Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

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 North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

. 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 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 of ...

, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, the nation's third-largest city, is on the coast of the province and has been similarly administered as a provincial-level ''metropolitan city'' since 1981. The three jurisdictions are collectively referred to as '' Sudogwon'' and cover , with a combined population of 25.5 million—amounting to over half of the entire population of South Korea.

History

Gyeonggi-do has been a politically important area since 18 BCE, when Korea was divided into three nations during the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period. Ever since King Onjo, the founder of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

(one of the three kingdoms), founded the government in

Wiryeseong Wiryeseong was the name of two early capitals of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Both are believed to have been in the modern-day Seoul area. According to ''Samguk Sagi'' (the oldest surviving Korean history book, written in the 12th ...

of Hanam, the Han River Valley was absorbed into

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 ...

in the mid-fifth century, and became

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 ...

's territory in the year 553 (the 14th year of King Jinheung).In traditional Korean timekeeping, years are tracked by reign of monarchs. Today, this is practiced in addition to

Common Era Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the o ...

(CE). Afterward, the current location of Gyeonggi-do, one of the nine states of

Later Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...

, was called Hansanju. The Gyeonggi region started to rise as the central region of

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 unificat ...

as King Taejo of Goryeo (the kingdom following Silla) set up the capital in Gaesong. Since 1018 (the 9th year of Goryeo's King Hyeonjong), this area has been officially called "Gyeonggi". Gyeonggi-gamyeong-do

During the Joseon, which was founded after the Goryeo,

King Taejo of Joseon Taejo of Joseon (4 November 1335 – 27 June 1408), born Yi Seong-gye (), was the founder and first ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. After ascending to the throne, he changed his name to Yi Dan (), and reigned from 1392 to 1398. He was ...

set the capital in Hanyang, while restructuring Gyeonggi's area to include Gwangju, Suwon, Yeoju, and Anseong, along with the southeast region. Since the period of King Taejong and Sejong the Great, the Gyeonggi region has been very similar to the current administrative area of Gyeonggi-do. In 1895 the 23-Bu system, which reorganized administrative areas, was effected. The Gyeonggi region was divided into Hanseong (modern

; ''Hanseong-bu;'' 한성부; 漢城府), Incheon (''Incheon-bu;'' 인천부; 仁川府), Chungju (''Chungju-bu;'' 충주부; 忠州府),

Gongju Gongju ([]; Gongju-si) is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. History Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun ...

(''Gongju-bu;'' 공주부; 公州府), and Kaesong (''Kaesong-bu;'' 개성부; 開城府). During the Japanese colonial period, Hanseong-bu was incorporated into Gyeonggi-do. On October 1, 1910, it was renamed Keijo and a provincial government was placed in Keijo according to the reorganization of administrative districts. After liberation and the foundation of two separate Korean states, Gyeonggi-do and its capital, Seoul, were separated with partial regions of Gyeonggi-do being incorporated into Seoul thereafter in 1946. Additionally, Kaesong became

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 ...

n territory, the only city to change control after the countries were divided at the 38th parallel, which is now part of North Korea's North Hwanghae Province. In 1967 the seat of the Gyeonggi provincial government was transferred from Seoul to Suwon. After Incheon separated from Gyeonggi-do in 1981, Gyeonggi regions such as

Ongjin County Ongjin County may refer to: * Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea * Ongjin County, South Hwanghae Ongjin County is a county in southern South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. It is located on the Ongjin Peninsula, which projects into the Yellow ...

and

Ganghwa County Ganghwa County is a county in the city of Incheon, South Korea. The county is composed of Ganghwa Island, and the minor islands around it. History Ganghwa County contains some of the most important historical sites in Korea. These sites cover th ...

were incorporated into Incheon in 1995.

Geography

Gyeonggi Province is in the western central region of the Korean Peninsula, which is vertically situated in Northeast Asia and is between east longitude of 126 and 127, and north latitude of 36 and 38. Its dimension is 10% of Korea's territory, . It is in contact with of cease-fire line to the north, of coastline to the west, Gangwon-do to the east,

Chungcheongbuk-do North Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청북도, ''Chungcheongbuk-do''), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region in the ...

and

Chungcheongnam-do South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...

to the south, and has Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, in its center. Its provincial government is in Suwon, but some of its government buildings are in Uijeongbu for the administrative conveniences of the northern region.

