ''The Blue Line'') of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a long line crossing from the southwest to the northeast across the Seoul National Capital Area. The central section in Seoul City is operated by Se ...
passes through the city.
Various attractions usually associated with Seoul, including
Seoul Grand Park
Seoul Grand Park is a park complex to the south of Seoul, South Korea, in the city of Gwacheon (과천시).
Facilities at Seoul Grand Park include hills and hiking trails, Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Children's Zoo, a rose garden, Seoul Land amusement ...
Seoul Land
Seoul Land is an amusement park opened in 1987, in Gwacheon, a city in Gyeonggi-do province, South Korea. It is located in the Seoul Grand Park complex. It opened just before the 1988 Summer Olympics. It has about 40 rides, including roller coa ...
,
Gwacheon National Science Museum
Gwacheon National Science Museum is a national museum in Gwacheon, South Korea. It opened in 2008.
Hall of Fame Main exhibitions
The hall of fame is a place to praise the achievements of the scientists who contributed in the development of scien ...
, and
Seoul Race Park
LetsRun Park Seoul, also known a Seoul Race Park or Seoul Racecourse Park is a 40,000 capacity Korean thoroughbred racetrack in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is host to many of Korea's most valuable thoroughbred horse races including th ...
are actually located in Gwacheon or its immediate jurisdiction. It is also home to a major administrative center of the
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
n government.
History
Early history
In 475 CE, the land that would one day become Gwacheon was a part of Yulmok-
gun
A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, pr ...
, a county of the
Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
's
Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...
dynasty. Later, in 757,
Unified Silla
Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...
dubbed the area Yuljin-gun, a county of Hansan-ju, and the
Goryeo
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 ...
dynasty renamed it Gwaju in 940. From 990 - 994, Gwaju was known by such nicknames as "Bulim" and "Buan." The year 1018 saw Goryeo christen the area Gwaju-
hyeon
Korea's provinces ('' Do''; hangul: 도; hanja: ) have been the primary administrative division of Korea since the mid Goryeo dynasty in the early 11th century, and were preceded by provincial-level divisions (''Ju'' and ''Mok'') dating back to U ...
, but the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
dynasty changed its name to Gwacheon-hyeon in 1413. Gwacheon-hyeon was a part of Gwangju-mok,
Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
. Much larger than today's Gwacheon- si, Gwacheon-hyeon included such territory as modern-day
Gunpo
Gunpo (군포; ), formerly romanized as Kunp'o, is a small city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province, located south of Seoul in the Seoul National Capital Area. It borders Anyang to the north, Uiwang to the east, and Ansan to the south and west, and ...
.
May 26, 1895 saw Gwacheon-hyeon become Gwacheon-gun, and on March 1, 1914, Gwacheon- and Ansan-gun were annexed to nearby Siheung-gun. The area containing present-day Gwacheon was deemed Gwacheon- myeon, a division of Siheung-gun. Gwacheon-myeon was a large farming village just south of
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, as it had been for centuries, and its population had topped 6,000 by 1960.
In the 1970s, the South Korean government was considering moving its capital south, to a location farther from the border with
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
as Seoul lies within the artillery range from any North Korean attacks. A complete relocation of the capital proved financially impossible, but a compromise was reached in 1975: move key government agencies several kilometers south of Seoul's downtown, beyond the range of nearly all of North Korea's artillery capability. Gwacheon-myeon, south of both Seoul and the protective
Gwanaksan
''Gwanaksan'' (Korean for Mt. Gwanak; 632 m) is a mountain in southern Seoul, South Korea. Portions lie in the Gwanak-gu and Geumcheon-gu districts of Seoul; other portions lie in the neighboring cities of Anyang, Gyeonggi and Gwacheon.
The na ...
mountain range, was chosen as the site of this new administrative city in 1978, and a groundbreaking ceremony in Gwacheon was held in 1979.
Administrative city
Several government ministries were moved from Seoul to Gwacheon throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and residential districts were constructed to house the employees and their families. The nine million square meter
Seoul Grand Park
Seoul Grand Park is a park complex to the south of Seoul, South Korea, in the city of Gwacheon (과천시).
Facilities at Seoul Grand Park include hills and hiking trails, Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Children's Zoo, a rose garden, Seoul Land amusement ...
was opened in Gwacheon in 1984 as the new location of Seoul Zoo. Over the next four years, two amusement parks, a botanical garden, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art were also built on the property. On January 1, 1986, Gwacheon was officially elevated to Gwacheon-si (city), and three years later, Siheung-gun was completely disbanded when five other cities in the
Seoul National Capital Area
The Seoul Capital Area (SCA), Sudogwon (, ) or Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-west South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2020) is ranked as the fifth largest met ...
were created by the national government.
