Namyangju County

Namyangju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri City, and to the north is Pocheon City. Namyangju-si was originally a southern part of Yangju-gun, but was separated into Namyangju-gun in April 1980. In 1995, Migeum-si and Namyangju-gun were merged to form an urban and rural complex. The city hall is located in Geumgok-dong and Dasan-dong, and the administrative districts are 6-eup, 3-myeon, and 7-dong.

History of Namyangju

Namyangju historical character: Jeong Yak-yong, also Jeong Yag-yong or Dasan[] (1762–1836), was a leading Korean philosopher during the Joseon Dynasty. He is widely regarded as the greatest of the Silhak thinkers, who advocated that the formalist Neo-Confucian philosophy of Joseon return to practical concerns. Jeong Yag-yong and his brothers were also among the earliest Korean converts to Roman Catholicism.
Jeong was born, and also ended his days, in modern-day Namyangju, Gyeonggi province

* 1950 October to early 1951 Namyangju Massacre.
* 1980 April 1 Namyangju County was made with Guri-eup, Migeum-eup, Jinjeob-myeon, Jingeon-myeon, Hwado-myeon, Sudong-myeon, Wabu-myeon, and Byeolnae-myeon (2 eup, 6 myeon)
* 1980 December 1 Wabu-myeon became Wabu-eup (3 eup, 5 myeon)
* 1983 February 15 Jingeon-myeon Yangji-ri, Onam-ri, Palheon-ri were absorbed by Jinjeob-myeon
* 1986 January 1 Guri-eup became Guri City (2 eup, 5 myeon)
* 1986 April 1 Wabu-eup Joan branch office became Joan-myeon (2 eup, 6 myeon)
* 1989 January 1 Migeum-eup became Miguem City (1 eup, 6 myeon)
* 1989 April 1 Jinjeob-myeon became Jinjeob-eup (2 eup, 5 myeon)
* 1989 April 1 Toegyewon branch office became Toegyewon-myeon (2 eup, 6 myeon)
* 1991 December 1 Hwado-myeon became Hwado-eup (3 eup, 5 myeon)
* 1992 April 1 In Jinjeob-eup, Onam branch office opened.
* 1995 January 1 Migeum City and Namyangju County were merged. (3 eup, 5 myeon, 6 dong)
* 1995 May 6 Onam branch office became Onam-myeon (3 eup, 6 myeon, 6 dong)
* 2001 September 12 Jingeon-myeon became Jingeon-eup (4 eup, 5 myeon, 6 dong)
* 2001 September 12 Onam-myeon became Onam-eup (5 eup, 4 myeon, 6 dong)
* 2005 June 1 In Byeolnae-myeon, Cheonghak branch office opened.
* 2006 January 20 Pungyang branch office opened; It has jurisdiction over Onam-eup, Jinjeob-eup, Toegyewon-myeon, Byeolnae-myeon
* 2006 November 20 In Hwado-eup, Dongbu branch office opened.
* 2008 October 7 The population reached 500,000 (the 13th city in South Korea to do so).
* 2009 December 14 Cheonghak branch office closed.
* 2011 September Namyangju Organic Museum opened, world's first museum of organic agriculture.Paull, John (2011)
* 2020 Megabox Namyangju gets a Dolby Cinema, one of three in the country.
"A Postcard from Korea: Worldʼs First Organic Agriculture Museum"
Journal of Bio- Dynamics Tasmania, 104:11-14.

Administrative divisions

* 5 Eup
-Hwado

-Jinjeob

-Jingeon

-Onam

-Wabu

-Toegyewon
* 3 Myeon
-Byeolnae

-Joan

-Sudong
* 7 Dong
-Byeolnae

-Dasan 1

-Dasan 2 - Suseok, Donong, Jigeum

-Geumgok

-Hopyeong

-Pyeongnae

-Yangjeong - Ilpae, Ipae, Sampae

Location

Namyangju is a northeastern city which is part of the ring around Seoul. Seoul Ring Expressway passes through.

Jungang Line passes through Namyangju. - Donong station, Yangjeong station, Dukso station, Dosim station, Paldang station, Ungilsan station

A refurbished Gyeongchun Line reopened in late 2010 - Byeollae, Toegyewon, Sareung, Geumgok, Pyeongnae-hopyeong, Maseok stations are in Namyangju.

