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Yeoju () 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 ...
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 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 ...
. Yeoju was a county but was raised to the status of a city in September 2013. Together with the neighboring city of
Icheon Icheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Together with Yeoju, Icheon is known as a center of South Korean ceramic manufacturing and is a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art. Other famous local products include peaches and rice. Loc ...
, it is known as a major center of contemporary South Korean
ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...
s, and hosts the World Ceramic Exposition every year. Other local products of note include
rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
,
sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
es, and yellow
melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The ...
s. Yeoju is the birthplace of Korea's last queen,
Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...
. Yeoju's institution of higher learning includes
Yeoju Institute of Technology Yeoju Institute of Technology (or YIT) is a private higher educational institution in Yeoju County, southeastern Gyeonggi province, South Korea. As of 2012 the status of the institution has changed to a university. Several four-year programs have ...
. The
Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway The Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway (; literally meaning Central Inland Expwy.) is an expressway in South Korea. Numbered 45, it was first constructed in three parts: connecting Yeoju to Chungju and Sangju to Gimcheon and Hyeonpung to Masan. The part of ...
passes through the city. A city located in the easternmost part of the southeastern part of Gyeonggi-do. It is bordered by Wonju-si, Gangwon-do to the east, Icheon-si to the southwest, Gwangju-si to the west, Yangpyeong-gun to the north, and Chungju-si and Eumseong-gun of Chungcheongbuk-do to the south. On September 23, 2013, Yeoju-gun was promoted to Yeoju-si, and it is currently the most recently promoted city in the country.


History


Early history

There have been human settlements in the Yeoju area since
Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
times. At the Heunam-ri archaeological site, just southeast of the city proper, fragments of herringbone patterned earthenware pottery, axe heads, and other artifacts have been discovered. Further excavations from research teams and accidental findings from construction in the area have continued to reveal the continued human presence through the
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
era up to the beginnings of recorded history. After becoming Yeoju-gun in 1895 and staying in Wonju in 1924, Seomyeon was incorporated into Yeoju-gun. In 1941, Yeoju-myeon was promoted to Yeoju-eup, and Gaegun-myeon was incorporated into Yangpyeong-gun in 1963.


Three Kingdoms Period & Goryeo Dynasty

Due to its location on the Namhan River. Yeoju was a geographically strategic point for the rulers of the
Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...
kingdom. During the reign of King Pasa 5th ruler of Shilla from 80-112 AD, the mountain fortress of Pasaseong-ji was constructed just downriver from Yeoju on Pasa Mountain. The fortress continued to be used in later dynasties, until its importance faded due to the usage of
Namhansanseong Namhansanseong is a historical mountain fortress city 25 km southeast of Seoul, South Korea. It sits approximately 480 m above sea level and is aligned with the ridges of the mountain for maximum defensibility. The fortress, stretchin ...
became more prevalent. The majority of the 1,800 meter long wall still stands today and can be accessed by hiking trails. Yeoju is also home to
Silleuksa Shilleuksa (also written as Silleuksa and Shilleuk-sa) is a Korean Buddhist temple situated against a low hill on the north side of the river Namhan, three kilometers east of Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province, approximately one-hour southeast of Seoul. ...
, the only riverside
Buddhist 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 ...
temple in Korea. Silleuksa was founded in 580 by the monk
Wonhyo Won Hyo (617 – April 28, 686) was one of the leading thinkers, writers and commentators of the Korean Buddhist tradition. Essence-Function (), a key concept in East Asian Buddhism and particularly Korean Buddhism, was refined in the syncretic ...
, one of the leading minds in Korean Buddhist tradition. It is home to a collection of 7 relics as well as a brick-constructed pagoda, one of only several in the country. The ruins of Godal-Saji temple are all that remain of a temple complex that was originally constructed in 764 AD by
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 ...
, 35th king of Unified Silla. During the early years of 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, the complex was frequented and supported by the ruling family but was later burned down during 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. Currently there is little left but a few stone stupas and dragon-headed turtles scattered among the foundations. The intricate carvings in these structures, however, are a lasting example of the workmanship of early Goryeo artisans


Joseon Dynasty

Yeoju continued to be an influence during the Joseon Dynasty due to being a major agricultural producer of staple foods such as rice. Throughout the dynasty various laws were passed to increase the agricultural output and improve the quality of the rice which led to Yeoju, as well as its nearby neighbor Icheon becoming central to the industry. Some principal families became influential in Joseon politics, such as the
Yeoheung Min clan The Yeoheung Min clan () is a Korean clan that traces its origin to Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. The 2015 Korean Census counted 167,124 members of the Yeoheung Min clan. Origin The Yeoheung Min clan's progenitor was Min Ching-do (민칭도, 閔 ...
and the Yeoheung Yi clan. The tomb of
Sejong the Great Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...
, the most influential king in Korean history, was moved to Yeoju from its former location in Seoul in 1469. The tomb continues to be one of the largest tourist attractions for the area. In 1851 towards the end of the Joseon Dynasty
Empress Myeongseong Empress Myeongseong or Empress Myungsung (명성황후 민씨; 17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895In lunar calendar, the Empress was born on 25 September 1851 and died on 20 August 1895), informally known as Empress Min, was the official wife ...
, the last Empress of Korea was born in Yeoju. Her birthplace, Gamgodang was mostly destroyed during the Japanese Occupation, but after the liberation of the country was restored due to honor her resistance of Japanese rule. Due to Yeoju being the birthplace of Empress Myeongseong, Yeoju and the surrounding countryside was host to a fair amount of activity by the
Righteous Army Righteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, are informal civilian militias that have appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance. The first righteous armies emerged during th ...
in the years leading up to the Japanese Occupation. Along with the presence of Righteous Army guerrilla fighters in the area, some local farmers offered their support of the resistance by providing rice and other foodstuffs."조선후기 개화기"
Yeoju History. 18 November 2013


Climate

Yeoju 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.


See also

*
Korean pottery Korean ceramic history begins with the oldest earthenware from around 8000 BC. Throughout the history, the Korean peninsula has been home to lively, innovative, and sophisticated art making. Long period of stability have allowed for the establi ...
*
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 ...


Notes


External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Gyeonggi Provincebr>힐스테이트 원주 레스티지