When Seoul won the right to host the
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
, it placed the Korean Racing Association in charge of constructing an Olympic Equestrian Park. 280 acres of land in Gwacheon were thus secured by the KRA, and construction began in 1984. Seoul Equestrian Park hosted several Olympic events in 1988, and after the conclusion of the games, the park was renamed Seoul Racecourse Park and converted into a horse racing facility. Gwacheon accordingly replaced Seoul's Ttukseom area as the city's horse racing hub, and the first race at the new location occurred on September 1, 1989.
Five stations on
Seoul Metropolitan Subway
The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. The system serves most of the Seoul Metropolitan Area including ...
's Line 4 opened in Gwacheon on April 1, 1994. The line runs southwest through the city from Seoul into Anyang and includes
Seonbawi Station
Seonbawi Station is a station on Seoul Subway Line 4 in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous Administrative divisions of South Korea, province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (th ...
Sejong City
Sejong (; ), officially the Sejong Special Self-Governing City (), is a special self-governing city and ''de facto'' administrative capital of South Korea.
Sejong was founded in 2007 as the new planned capital of South Korea from many parts of ...
, a new administrative capital created by the Korean government in the middle of the country, around 150 kilometers south of Seoul. The move had adverse effects on Gwacheon's local economy, with business such as restaurants and cafes losing considerable portions of their customer base. Fifty-four shops shut down at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013, while others could no longer turn a profit and were forced to lay off employees. The national government hoped to counter the city's economic crisis by moving fourteen new government agencies to Gwacheon.
Characteristics
Gwacheon intended to have a large importance on governmental construction. There is No.2 government building. So it keeps the position of
planned city
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
concerning politics in South Korea.
It has been serving as a second center of governmental complex which consists of city hall, welfare management offices, health care department, and many other sub departments of politics.
Seoul Grand Park and
Gwanaksan
''Gwanaksan'' (Korean for Mt. Gwanak; 632 m) is a mountain in southern Seoul, South Korea. Portions lie in the Gwanak-gu and Geumcheon-gu districts of Seoul; other portions lie in the neighboring cities of Anyang, Gyeonggi and Gwacheon.
The na ...
occupy a large portion of the city. The presence of mountains and forests accentuate the status of Gwacheon as a destination for Korean nature lovers. In addition, the Seoul Race Park is also located in the city. Gwacheon has few historically preserved sites as well. Gwacheon Hyanggyo (Korean Confucianism institution built in 1389), YeonJudae (YeonJu Temple which is located at the end of cliff), three stepped pagoda of YeonJuAhm, and Portrait of HyoRyung Janggun (general HyoRyung) are listed as treasure of Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province) and map of Joseon (Old Korean Kingdom) located in History Ministry inside the governmental complex is listed as one of Korean national treasure. In history of Korea, Gwacheon has not only been known for its landscape but also as important center of education and religious practices by Kings.
The first foreign-language high school established in Gyeonggi-do,
Gwacheon Foreign Language High School
Gwacheon Foreign Language High school (Hangeul: 과천외국어고등학교, 과천외고) is an Independent High School located in Gyeong-gi province, Gwacheon-si, South Korea. The school was established on 5 May 1990 and It is the first Foreign L ...
is located in Jongang- dong. Gwacheon has the Science and Technology Center and one of the biggest public libraries of Gyeonggi-do.
Climate
Gwacheon has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Dwa''), but can be considered a borderline
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 Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cwa'') using the isotherm.
Notable people
Gwacheon's notable residents include
Kim Seok-Jin
Kim Seok-jin (; born December 4, 1992), also known professionally as Jin, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and member of the South Korean boy band BTS. Kim has co-written and released three solo tracks with BTS: "Awake" in 2016, "Epiphany ...
, singer and member of
K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
group BTS.
Noted graphic artist
Dennis Hwang
Hwang Jeong-mok ( ko, 황정목; born 1978), known professionally as Dennis Hwang, is an American-born South Korean graphic artist currently working for Niantic, Inc., Niantic, who was the original designer of some of the Google logo#Google Doodle ...
spent much of his childhood in Gwacheon
Lee Hoe-taek (Hui), singer and member of
K-pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...
group
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°.
A pentagon may be simpl ...
was born in Gwacheon as well.
Festival
Gwacheon Festival was one of the leading street arts festivals in Korea starting from 1997. The festival took place in late September, presenting theater, dance, visual art, music in public space and Korean traditional outdoor theater, etc. The name of the festival has been changed recently from "Gwacheon Hanmadang Festival" to "Gwacheon Festival". The festival aimed at the contribution to the development of street arts and introducing various street arts to Korean audience. The festival also contributed to international cultural exchange and encouraged collaboration between Korean and international artists. Every year, the festival had around 20 Korean companies, 10 from overseas, and more than 100,000 audiences. In March 2015 the festival changed from street theater to horse attraction, based on a decision of the festival council and on advice of the new mayor of Gwacheon, a woman elected the previous year. The artistic director of the festival, YIM su-taek, therefore left the festival, trying to find a new challenge. 2018 the Gwacheon Festival was re-activated, his director is now the former director of the Seoul Festival, Mr. KIM Jong-Seok.