The Transportation and Construction Committee of the National Assembly has approved that Line 4 will be extended from Danggogae to Jinjeop, Namyangju.

The 2012 Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation drama ''Arang and the Magistrate'', starring Lee Joon-gi, Shin Min-ah and Yeon Woo-jin, were filmed on location in Namyangju.

Climate

Namyangju has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen: ''Dwa'') with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers.

Education

There are 2 campuses of Gyeong Hee graduate school and Gyeong bok college, 15 high schools, 29 middle schools, and 55 elementary schools.

Historic Landmarks

Namyangju is the location of the Hongneung and Yureung Imperial Tombs, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the final resting place for the 20th century emperors Gojong and Sunjong and their families.

The royal tomb of Princess Hwahyeop, a Joseon dynasty princess, was discovered in Sampae-dong in 2015. Excavations in 2016 unearthed stone tablets detailing eulogies to her written by King Yeongjo, Crown Prince Sado, and King Jeongjo.

Namyangju Organic Museum

Namyangju is rapidly developing a reputation as a regional centre of excellence for organic farming. The Namyangju Organic Museum, the world's first museum dedicated to the history and development of organic agriculture, opened in September 2011. It is located west of Seoul and on the shores of the River Han. The museum caters for young and old, it includes a timeline of organic farming developments, and there are exhibits of traditional Korean farming practices tied to the 24 seasonal divisions of the year. The museum's opening coincided with Namyangju hosting the 17th IFOAM Organic World Congress.

Products

Sweet pears grown in Namyangju are exported to the United States, Japan, and Canada. Organic vegetables are cultivated with ecofriendly methods.

Gorosoei is a special product made in the Namyangju area. It is medicinal water which has abundant minerals.

The term "Gorosoei" comes from " Gollisu" meaning "water for bones." The sap is extracted at Sudong-Myeon, Mountain Jugeum in Mount Chungnyeong Natural Recreation Forest, Mount Cheonma in Palhyeon and Onam township.

Twin towns – sister cities

Namyangju is twinned with:

* Changzhou, China
* Dartford, England, United Kingdom
* Gangjin, South Korea
* Jeongeup, South Korea
* Kampong Cham, Cambodia
* Sacheon, South Korea
* Vinh, Vietnam
* Yeongwol, South Korea

Notable people from Namyangju

* BoA – singer, dancer, songwriter, record producer and actress
* Lee Kwang-soo (Hangul: 이광수), South Korean actor, entertainer, model and MC.
* Jeon Hye-bin (Hangul: 전혜빈), South Korean actress, singer, model and K-pop idol, former member of K-pop girl group LUV
* Huh Chan-mi (Hangul: 허찬미), singer, dancer, actress and K-pop idol, former member of K-pop co-ed group Coed School and former member of K-pop girl group F-ve Dolls.
* Yugyeom (Real Name: ''Kim Yu-gyeom'', Hangul: 김유겸), singer, rapper, dancer and K-pop idol, member of K-pop boy group GOT7 and its second sub-unit Jus2.
* Han Groo (Real Name: ''Min Han-groo'', Hangul: 민한그루), South Korean actress and singer.
* Hoshi (Real Name: ''Kwon Soon-young'', Hangul: 권순영), singer, dancer, songwriter, lyricist and K-pop idol, member of K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN and its subunits SVT LEADERS and Seventeen BSS.
* Heeseung (Real Name: ''Lee Hee-Seung'', Hangul:, 이희승), member of the K-pop group Enhypen.
* Sunghoon (Real Name: ''Park Sung Hoon'', Hangul: 박성훈), member of the K-pop group Enhypen.
* Fleta (Real Name: ''Kim Byung Sun'', Hangul: 김병선) Professional Overwatch League player for the Shanghai Dragons and MVP of the 2020 Overwatch League Season, formerly of Seoul Dynasty
* Hoon (Real Name: ''Yeo Hoon-min'', Hangul: 여훈민), singer, dancer, actor and K-pop idol, member of K-pop boygroup U-KISS

See also

* List of cities in South Korea

References

External links

City government website

City Council website

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Cities in Gyeonggi Province
Museums in South Korea
Museums