Paju () is a

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 ...

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 ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun''). The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. and it is located just south of

Panmunjeom Panmunjom, also known as Panmunjeom, now located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea or Kaesong, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea, was a village just north of the ''de facto'' border between North Korea, North and South Korea, where the ...

on the 38th parallel. In 2015, the population of Paju was over 427,000. To defend the South Korean capital,

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 ...

, many U.S. and South Korean Army bases are set up in the area. In 2002, the northernmost South Korean railway station, Dorasan, was opened.

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 ...

n territory and

Kaesong Kaesong (, ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region close t ...

City can be seen from Mount Dora in the city.

City symbols

Cosmos

Cosmos is Paju City's representative of flowers growing wild in Spring. It has very strong vitality, and symbolize unity and harmonious life as a citizen of Paju City. The flowers have different colors, including pale pink and red.

Gingko

Ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and is now the only living genus within ...

s are usually planted as street trees. People can obtain high-quality wood from them. Also, their leaves and fruits are used as a valuable medicine.

Pigeon

Pigeons are meek and gentle with soft feathers which follow humans well. They symbolize the peace and security of mankind, and they mean to desire the unification of the Korean Peninsula and the well-being of citizens.

Badge of Paju City

The badge brings the look of Paju implicitly. Semiconductors, which symbolize high-tech industry, high-quality culture and books, and life based on the shape of the rice industry have represented the badge with the symbol Paju logo.

Geography

Paju has east and west low type of geographic trait. Many mountains are located in eastern Paju, assemble to create the border with Yangzhou. In northern Paju, mountains form the border with Goyang. Moreover, in central Paju some lower mountains spread toward south. For the major rivers in Paju, there are Imjin River and Han River. Imjin River flows between northern west and west, and Han River flows in western south of Paju.

Climate

Paju has a monsoon-influenced

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'') with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. The average annual temperature of Paju is 11 ℃, the average January temperature is -4.6 ℃ and the average temperature is 25 ℃ in August. Lastly, annual precipitation of Paju is around 1,300 mm.

Tourist attractions

Heyri Art Valley

Heyri Art Valley Heyri Art Valley ( ko, 헤이리 마을) is an artistic community in the unification hill district of Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was constructed by artists, writers, painters and other creatives. Heyri Art Valley is K ...

is the largest art village in South Korea and its Korean culture and many genres of art attract visitors. The area includes residences, workrooms and galleries for artists, museums and performance spaces designed by artists. It was planned from 1998 and its name Heyri is derived from a traditional farming song of Paju. Architects tried to combine the view of nature with the valley when they make plan. The valley hosts art performances appealing to audiences of all ages. The attractive theme brings people to visit every weekend, and more people visit the valley in spring and autumn because it holds art festival during the seasons.

Specialties

Jangdan bean

Jangdan beans are one of Paju’s famous traditional specialties. From a long time ago, crops have been important for Korean people’s livelihood because their land and environment were suited for agriculture. Therefore, two major crops, rice and bean, have been developed over time. Jangdan bean is one of these crops which have been harvested in Paju. The name Jangdan is derived from the name of a village in Paju, which existed before the Korean War. Even though the village is now gone, people still call the bean the Jangdan bean because the former village was so well known for these beans. Today, Jangdan beans are only commonly seen In Panmunjom which is located at the border between South Korea and North Korea.

Education

The city has 3 polytechnic universities including

Doowon Technical University College Doowon Technical College is a private college in Anseong, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with N ...

Paju English Village

Paju English Village is a huge area which was constructed to teach children English and let them experience western culture. Hundreds of foreign teachers are hired in the village. The educational village pushes ahead various curriculum to provide several educational programs called "English Camp". To attend the programs, children's parents have to pay and send children to the village for several days. The length of the program is depending on the type of program. People also visit the village because of its visual and new cultural atmosphere.

Sports

Paju Challengers Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun''). The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...