Home stay
Gwacheon city operates a home stay program for foreigners. The city sponsors this program and residents of the city host foreigners living in Korea who want to spend a night in a traditional Korean home. The program helps foreigners understand Korean culture and lifestyle.
Government
The headquarters of the
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
is in Building #1 of the Gwacheon Government Complex in Gwacheon. The Korea Correctional Service, an agency of the MOJ, is in this building.Home page
Archive . Korea Correctional Service. Retrieved on December 23, 2015. "Building #1, Government Complex-Gwacheon, 47, Gwanmun-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 427-700 Republic of Korea." Korean address " 27-700경기도 과천시 관문로 47 정부과천청사 5동 법무부 교정본부"
The headquarters of the
Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP, ) was a ministry of the Government of South Korea. Its purpose is to set, manage, and evaluate science and technology policy, support scientific research and development, develop human resour ...
are in Building #4 of the Gwacheon Government Complex.
Several government ministries and agencies formerly residing in Gwacheon are now located in
Sejong City
Sejong (; ), officially the Sejong Special Self-Governing City (), is a special self-governing city and ''de facto'' administrative capital of South Korea.
Sejong was founded in 2007 as the new planned capital of South Korea from many parts of ...
. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM, now the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport or MOLIT) was previously headquartered in the fourth building of the Gwacheon Government Complex, in Gwacheon.
Ministry of Environment
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...
had its headquarters in Gwacheon. The
Ministry of Strategy and Finance
The Ministry of Economy and Finance (abbreviated to MOEF) oversees the financial policies of the South Korean government. It publishes a monthly report on the national economy, known as the "Green Book." The current minister is Choo Kyung-ho. The ...
previously had its headquarters in Government Complex II. The
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) is a ministry under the Government of South Korea. It is concerned with regulating some economic policy, especially with regard to the industrial and energy sectors. The ministry also works to e ...
(MOTIE), previously known as the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE), was previously located in the government complex in Gwacheon. The
Ministry of Employment and Labor
South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL, 고용노동부) is a cabinet-level ministry overseeing labor affairs. Its predecessor agency, the Division of Labor, was established under the direction of the Minister of Social Affairs ( ...
(MOEL), previously the Ministry of Labor, was located in Buildings 1 and 3 of the Government Complex II.
Utility facilities
* Gwacheon City Facilities Management Corporation
* Gwacheon Public Library of Information & Science
* The Gyeonggi Gwacheon Library of Education
* Munwon Library
* Gwacheon City Youth Center
* Gwanmun Sports Park
* Munwon Sports Park
Symbol
* Tree: chestnut
* Flower: royal azalea
* Bird: dove
* Animal: horse
Transportation
Railroad
*
Korail
The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korean: 한국철도공사, Hanja: ), branded as KORAIL (코레일, officially changed to in November 2019), is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed ...
;*
Seoul Subway Line 4
Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 4 (dubbed ''The Blue Line'') of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a long line crossing from the southwest to the northeast across the Seoul National Capital Area. The central section in Seoul City is operated by Se ...
;;;(
Seocho-gu
Seocho District () is one of the 25 '' gu'' (local government districts) which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Seocho is generally referred to as a part of Greater Gangnam Area, along with Gangnam District. As of 2022, Seocho District ra ...
,
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
Seoul Grand Park
Seoul Grand Park is a park complex to the south of Seoul, South Korea, in the city of Gwacheon (과천시).
Facilities at Seoul Grand Park include hills and hiking trails, Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Children's Zoo, a rose garden, Seoul Land amusement ...
—
Gwacheon
Gwacheon () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies close to Seoul in the heart of the Seoul National Capital Area, and also lies just east of Anyang, Gyeonggi, Anyang. Seoul Subway Line 4 passe ...
—
Government Complex Gwacheon
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
→ (
Anyang
Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively.
It had a ...
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
, United States
*
Nanning
Nanning (; ; za, Namzningz) is the capital and largest city by population of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of ...
, China
*
Shirahama Shirahama (written: 白濱 or 白浜) may refer to:
Places
*Shirahama, Chiba, a town in Chiba Prefecture, Japan
*Shirahama, Wakayama
is a town in Nishimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 20,704 ...
, Japan
*
Airdrie, Alberta
Airdrie ( ) is a city in Alberta, Canada within the Calgary Region. It is located north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor at the intersection of Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Highway 2) and Highway 567.
The City of Airdrie i ...
, Canada
See also
*
Geography of South Korea
South Korea is located in East Asia, on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula located out from the far east of the Asian landmass. The only country with a land border to South Korea is North Korea, lying to the north with of the border ...