Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of

Gyeonggi-do 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 ...

's most populous province which surrounds

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 ...

, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a population close to 1.3 million, it is larger than

Ulsan Ulsan (), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring ...

, although it is not governed as a metropolitan city. Suwon has existed in various forms throughout Korea's history, growing from a small settlement to become a major industrial and cultural center. It is the only remaining completely

walled city A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

. The city walls are one of the more popular tourist destinations 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.

Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of ...

R&D center and headquarters are in Suwon. The city is served by three motorways, the national railway network, and the

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 ...

. Suwon is a major educational center, home to eleven universities. Suwon is home to several football, baseball, basketball and volleyball teams, including four-time

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 ...

champions and two-time

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...

winner

football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...

Suwon Samsung Bluewings ''(The Blue, White and Reds)''Tricolor'' , short name = SSB , image = , caption = , founded = , ground = Suwon World Cup Stadium , capacity = 44,031 , owner = Cheil Worldwide(Samsung's subsidiary) , chairma ...

and

2021 Korean Series The 2021 Korean Series is the championship series of the 2021 KBO League season. All games in the best-of-seven series were held at the Gocheok Sky Dome due to the cold weather. The KT Wiz won the series over the Doosan Bears, 4–0. Park Kyung-s ...

champions KT Wiz of the

Korea Baseball Organization The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and KBO ...

History

In ancient tribal times, Suwon was known as Mosu-guk () of

Mahan confederacy Mahan () was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BC to 5th century AD in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Gina Lee Barnes, 《State Formation in Korea: Historical and A ...

. During the Proto–Three Kingdoms period era, however, the area comprising modern Suwon and

Hwaseong City Hwaseong () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It has the largest area of farmland of any city or county in Gyeonggi Province. Seoul Subway Line 1 passes through Hwaseong, stopping at Byeongjeom Station. Suin Bundang Line also passes t ...

was called ''Maehol-gun'' (). In 757, under

King Gyeongdeok Gyeongdeok of Silla (景德王; 742–765) was the 35th ruler of Silla and son of Seongdeok of Silla, King Seongdeok (reigned 702–737). He succeeded his elder brother, King Hyoseong, the 34th ruler of Silla. His reign is considered a golden age ...

of the Unified Silla, the name was changed to ''Suseong-gun'' (). In 940 during 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 ...

changed again in to ''Suju'' ().

King Taejong Taejong of Joseon (13 June 1367 – 8 June 1422), personal name Yi Bang-won ( Korean: 이방원; Hanja: 李芳遠), was the third ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great. Before ascending to the throne, he ...

of the

Joseon dynasty 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 ...

renamed the city to Suwon in 1413. In 1592, during the

Imjin wars The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The river i ...

, Commander Yi Kwang attempted to launch his army toward the capital city,

(at the time called ''Hanseong'').Turnbull, Stephen. 2002, pp. 116-123. The army was withdrawn, however, after news that the city had already been sacked reached the commander. As the army grew in size to 50,000 men with the accumulation of several volunteer forces, Yi Kwang and the irregular commanders reconsidered their aim to reclaim the capital, and led the combined forces north to Suwon.

Construction of Hwaseong

Later, during the Joseon Dynasty,

King Jeongjo Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (Korean: 이산; Hanja: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (Korean: 정조대왕; Hanja: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. ...

made a successful attempt to make Suwon the nation's capital in 1796. Part of this project was the construction of Hwaseong Fortress, a fortified wall running around the entire city partially intended to guard the tomb of his father,

Prince Sado Crown Prince Sado (Hangul: 사도세자, Hanja: 思悼世子; 13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762), personal name Yi Seon (Hangul: 이선, Hanja: 李愃), was the second son of King Yeongjo of Joseon. His biological mother was Royal Noble ...

, which he had located there. The walls were one of Korea's first examples of paid labour, (

corvée labour Corvée () is a form of unpaid, unfree labour, forced labour, that is intermittent in nature lasting for limited periods of time: typically for only a certain number of days' work each year. Statute labour is a corvée imposed by a state (poli ...

being common previously). The walls still exist today, though they (together with the fortress) were damaged severely 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 ...