, an independent baseball team, has been based in the city.

Administrative divisions

Paju is divided as follows: * Beobwon-eup (법원읍) * Paju-eup (파주읍) * Munsan-eup (문산읍) * Jori-eup (조리읍) * Wollong-myeon (월롱면) * Papyeong-myeon (파평면) * Jeokseong-myeon (적성면) * Gwangtan-myeon (광탄면) * Tanhyeon-myeon (탄현면) * Gunnae-myeon (군내면) * Jangdan-myeon (장단면) * Jinseo-myeon (진서면) * Jindong-myeon (진동면) * Gyoha-dong (교하동) * Geumchon1(il)-dong (금촌1동) ** Geumchon-dong (금촌동) ** Adong-dong (아동동) ** Yadong-dong (야동동) ** Geomsan-dong (검산동) ** Maekgeum-dong (맥금동) * Geumchon-2(ii)-dong (금촌2동) ** Geumchon-dong (금촌동) ** Geumneung-dong (금능동) * Unjeong 1(il)-dong (운정1동) ** Gyoha-dong (교하동) ** Dangha-dong (당하동) ** Wadong-dong (와동동) * Unjeong 2(i)-dong (운정2동) ** Mokdong-dong (목동동) * Unjeong 3(Sam)-dong (운정3동) ** Dongpae-dong (동패동) ** Yadang-dong (야당동)

Military bases

Camp Bonifas Camp Bonifas is a United Nations Command military post located south of the southern boundary of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It is south of the Military Demarcation Line, which forms the border between South Korea (the Republic of K ...

and Camp Liberty-Bell (home to US/ROKA Joint Security Area) * Camp Dodge – closed * Camp Edwards – closed * Camp Garry Owen – closed * Camp Giant – closed * Camp Greaves – closed * Camp Howze – closed * Camp Irwin – closed * Camp Pelham – closed * Camp Semper Fidelis (home of 1st Provisional DMZ Police Co., 1st Marine Div. 1953–1956) * Camp Stanton – closed * Multi-Purpose Live Fire Complex (MLFC), also called Rodriguez Range or Rodriguez Live Fire Complex

Military cemetery

The

Cemetery for North Korean and Chinese Soldiers Cemetery for North Korean and Chinese Soldiers (; also known as the ''Enemy Cemetery'') located in Jajang-Ro, Papyeong-myeon (파평면), Paju, South Korea, is a burial ground for North Korean casualties of the Korean War and North Korean agents ...

was established in 1996 to hold the remains of

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the ''Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General Sec ...

and Chinese

People's Volunteer Army The People's Volunteer Army (PVA) was the armed expeditionary forces deployed by the People's Republic of China during the Korean War. Although all units in the PVA were actually transferred from the People's Liberation Army under the order ...

soldiers killed during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. In March 2014 the Chinese remains were repatriated for reburial in

Shenyang Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...

, China.

Attractions

Gloucester Valley Battle Monument The Gloucester Hill Battle Monument ( ko, 파주 영국군 설마리전투비, literally "British Army's Seolmari Battle Monument in Paju") or Gloucester Memorial is a memorial in South Korea that commemorates the actions of the Gloucestershire R ...

("Gloster Hill") – war memorial *

– with 350 artists in fine arts, music, theater, photography, sculpture, crafts and literature. It aims to promote cultural interchange, education, and exhibit and sell hand-crafted works of art. *

Jayuro The Jayu Motorway (also called Jayu-ro, ko, 자유로, lit. Freedom Road) is a major north–south arterial highway in South Korea. Its southern terminus is in Seoul, while its northern terminus is at National Route 1's Reunification Bridge l ...

Road of Freedom *

Panmunjom Panmunjom, also known as Panmunjeom, now located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea or Kaesong, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea, was a village just north of the ''de facto'' border between North and South Korea, where the 1953 Korean A ...

