Cheorwon County (''Cheorwon-gun'' ), also spelled Chorwon, is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in Gangwon 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 ...

. It is located right next to the border with

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

History

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

- First named ''Moeuldongbi''. *

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 o ...

Dynasty - name changed to ''Cheolseong''. **During the Later Three Kingdoms Period of Korea, Gung Ye determined it capital of

Taebong Taebong (; ) was a state established by Gung Ye () on the Korean Peninsula in 901 during the Later Three Kingdoms. Name The state's initial name was Goryeo, after the official name of Goguryeo, a previous state in Manchuria and the northern ...

. *

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 unificat ...

**In 918, during the rule of

King Taejo of Goryeo Taejo of Goryeo (31 January 877 – 4 July 943), also known as Taejo Wang Geon (; ), was the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Thre ...

, its name was changed to Cheorwon and then renamed as ''Dongju''. *

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 r ...

** King Taejong changed its name into 'Dohobu'. **In 26th year of

King Sejong 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 ...

's reign (1434), it was transferred from

Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous Administrative divisions of South Korea, province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the s ...

to Gangwon. **On May 26 of the King Gojong, altered to

Chuncheon Chuncheon (; ; formerly romanized as Chunchŏn; literally ''spring river'') is the capital of Gangwon Province in South Korea. The city lies in the north of the county, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some ...

-bu.

Korean War

Following the

Division of Korea The division of Korea began with the defeat of Japan in World War II. During the war, the Allied leaders considered the question of Korea's future after Japan's surrender in the war. The leaders reached an understanding that Korea would be ...

in 1945, all of Cheorwon County was part of North Korea. During the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

the region changed hands several times during the UN invasion of North Korea and the Chinese invasion of South Korea, by 1951 the frontlines had stabilized, cutting across Cheorwon County and the area became part of the Iron Triangle battlefield. The

Battle of White Horse The Battle of White Horse ( ko, 백마고지 전투 or Baengma-goji, ), was a battle during the Korean War hill in the Iron Triangle, formed by Pyonggang at its peak and Gimhwa-eup and Cheorwon-eup at its base, a strategic transportation route ...

took place north of Cheorwon town from 6–15 October 1952 and the

Battle of Triangle Hill The Battle of Triangle Hill, also known as Operation Showdown or the Shangganling Campaign (),Chinese sources often mistranslates Shangganling Campaign as the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. was a protracted military engagement during the Korean ...

took place north of Gimhwa-eup from 14 October - 25 November 1952. Following the signing of the

Korean Armistice Agreement The Korean Armistice Agreement ( ko, 한국정전협정 / 조선정전협정; zh, t=韓國停戰協定 / 朝鮮停戰協定) is an armistice that brought about a complete cessation of hostilities of the Korean War. It was signed by United S ...

, the

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 ...

cut Cheorwon County in two, creating Cheorwon County in South Korea and

Chorwon County Ch'ŏrwŏn County () is a ''kun'', or county, in Kangwŏn province, North Korea. Portions of it were once a single county together with the county of the same name in South Korea; other portions were added from neighbouring counties in the 19 ...

in North Korea. A number of Korean War sites in Cheorwon County are now tourist destinations including the former Woljeong-ri station, the former Korean Workers’ Party Office, the Iron Triangle Tourist Office, the Second Incursion Tunnel and the Cheorwon Peace Observatory.

Civilian Control Line (CCL)

The Civilian Control Line is an additional buffer zone to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The distance between the DMZ and CCL in South Korea range from 5 to 20 km (3.1 to 12.4 mi). The purpose is to limit and control the entrance of civilians into areas in order to protect and maintain the security of military facilities and operations near the DMZ.

Tourism

For South Korea, tourism has been important since the 1962 Five Year Development Plan. This designated a key economic development sector and a ‘patriotic industry’ (Hunter, 153). Historically nationalistic or patriotic views have driven for the development of tourism in South Korea. Well organized tours and defined monuments and sites ensure these bordering areas are populated with visitors that participate in the symbolic landscape defined by the South Korean government (Hunter, 153). “A scene of bloody battles” (n.d) and tense border activity, the front line county of Cheorwon, is a strange paradox. This historical county is a strange paradox which is rarely visited by Western tourists. To comprehend the bloody and grim historical tragedy between North and South Korea, Cheorwon county must be experienced.

The Second Tunnel

“Found in the DMZ” (n.d) was found by Korean guards listening to the sound of explosions under the ground during their shift. After determined excavation on March 19, 1975, “The Second Tunnel” was discovered. The second tunnel was for a sudden raid by the North Korean Army into South Korea. The second tunnel is composed of a firm granitic layer, is 3.5 km (2.17 mi) in length, and various in depth from 50m-160m (164 ft-525 ft).

Cheorwon Peace Observatory

“Cheorwon Peace Observatory” (n.d) is located at Junggang-ri, Dongsong-eup, South Korea. The Observatory is three stories high with a basement and was opened in November 2007. The observatory's first floor is the exhibition hall and the second floor is an observatory. Tourists on the second floor can observe the surrounding ecosystem, fortress of Gung-Ye Cast town, Pyeonggang tableland, and Seonjeon town of North Korea in the DMZ.

Memorial Tower of the Baekma Goji (White Horse) Battle

During ten days of battle, the hill would change hands 24 times after repeated attacks and counterattacks for its possession The original shape of the hill was transformed from more than 300,000 artillery shells and bombs. The destroyed ridge looked like a white horse lying down, so it was named Baekma Goji, meaning white horse hill.

Victory Observatory

“At the center of the 155 miles” (n.d) of the cease-fire line is the Victory Observatory. While visiting the Victory Observatory tourists can stare at Soldiers from the North Korean army, and the actual sites of the national division such as Geumgansan Railroad, Gwangasm Plain, and Achim-ri town.

Symbols

* County Tree : Korean Nut Pine * County Flower : Royal Azalea * County Bird : Crane

Location

Cheorwon plays an important role in providing passage from

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

and

Kumgangsan Mount Kumgang () or the Kumgang Mountains is a mountain massif, with a peak, in Kangwon-do, North Korea. It is located on the east coast of the country, in Mount Kumgang Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwŏn Province, and is part of ...

. Since the expansion of the 43 National Road which connects Cheorwon and Seoul, the ease of transportation has been improved greatly.

Climate

Cheorwon 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 freez ...

(

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'').

Sister cities

Gangnam-gu Gangnam District ( ; , ) is one of the 25 local government districts which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Gangnam translates to "South of the ( Han) River". Gangnam District is the third largest district in Seoul, with an area of ...

Seogwipo Seogwipo () is the second-largest city on Jeju Island, settled on a rocky volcanic coastline in the southern part of Jeju Province, South Korea. In July 2006, Seogwipo's boundaries were expanded to include the entire southern half of Jeju island. ...

, Jeju-do

References

Notes Sources
Cheorwon Peace Observatory
(n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2018
Cheorwon: Frontline Tourism
(November 5, 2015). Retrieved December 7, 2018 *Hunter, W. C. (2013). The Visual Representation of Border Tourism: Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and Dokdo in South Korea. ''International Journal of Tourism Research,17''(2), 151–160. doi:10.1002/jtr.1973
Memorial Tower of the Baeckma Goji Battle
(n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2018
The Second Tunnel
(n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2018
Victory Observatory
(n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2018

External links

Cheorwon county government home page
{{coord, 38, 12, 33, N, 127, 13, 03, E, region:KR-42_type:city(54040)_source:dewiki, display=title Counties of Gangwon Province, South Korea Biosphere reserves of South Korea