. Hwaseong originally was constructed under the guidance of philosopher

Jeong Yag-yong Jeong Yak-yong (August 5, 1762 – April 7, 1836) or Chong Yagyong, often simply known as ‘Dasan’ (茶山, one of his ‘ho’ / pen-names meaning ‘the mountain of tea’), was a Korean agronomist, philosopher, and poet. He was one of the ...

. Shortly after the death of King Jeongjo (1800), a white paper detailing the construction of the fortress was published. This proved invaluable during its reconstruction in the 1970s. The fortress walls once encircled the entire city, but modern urban growth has seen the city spread out far beyond the fortress. The walls are now a designated

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage site, and often are used in materials promoting the city.

Korean War

Wrecked North Korean tank on bridge south of Suwon HD-SN-99-03158

The

greatly affected Suwon, as the city changed hands four times. Very shortly after the outbreak of war, the

49th Fighter Wing "Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states. Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankings ...

of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

was dispatched to

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 ...

from Japan. Its first task was to evacuate civilians from Suwon and

Gimpo Gimpo () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities of Paju and Goyang. North Korea is across the Han River. The cu ...

, but Suwon soon fell to the advancing

North Koreans The demographics of North Korea are determined through national censuses and international estimates. The Central Bureau of Statistics of North Korea conducted the most recent census in 2008, where the population reached 24 million inhabitants ...

. Shortly before the Battle of Osan, the first conflict between

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and North Korean forces, on July 4, 1950, defenses were erected on the road between Suwon and nearby Osan (then still under

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

command). The next day, Northern troops advanced south. In the 3½-hour battle which followed, 150 American and 42 North Korean soldiers were killed and the United States troops were forced to retreat. The North Korean advance southwards to take Osan was delayed by an estimated seven hours.Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft, eds. ''America's First Battles, 1776–1965'' (1986)Roy E. Appleman, ''South to the Naktong, North to the Yalu'' (1960) Office of the Chief of Military History, US Army On December 16, 1950, the Greek Expeditionary Force relocated to Suwon, attached to the US 1st Cavalry Division. From November 6, 1951, the

's top fighter pilot Gabby Gabreski was in charge of K-13 Air Base in Suwon. By the end of the war, Suwon was in

. A memorial to the French military stands in

Jangan-gu Jangan-gu, established on July 1, 1988, is the northern district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is approximately 15 km. from central Seoul. Geography Jangan-gu lies in the north of Suwon. It is bordered by Uiwang to the ...

, near the Yeongdong Expressway's North Suwon exit.

Recent history

*Suwon became the capital of

on June 23, 1967. *On July 1, 1988,

and

Gwonseon-gu Gwonseon-gu is the south-western district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Administrative divisions Gwonseon-gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * Geumgok-dong (Hangul: 금곡동) * Homaesil-dong (Hangul: 호매실동) * ...

was installed. *On February 1, 1993, part of

and

was separated and these parts became a new district,

Paldal-gu Paldal-gu is the central district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Administrative divisions Paldal-gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * Godeung-dong (고등동) * Hwaseo-dong (화서동), divided in turn into Hwaseo 1 a ...

. *On November 24, 2003,

Yeongtong-gu Yeongtong-gu, established in 2003, is the eastern district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is split from Paldal-gu and Suwon's newest "gu". Administrative divisions Yeongtong Gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * M ...

was installed newly to separate part of

Geography

Suwon lies in the north of the

plain, just south of

's capital,

. It is bordered by

Uiwang Uiwang () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is one of many satellite cities that ring Seoul, making up the Seoul Capital Area. Its largest immediate urban neighbor is Anyang. The low peaks of the Gwangju Mountains (including Moraks ...

to the north-west,

Yongin Yongin () is a city in the Seoul Capital Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city has developed rapidly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in the count ...

to the east, the city of Hwaseong to the south-west, and also shares a short border with

Ansan Ansan (Hangeul: , ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies southwest of Seoul and is part of the Seoul National Capital Area. It is connected to Seoul by rail via Seoul Subway Line 4. It is situated on the Yellow Sea coast and so ...