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone (Korean: ; Hanbando Bimujang Jidae) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in ha ...

Paju Book City Paju Book City (파주출판도시), located in Gyoha-eup (Paju, Gyeonggi-do), is a cultural complex entirely devoted to the creation, publication, merchandising and sales of Korean books. The "city" belongs to Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports ...

* Tongilro Road of Unification or National Road No. 1 *

Yong Ju Gol Yong Ju Gol (also spelled Yongjugol, Yongju-gol, and Yongju-Gol) is a red-light district in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Yong Ju Gol began as a village that came into being during the Korean War to service members of the United States Army ...

– a

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...

Notable people

Sim Sang-jung Sim Sang-jung (born 20 February 1959) is a South Korean politician and labor rights activist. She was one of the five major presidential candidates in the 2017 South Korean presidential election, running as the Justice Party's nominee. She agai ...

, former leader of the

Justice Party (South Korea) The Justice Party (JP; ) is a centre-left to left-wing political party in South Korea. It has been placed as liberal, progressive, and social democratic. It was founded on 21 October 2012 when it split from moderates of the Unified Prog ...

, member of the

National Assembly (South Korea) The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, often shortened to the National Assembly in domestic English-language media, is the unicameral national legislature of South Korea. Elections to the National Assembly are held every four years. T ...

representing

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 ...

Goyang Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a populatio ...

A, and

2017 South Korean presidential election Early presidential elections were held in South Korea on 9 May 2017 following the impeachment and removal of Park Geun-hye. The elections were conducted in a single round, on a first-past-the-post basis, and had originally been scheduled for 2 ...

. *

Kim Young-moo Kim Young-moo (김영무, 1944 – 26 November 2001) was a South Korean poet, literary critic and translator born in Paju Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun' ...

, poet and scholar * Ahn Jung-Hwan, professional footballer and show host *

Cho Jae-jin Cho Jae-jin (born 9 July 1981) is a former South Korean football player. Playing career Cho emerged as a national star when he played for South Korean under-23 team in the 2004 Summer Olympics. He scored two goals in a 3–3 draw with Mali ...

, professional footballer *

Yoon Do-hyun Yoon Do-hyun (born February 3, 1972) is a South Korean hard rock/folk rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the founder and lead vocalist of the Yoon Do-hyun Band (YB) since 1996. Yoon is also an MC on TV variety programs (notably ''Yoo ...

, musician, lead singer of YB *

Kang Jiyoung Kang Ji-young (born January 18, 1994), also known as Jiyoung or JY, is a South Korean singer and actress based in Japan. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Kara. Life and career Kang Ji-young was born on January 18, 1994, in Paj ...

, pop singer and actress, former member of South Korean girl group

Kara Kara or KARA may refer to: Geography Localities * Kara, Chad, a sub-prefecture * Kára, Hungary, a village * Kara, Uttar Pradesh, India, a township * Kara, Iran, a village in Lorestan Province * Kara, Republic of Dagestan, a rural locality in Da ...

Hwang Kwanghee Hwang Kwang-hee (Hangul: 황광희; Hanja: 黃光熙; born August 25, 1988), also known mononymously as Kwanghee, is South Korean singer, actor, and TV personality. He debuted in 2010 as a member of the boy band ZE:A. He is also known for his a ...

, member of South Korean boy group ZE:A * Lee Mi-Swel, contestant on

K-pop Star ''Survival Audition K-pop Star'' ( ko, 서바이벌 오디션 K팝 스타) is a South Korean reality TV competition series where three entertainment/talent agencies in South Korea hold worldwide auditions to find the next potential K-Pop stars. ...

, a South Korean talent show competition. *

Choi Ji-woo Choi Ji-woo (born Choi Mi-hyang on June 11, 1975) is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful women, she has received critical acclaim for her work in a wide range of melodramas, most notably '' Beautiful Days'' (2 ...