Climate

The climate of Gyeonggi-do is the continental climate, which has a severe differentiation of temperature between summer and winter, and has distinctions of four seasons. Spring is warm, summer is hot and humid, autumn is cool, and winter is cold and snowy. The annual average temperature is between , where the temperature in the mountainous areas to the northeast is lower and the coastal areas to the southwest is higher. For January's average temperature, the Gyeonggi Bay is , the Namhangang (River) Basin is , and the Bukhangang (River) and Imjingang Basins are . It becomes colder and higher in temperature differentiation from coastal to inland areas. Summer has a lower local differentiation compared to winter. The inland areas are hotter than the Gyeonggi Bay area, the hottest area is

Pyeongtaek Pyeongtaek () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986 and is home t ...

, making the average temperature of August . The annual average precipitation is around , with a lot of rainfall. It is rainy in summer and dry during winter. The northeastern inland areas of Bukhangang and the upper stream of Imjingang has a precipitation of , whereas the coastal area has only of precipitation.

Nature and national parks

The topography of Gyeonggi-do is divided into southern and northern areas by the Han River, which flows from east to west. The area north to the Han River is mainly mountainous, while the southern area is mainly plain. The configuration of Gyeonggi-do is represented by ''Dong-go-seo-jeo'' (high in the east and low in the west), where the Gwangju Mountain Range and the Charyeong Mountain Range spreads from the east and drops in elevation in the west. The fields of Gimpo, Gyeonggi, and Pyeongtaek extend to the west. Gyeonggi-do natural environment includes its rivers, lakes, mountains, and seas. Its representative rivers are the Hangang, Imjingang, and Anseongcheon Fg(Stream), which flow into the Yellow Sea, with Gyeonggi Plain, Yeonbaek Plain and Anseong Plain forming a fertile field area around the rivers. The Gwangju Mountain Range and the Charyeong Mountain Range stretch toward China in Gyeonggi Province. Most of the mountains that rise above , such as Myeongjisan (), Gukmangbong () and Yongmunsan () in the Gwangju Mountain Range. It iriidc Ktihas a developed granite area which, due to the granite's exfoliation effect, makes it full of strangely shaped cliffs and deep valleys. The Charyeong Mountain Range forms the boundary between Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongbuk-do, but is a relatively low-altitude hilly area. In Gyeonggi-do, there is

Bukhansan National Park The Bukhansan National Park ( ko, 북한산국립공원, 北漢山國立公園) in Seoul and Gyeonggi covers an area of and was established on 2 April 1983. Bukhansan means "mountains north of the Han River." The park contains forested areas, ...

in Uijeongbu. For provincial parks, there are the Chukryeongsan Natural Recreation Area, Namhan-sanseong Provincial Park, Gapyeong Yeoninsan Provincial Park, and Mulhyanggi Arboretum. Besides the listed, the scenery of well-known mountains including Soyosan of Dongducheon City, Yongmunsan of

Yangpyeong County Yangpyeong County (''Yangpyeong-gun'') is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Climate Yangpyeong has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate ( Köppen: ''Dwa'') with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. Korean War Yangpy ...

, and

Gwanaksan ''Gwanaksan'' ( Korean for Mt. Gwanak; 632 m) is a mountain in southern Seoul, South Korea. Portions lie in the Gwanak-gu and Geumcheon-gu districts of Seoul; other portions lie in the neighboring cities of Anyang, Gyeonggi and Gwacheon. Th ...

of Anyang and

Gwacheon Gwacheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies close to Seoul in the heart of the Seoul National Capital Area, and also lies just east of Anyang. Seoul Subway Line 4 passes through the city. Various attractions usually associate ...

, along with Hangang and Imjingang are tourist sites of Gyeonggi-do. * Moraksan, a 385-meter rock mountain.