to the west. There are a few hills around Suwon. The highest of these is

Gwanggyosan Gwanggyosan (582 m) is a mountain in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies on the border of Suwon and Yongin, though the wider range extends north and so also borders Uiwang, Gwacheon, Seoul, and Seongnam. The summit offers views across Su ...

to the north, on the border with

, though those to the east are more numerous.

is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. Most of the streams passing through Suwon originate on

or other nearby peaks. Since Suwon is bounded to the east by other hills, the streams, chiefly the

Suwoncheon The Suwoncheon in South Korea is a tributary of the Hwanggujicheon, which in turn empties into the Yellow Sea at Asan Bay. Its source is on the slopes of Gwanggyosan on the border between Yongin and Suwon, from where it forms the Gwanggyo Reserv ...

(and one notable tributary being the

Jungbocheon The Jungbocheon in South Korea is a tributary of the Hwanggujicheon, which in turn empties into the Yellow Sea at Asan Bay. Its source is Eupjang Reservoir, also known as Pajang Reservoir, near the North Suwon exit of the Yeongdong Expressway and ...

), flow southwards through the city, eventually emptying into the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...

Asan Bay Asan Bay is a South Korean bay in the Yellow Sea. Named after the city of Asan immediately to its south, it lies at the mouth of several rivers and separates the provinces of Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongnam-do South Chungcheong Province ( ko, ...

. The entirety of Suwon is drained in this manner. As is true of all the

n mainland, there are no natural lakes in Suwon. There are, however, many small reservoirs, namely Seoho () near Hwaseo Station, Ilwon Reservoir () near Sungkyunkwan University, Bambat Reservoir () near

Sungkyunkwan University Station Sungkyunkwan University Station (Station P153) is a ground-level metro station on line 1 of the Seoul Subway in Yuljeon Dong, Jangan Gu, Suwon, South Korea. The station's sole exit offers access to Sungkyunkwan University and Dongnam Health C ...

, Ilwang Reservoir () in Manseok Park, Pajang Reservoir () near the North Suwon exit of the Yeongdong Expressway, Gwanggyo Reservoir () at the foot of

, Woncheon and Sindae Reservoirs ( & ) near

Ajou University Ajou University () is a private research university located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was founded in 1973 by an agreement between the governments of France and the Republic of Korea. Ajou University started as Ajou Engineeri ...

(), Geumgok Reservoir (), a small reservoir at the foot of Chilbosan, and the larger Wangsong Reservoir (), located mainly in the city of

, but its

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

located in Suwon. At the closest point, being the Chilbosan ridge (239m) to the west on the border with

, Suwon lies from the

coast.

Climate

Suwon 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: ''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: ''Cwa'') using the isotherm.

Administrative divisions

The city is divided into 4 '' gu'' (districts): The newest of these is

, which was separated from

on November 24, 2003. These districts are in turn divided into 42 '' dong''.

Gwanggyo Gwanggyo refers to a planned city surrounding Yeongtong-gu of Suwon and Suji-gu (or Giheung-gu) of Yongin Yongin () is a city in the Seoul Capital Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city h ...

Town (Hanja: 光敎, Mean:teaching light) was created in surrounding Yeongtong-gu of Suwon and Suji-gu of

(2011).

Demographics

50.2% of the population of Suwon is composed of male residents. Indeed, it is only in

that the number of female residents is greater than that of males. 1.85% of the population is of foreign nationality, the highest concentration (2.3%) being in

. Further information regarding the residents of each district is shown below. Overall, the population of Suwon is increasing, but the domestic population is falling. For example, the Korean population of Suwon fell by 585 from December 2007 to January 2008. However, both genders of the foreign population increased in number in each gu in the same time period. It appears to be a pattern that the foreign population is increasing, as Suwon also saw a 13% increase in the number of registered foreigners residing in the city in the first half of 2007. The only '' gu'' currently showing an increase in population is

(though the same was until recently true of

), while all others have falling number of residents, especially

and

Education

Colleges and universities

There are 11

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in Suwon and 2 colleges, and these include Sungkyunkwan University's Natural Sciences Campus, Kyonggi University,

Kyunghee University Kyung Hee University (abbreviated to KHU) (Hangul: 경희대학교; Hanja: 慶熙大學校) is a private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. Founded in 1949, it is widely regarded as one of the best universities i ...