, South Korean actress * Kim Eun-jung, children's writer *

Park Shin-hye Park Shin-hye (, born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress and singer. She gained recognition as a child on TV shows such as ''Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), and ''Tree of Heaven'' (2006). Later on, she would achieve further success when ...

, South Korean actress *

Park Myung-keun Park Myung-keun (; September 7, 1928 – December 9, 2004) was a former South Korean Army captain, prosecutor, and a member of the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 14th South Korean National Assembly. He represented the Democratic Republican Party for his f ...

, South Korean politician and four-time elected member of the

. *

Kim Da-mi Kim Da-mi (; born April 9, 1995) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for playing the titular role in action-mystery film ''The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion'' (2018). She is also known for her roles in the television series ''Itaewon C ...

, South Korean Actress *

Paull Shin Paull Hobom Shin (Shin Hobom, Korean: 신호범; September 27, 1935 – April 12, 2021) was an American politician and educator who served as a member of the Washington State Senate, the first Korean American ever elected to the Washington State ...

, American educator and politician *Danielle Marsh, member of South Korean girl group

NewJeans NewJeans () is a South Korean girl group formed by ADOR, a subsidiary of Hybe Corporation. The group is composed of five members: Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein. The group pre-released their debut single "Attention" on July 22, 2022, ...

In popular culture

* It is the location of the 2009 film ''

Paju Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun''). The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...

'', starring by

Lee Sun-kyun Lee Sun-kyun (born March 2, 1975) is a South Korean actor. After beginning his career in musical theatre, for many years Lee was relegated to minor and supporting roles onscreen, only getting to play lead characters in one-act dramas on KBS ''D ...

and

Seo Woo Seo Woo (born Kim Moon-joo; July 7, 1985) is a South Korean actress. She made her breakthrough with the film '' Crush and Blush'' (2008). She is best known for her roles in the films ''Paju'' and '' The Housemaid'', as well as her roles in the TV ...

. * Parts of ''

Burning Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combusti ...

'', South Korea's 2018 submission for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

, are set in Paju. * The

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

survival show ''

Produce 101 ''Produce 101'' is a reality television talent competition franchise created by South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M, based around the formation of a K-pop girl group or boy group. The format is noted for having no panel of judges, empl ...

'' were filmed at the English Village. *The Mnet survival show ''

I-Land ''I-Land'' (; stylised in all caps) is a South Korean boy group survival reality show organised by Belift Lab, a joint venture between entertainment companies CJ E&M and Hybe Corporation. Twenty-three male trainees participated in the show, o ...

'' were filmed at the CJ E&M Contents World. *The ''

2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards The 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony, organized by CJ E&M through its music channel Mnet, took place live on December 6 at the CJ ENM Contents World in Paju, South Korea with the theme, "New-Topia". The ceremony was held with no on-site audie ...

'' were filmed at the CJ E&M Contents World.

Sister cities

Paju is twinned with the following places: *

Coquitlam Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the List of cities in British Columbia, sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipa ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada * Cuenca,

Castilla–La Mancha Castilla–La Mancha (, , ), or Castile La Mancha, is an autonomous community of Spain. Comprising the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo, it was created in 1982. The government headquarters are in Toledo, and ...

, Spain *

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( , nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar') is a city in the Toowoomba Region of the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. It is west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 C ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia *

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

, Turkey *

Hadano is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 163,787 and a population density of 1600 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Hadano is located in the foothills of the ...

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

, Japan *

Jinzhou Jinzhou (, ), formerly Chinchow, is a coastal prefecture-level city in central-west Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the Liaoxi Corridor, which connects most of the land transports between North Chin ...

Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...

, China *

Mudanjiang Mudanjiang (; Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later ...

Heilongjiang Heilongjiang () formerly romanized as Heilungkiang, is a province in northeast China. The standard one-character abbreviation for the province is (). It was formerly romanized as "Heilungkiang". It is the northernmost and easternmost province ...