Dongnam Health College Dongnam Health University, previously Dongnam Health College, is a South Korean technical college specializing in the health sciences. Its campus is on the north bank of the Seohocheon in Suwon, Gyeonggi province. The current president is Lee Yo ...

, Gukje Digital University, Hapdong Theological Seminary, and Suwon Women's College. Contrary to its name,

University of Suwon The University of Suwon (Hangul: 수원대학교) is a university in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Foundation The university was founded by the Kowoon Foundation in 1977 and authorized in 1981 with nine departments. The sister ...

is not actually in Suwon, but in the neighbouring city of Hwaseong due to changes in municipal boundaries over the years. The agricultural campus of

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

was located in Suwon until 2005, but is now in Gwanak-gu,

near the rest of its main campus. There are also 2 junior colleges in Suwon.

Primary and secondary schools

There are 33 high schools, 37 middle schools, 81 primary schools and 107 kindergartens in Suwon. Suwon has three schools devoted to

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

, namely the Jahye Institute, the School of Suwon Seokwang and Dream Tree Special School, and also has wings of mainstream schools for students requiring

, being the Special Education School of Suwonbuk Middle School, the Special Education School of Suwon Girls' Middle School. International schools: *

Gyeonggi Suwon International School The Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS) is an international school located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. GSIS is one of two schools in South Korea accredited by the IBO to offer all three programs: the PYP, MYP The Internat ...

Suwon Chinese International School
()

Industry

The main industrial employer in Suwon is

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

. Samsung was originally founded in

, but at the beginning of the

, Samsung facilities were so damaged that the founder, Lee Byung-chul was forced to relocate his business to Suwon in 1951.

was founded in Suwon in 1969 and it now has its headquarters and a large R&D complex in central Suwon; it is the city's largest employer. The company's long-standing relationship with the city is also seen in its sponsorship of various Suwon-based sports teams, including the football club

and two of the oldest basketball teams in domestic basketball

Seoul Samsung Thunders Seoul Samsung Thunders ( ko, 서울 삼성 썬더스) is a professional basketball team, competing in the Korean Basketball League. Ever since the club was founded in 1978, they have been associated with Samsung Electronics. Initially based in Su ...

and

Samsung Life Blueminx Yongin Samsung Life Blueminx ( ko, 용인 삼성생명 블루밍스) is a South Korean women's basketball club, based in Yongin. They have been a member of the WKBL (Women's Korean Basketball League) since its inception. Originally based in Suwon ...

, both of which have since moved out of Suwon. Other companies with offices here include SK,

Samsung LED The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ' ...

, Samsung SDI, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and others.

Culture

Hwaseong Fortress is Suwon's most notable attraction. Built in 1796, the entire city used to be encircled by the walls, but now Suwon has expanded beyond this boundary. Hwaseong is also listed as a

World Heritage Site. Haenggung Palace, within Hwaseong, is another noteworthy historical attraction. On completion of the Bundang Line extension, Suwon will also be only a few stops from

Singal Singal is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * George Z. Singal (born 1945), American jurist * Jesse Singal, American journalist * Henna Singal (born 1984), Indian singer See also * Singal-dong Singal (Hangeul: 신갈) is an ar ...

, the location of the Korean Folk Village, and the

Everland Everland () is South Korea's largest theme park. Located at the Everland Resort in Yongin, a city in Gyeonggi-do, it receives 5.85 million visitors annually and was ranked nineteenth in the world for amusement park attendance in 2018. As of 2 ...

theme park is nearby in

Recreation

The path around the walls of Hwaseong Fortress is used by locals and tourists for sightseeing and walking. Manseok Park in northern Suwon has a 1200m track around a lake. Other facilities at Manseok Park include tennis (indoor & outdoor), soccer (dirt and artificial turf) and the Suwon X-Games skatepark. Various other parks are dotted around Suwon and several ski resorts and hiking trails are within easy reach of the city.

Travel and tourism

Including Suwon Hwaseong, Suwon city offers various tracking, tour and festivals for tourists. Suwon Hwaseong Festival is a festival held every October at Hwaseong Fortress.

Sports

Suwon has several sports facilities, including an

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

field,

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...

courts,

ten-pin bowling Ten-pin bowling is a type of bowling in which a bowler rolls a bowling ball down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The objective is to knock down all ten pins on the first roll ...

lanes, indoor swimming pools,

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

courts, soft tennis courts and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

pitches.

Suwon Gymnasium Suwon Gymnasium is an indoor sporting arena located in Suwon, South Korea. The arena has a capacity for 5,145 spectators and was built in 1984 to host handball events at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Today, Suwon Gymnasium is part of the Suwon Sports ...

hosted the

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

events in 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 has a capacity of 5,145 and since been repurposed for basketball and, more recently, volleyball. Suwon is home to the

Suwon World Cup Stadium The Suwon World Cup Stadium (수원월드컵경기장) is a football stadium located in Suwon, South Korea. It has been home of the K League 1 team Suwon Samsung Bluewings since 2001. The capacity of the stadium is 44,031. Notable football events ...

, a venue built for the

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

and home of the

K League 1 The K League 1 (Hangul: K리그1) is the men's top professional football division of the South Korean football league system. The league is contested by twelve clubs. History The South Korean professional football league was founded in 1 ...

team

. Another K League 1 team,

Suwon FC Suwon FC ( ko, 수원 FC; Hanja: 水原 FC) is a South Korean professional football club based Suwon that competes in the K League 1, the top division of South Korea. They play their home games at Suwon Stadium. History Early years: semi-profe ...

, and a women's team

Suwon FC Women Suwon FC Women (Korean: 수원 FC 위민) is a South Korean women's football team based in Suwon. History The club was founded in January 2008 as Suwon Facilities Management Corporation WFC, or simply Suwon FMC. The team plays in the nation's ...

, which competes in the

WK League The WK League (Hangul: WK리그) is a semi-professional women's football league, run by the Korea Football Association (KFA) and the Korea Women's Football Federation (KWFF), which represents the sport's highest level in South Korea. The regular ...

, both play at the

Suwon Sports Complex Suwon Sports Complex () is a group of sports facilities in Suwon, South Korea. The complex consists of the Suwon Stadium, Suwon Baseball Stadium, and Suwon Gymnasium. Facilities Suwon Stadium Suwon Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium and curre ...

. Since 2015, Suwon has been home of the

KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...

team KT Wiz. The team plays at the

Suwon Baseball Stadium The Suwon Baseball Stadium ( ko, 수원야구장), also known as the Suwon kt wiz Park ( ko, 수원 kt wiz 파크) due to sponsorship reasons, is a baseball stadium in Suwon, South Korea. Since 2015, it has been the home of KBO club KT Wiz. The st ...

. The city was previously the home of the

Hyundai Unicorns The Hyundai Unicorns () were a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They were a member of the KBO League. The Unicorns won the KBO championship four times (1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004). The Unicorns were dissolved after the 20 ...

, but the team folded after the 2007 season. Basketball teams Samsung Thunders (men's basketball team) and Samsung Life Bichumi (women's basketball team) were also based in Suwon in the past and are two of the KBL and WKBL's oldest franchises. In 2021, the KT Sonicboom men's basketball team relocated from

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

to Suwon. Suwon is home to both a men's volleyball team and a women's volleyball team, which are

Suwon KEPCO Vixtorm Suwon Korea Electric Power Corporation Vixtorm ( ko, 수원 한국전력 빅스톰) is a South Korean volleyball team. The team was founded in 1945 and became fully professional in 2008. They are based in Suwon and are members of the Korea Volleyba ...

and

Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate ( ko, 수원 현대건설 힐스테이트) is a South Korean professional volleyball team. The team was founded in 1977 and became fully professional in 2005. They are based in Suwon and are membe ...

respectively. The two teams play in the V-League.

Entertainment

Suwon has three major

multiplex Multiplex may refer to: * Multiplex (automobile), a former American car make * Multiplex (comics), a DC comic book supervillain * Multiplex (company), a global contracting and development company * Multiplex (assay), a biological assay which measur ...

theaters: '' Megabox'' and '' CGV'' theaters in the

Suwon Station Suwon Station is a railway station in the city of Suwon, South Korea. The station was completely redeveloped in 2002 and 2003, and is now integrated with the Aekyung Shopping Mall (AK Plaza). This station serves Inter-city railway Gyeongbu Line K ...

complex in the city center, as well as ''Kinex 5'' in the district of

. There are also other theaters that show fewer foreign films: ''Cinema Town'', ''Taehan Theater'', ''Piccadilly Theater'', ''Jungang Theater'', ''Royal Theater'', ''Dano Theater'' and ''Dano Art Hall''. Woncheon in the Yeongtong-gu district also has two amusement parks, Woncheon Greenland and Woncheon Lakeland. But now it is closed. There is

Gwanggyo Lake Park Gwanggyo Lake Park () is a park in Ha-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, 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 ...

behind the back gate of Kyonggi University. Nearby there has also ''

otte Cinema Otte is a surname and given name. Notable persons with that name include: Given name *Otte Brahe (1518–1571), Danish (Scanian) nobleman and statesman *Otte Krumpen (1473–1569), Marshal of Denmark from 1554 to 1567 *Otte Rømer (c.1330–1409), ...

' theater in

Lotte Outlets Lotte may refer to: Businesses * Lotte Corporation, a South Korean industrial conglomerate ** Lotte Holdings, a Japanese holding company ** Lotte Capital, a South Korean financial company ** Lotte Card, a South Korean credit card provider ** Lot ...

. There are many cafes and restaurants.

Other amenities

Suwon City Council prides itself on the condition of its public lavatories. It has made efforts in recent years to ensure that new lavatories are clean and while improving existing facilities. There are now guided bus tours of the municipal restrooms offered for visitors.

Transport

Suwon is a regional transportation hub and

is an important stop on the Gyeongbu railway line between

and

. There is a bus service to the

KTX Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004. From Seoul Station the ...

high-speed train station at

Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; Korean: 광명시) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the northeast. Gwangmyeong is home to one of the ...

. Suwon is connected to

and other nearby cities by city and express buses with departure points across the city. There are also two bus terminals in Suwon with inter-city and express bus connections to most cities in Korea. These are

Suwon Bus Terminal Suwon Bus Terminal is the main intercity and express bus station serving Suwon, a city in South Korea's north-west province of Gyeonggi-do. The station is located in Gwonseon-gu, 2.6km south-east of Suwon Station. Standing beside a branch of ...

, which is located near 'Hotel Ramada' and

West Suwon Bus Terminal West Suwon Bus Terminal is the second-largest bus station in Suwon, a city in South Korea's north-west province of Gyeonggi-do. The station is located in Gwonseon-gu, 3.1km north-west of Suwon Station. Standing beside a branch of E-Mart, it is ...

, which is located near Sungkyunkwan University. KTX trains also make limited number of stops on services from Seoul to Busan. Suwon has several stations on

Seoul Subway Line 1 Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a rapid transit and commuter rail line which links central Seoul, South Korea to Soyosan Station in the northeast, Incheon in the southwest, and Sinchang (Soonchunhyang Univ.) ...

, which runs North–South through the city, namely Sungkyunkwan University, Hwaseo,

Suwon Suwon (, ) is the capital and largest city of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea's most populous province which surrounds Seoul, the national capital. Suwon lies about south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety". With a populati ...

and Seryu. The Suin-Bundang Line also crosses Suwon East-West, namely Cheongmyeong, Yeongtong, Mangpo, Maetan-Gwonseon, Suwon City Hall, Maegyo,

, Gosaek, Omokcheon. The

Shinbundang Line The Shinbundang Line (aka ''Sinbundang Line''; ; literally, ''New Bundang Line'') or DX Line for Dynamic Express Line is a long line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. It is the world's fifth subway to run completely driverless and the second com ...

also passes Suwon, namely Gwanggyo Jungang,

. Until 1973, the

Suryo Line The Suryeo Line (水驪線, ''Suirei-sen'') is a former narrow-gauge railway line owned by Korean National Railroad. The line connected Suwon to Yeoju. History The first section of the line was opened by the privately owned Chosen Gyeongdong ...

also connected Suwon to Yeoju. The Yeongdong Expressway (Number 50) passes through Suwon and two exits on this motorway lie within the city limits, being North Suwon and East Suwon. Suwon is also served by the Suwon exit of the

Gyeongbu Expressway The Gyeongbu Expressway ( ko, 경부고속도로; ''Gyeongbu Gosokdoro'') ( Asian Highway Network ) is the second oldest and most heavily travelled expressway in South Korea, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Gumi, Daegu, Gyeongju, Ulsan and ...

(Number 1), though this lies a short distance east of the Suwon's limits, near

in the city of

. The Pyeongtaek-Munsan Expressway (Number 17) passes Suwon and there is one exit at Suwon. In 2013, the city hosted the

EcoMobility The EcoMobility Alliance is a global, cross-sectoral partnership for the affirmation of EcoMobility i.e. the ''integrated promotion of walking, cycling, wheeling and passenging''. The Alliance promotes EcoMobility for the purpose of mobility and ac ...

World Festival in the Haenggun-dong neighbourhood (pop. 4,300), where for a month, streets were closed to cars as a car-free experiment. Instead of cars, residents used non-motorized vehicles provided by the festival organizers. The experiment was not unopposed; however, on balance it was considered a success. Following the festival, the city embarked on discussions about adopting the practice on a permanent basis. In 2017, Suwon Station transfer center was opened. It was installed to disperse buses and taxi stands in the eastern plaza of Suwon Station.

Media

There are two newspapers based in Suwon. These are the Gyeonggi Daily (경기일보) and, since 1960, the Gyeongin Daily (경인일보). The former is based in

, with the latter's offices being in

. Both feature news exclusively in Korean.

Military

The

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

has a base in Jang-ji dong, Gwon-sun gu, Suwon. This was used by the

during the

. The base is now occupied mostly by the ROKAF (Republic of Korea Air Force), though the US Army houses half of a battalion there presently, and there are a limited number of US Air Force personnel.

Religion

As in most of

, according to 2006 statistics compiled by the

government 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 ...

, about 25.3% of the population professes to follow no particular religion.

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

account for 20% of the population and

Buddhists Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

52%. The Catholic Diocese of Suwon was created in 1963 by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

Food

Suwon is known for Suwon galbi, a variation on the style beef short rib enjoyed throughout

. The city also has the same variety of Korean dishes served throughout the

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

and has a wide variety of restaurants serving food from outside Korea. Since 1995, Galbi festival has been held annually, attracting many tourists.

Flora and fauna

Suwon's wildlife is similar to that of most of

. A notable species, however, is the

Suwon tree frog ''Dryophytes suweonensis'', the Suweon treefrog or Suwon treefrog, is a species of frog in the family Hylidae endemic to the Korean Peninsula probably from the Imjin River to the Mangyeong River, south of Iksan. Its distribution and population h ...

. This is one of only two tree frogs to inhabit 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 ...

and it lives in the

area only.

Notable residents

Notable people from Suwon include: *Former footballer

Park Ji-sung Park Ji-sung (; ; born 30 March 1981) is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in the South Korean capital Seoul, Park is the most successful Asian player in football history, having won 19 trophies in ...

grew up in Suwon. In 2005, a city street was renamed after him. *Actor

Song Kang A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

*Professional tennis player Chung Hyeon *

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...

member Shindong *

Shinee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...

member Lee Jin-ki (stage name Onew) *Pastor

Billy Kim Billy (Jang Hwan) Kim (Hangul: 김장환) (born 1934) is a prominent Christian evangelist and humanitarian. He was the president of the Baptist World Alliance from 2000 until 2005 when he was succeeded by David Coffey. Early life Billy Kim was ...

, former President of the Baptist World Alliance and current President of the Far East Broadcasting Company * 2AM member Jo Kwon *Cellist

Han-na Chang Han-Na Chang (Korean: 장한나, Hanja: 張漢娜, ; born December 23, 1982) is a South Korean conductor and cellist. Born in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, Chang began studying piano at age 3, and cello at age 6. In 1993, her family moved to ...

*Actress Hyun Young *Actress Ha Ji-won *Presenter and columnist

Sam Oh Oh Sang-mi, better known as Sam Oh is a television host, radio broadcaster and a Korean expatriate who has been living in the Philippines for 20 years. She can speak Tagalog and English in addition to her native Korean. She has been the main hos ...

*MMA fighter Dong Hyun Kim *Actor Joo Won * Monsta X member

I.M Im Chang-kyun (; born January 26, 1996), known by the stage name I.M or mononymously as Changkyun, is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2015, he debuted in the South Korean boy group Monsta X, through the Mnet's survival show '' ...

* Apink member Yoon Bo-mi * Twice member

Yoo Jeong-yeon Yoo Jeong-yeon (; born 1 November 1996), known mononymously as Jeongyeon (), is a South Korean singer. She is a member of Twice, a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. Early life Jeongyeon was born as Yoo Kyung-wan on 1 Novemb ...

Block B Block B ( ko, 블락비) is a South Korean boy band managed by KQ Entertainment, and consists of seven members: Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. Block B has received several accolades, including nominations for seven ...

member U-Kwon * A.C.E member Donghun *Actor

Ryu Jun-yeol Ryu Jun-yeol (; born September 25, 1986) is a South Korean actor, activist, and photographer. Ryu began his acting career in independent films, and then rose to prominence through his breakthrough role in the critically acclaimed television ser ...

4Minute 4Minute (, often stylized as 4MINUTE) was a South Korean girl group formed in 2009 by Cube Entertainment. The members of the group were Son Ji-hyun, Nam Ji-hyun, Heo Ga-yoon, Jeon Ji-yoon, Hyuna, Kim Hyuna and Kwon So-hyun. The group was known ...

member Jeon Ji-yoon *

BtoB } BtoB ( ; ; acronym for Born to Beat; often stylized as BTOB) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 by Cube Entertainment. The group consists of Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-sub, Im Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin and Yook Sung-jae. Or ...

member

Lee Chang-sub Lee Chang-sub (; born ), better known mononymously as Changsub, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, host and musical actor. He is the lead vocalist of the South Korean boy group BtoB (band), BtoB. Biography Lee Changsub was born in Suwon, Gy ...

*Actor

Lee Jong-suk Lee Jong-suk (, born 14 September 1989) is a South Korean actor and model. He debuted in 2005 as a runway model, becoming the youngest male model ever to participate in Seoul Fashion Week. Lee's breakthrough role was in ''School 2013'' (2012). ...

Astro Astro may refer to: Entertainment and media * Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band * Astro (UB40) (1957–2021), member of the British reggae band UB40 * Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie rock band * Astro (Japanese band), ...

member MJ * Red Velvet member Seulgi – moved from

to Suwon * DIA member Jueun * Golden Child member Lee Jang-jun * Enhypen member

Sunoo Enhypen (; ja, エンハイプン; ''Enhaipun''; stylized as ENHYPEN) is a South Korean boy band formed by Belift Lab, a joint venture between CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation, through the 2020 survival competition show ''I-Land''. The group is com ...

Twin towns – sister cities

Suwon is twinned with: * Asahikawa, Japan (1989) *

Jinan Jinan (), Postal Map Romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized as Tsinan, is the Capital (political), capital of Shandong province in East China, Eastern China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is the second-largest city i ...

, China (1993) * Townsville, Australia (1997) *

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth most ...

, Indonesia (1997) * Yalova, Turkey (1999) *

Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...

, Romania (1999) *

Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...

, Mexico (1999) *

Fez Fez most often refers to: * Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire * Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco Fez or FEZ may also refer to: Media * ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...

, Morocco (2003) *

Hải Dương Province H, or h, is the eighth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''aitch'' (pronounced , plural ''aitches''), or region ...

, Vietnam (2004) * Siem Reap Province, Cambodia (2004) *

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...

, Russia (2005) *

Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in ...

, Brazil (2006) *

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population o ...

, Germany (2015)

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* .

External links

City government website (in Korean)
*
Suwon : Official Seoul City Tourism''Suwon Samsung Bluewings'' official siteOfficial site of Hwaseong fortress
(archived 2013) {{Authority control Cities in Gyeonggi Province