Population

Gyeonggi-do has shown a rapid increase in population due to the modernization and urbanization of the Republic of Korea. Its population has increased from 2,748,765 in 1960 to 3,703,761 in 1980; 6,050,943 in 1990; 8,984,134 in 2000; 11,379,459 in 2010; and 13,511,676 in 2020. In 2010 there were 4,527,282 households, with an average of 3 people per family. There were 6,112,339 males and 5,959,545 females. The population density was 1,119 people/km², almost double the national average of 486 people/km². Excluding the two metropolitan cities (Seoul and Incheon), the most heavily populated area as of 2010 is Suwon (1,104,681) followed by Goyang (1,076,179),

Seongnam Seongnam () is the fourth largest city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province after Suwon and the 10th largest city in the country. Its population is approximately one million. Seongnam is a satellite city of Seoul. It is largely a residential ci ...

(996,524),

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 ...

(891,708), Bucheon (890,875) and Ansan (753,862). The lowest populated area in 2010 was

Yeoncheon County Yeoncheon County (''Yeoncheon-gun'') is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The county seat is Yeoncheon-eup (연천읍) and sits on the Korail railroad line connecting Seoul, South Korea, with North Korea ( DPRK). History A variety of pal ...

(45,973), followed by Gapyeong County (59,916) and

(72,595).

Economy

As the backbone of Seoul in the means of manufacturing complex, Gyeonggi-do is evenly developed in

heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...

(electronics, machine, heavy and chemical industry, steel),

light industry Light industry are industries that usually are less capital-intensive than heavy industry and are more consumer-oriented than business-oriented, as they typically produce smaller consumer goods. Most light industry products are produced for ...

(textile), and farm, livestock and fisheries industry. Due to the influence of recent high wages, the weight of manufacturing industries has decreased in Korea's economy. Gyeonggi-do is making efforts in many ways to improve and modernize the conventional industry structure, resulting in quick growth of innovative

small and medium-sized enterprises Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Bank ...

such as U-JIN Tech Corp. Gyeonggi-do is unsparingly investing in the promotion of service industries related to soft competitive power such as state-of-the-art IT industry, designing, conventions and tourism, along with its great leap as a commercial hub in Northeast Asia using the Pyeongtaek Harbor. Besides this, it is known for its special local products such as Icheon rice and Icheon/Gwangju ceramics. Leading companies representing Korea, including

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

' headquarters,

SK Hynix SK hynix Inc. is a South Korean supplier of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips and flash memory chips. Hynix is the world's second-largest memory chipmaker (after Samsung Electronics) and the world's third-largest semiconductor company. ...

's headquarters, NAVER's headquarters,

Samsung SDI Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. () is a battery and electronic materials manufacturer headquartered in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Samsung SDI operates its business with Energy Solutions and Electronic Materials segment. The Energy Solution segment ma ...

's headquarters, and Paju LG Corporation's LCD complex, are gathered in southern Gyeonggi Province, including Suwon City.

Administrative area

Gyeonggi-do consists of 28 cities (special: 7, normal: 21) and three counties. This is because many counties were elevated to city status owing to the influence of Seoul's new town development plan. Special cities are especially concentrated in the southern area of Gyeonggi-do. Listed below is each entity's name in English,

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The le ...

and

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, ...

Claimed

Gaeseong 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 to ...

Gaepung County Kaep'ung-guyŏk is a ward in Kaesong, North Korea. Formerly part of the Kaesong urban area, the county was merged with North Hwanghae when Kaesong was demoted in 2003. However, it was returned to Kaesong Special City in October 2019. The area is ...

and Jangdan County

Transportation

Gyeonggi-do's proximity to Seoul, South Korea's capital, and Incheon, its second-busiest port, has contributed to its extremely well-developed transportation infrastructure. It is close to both

Incheon International Airport Incheon International Airport (IIA; ) (sometimes referred to as Seoul–Incheon International Airport) is the largest airport in South Korea. It is the primary airport serving the Seoul Capital Area and one of the largest and busiest airports ...

, South Korea's main international gateway and busiest airport, and

Gimpo International Airport Gimpo International Airport (), commonly known as Gimpo Airport , formerly rendered in English as Kimpo International Airport, is located in the far western end of Seoul, some west of the Central District of Seoul. Gimpo was the main interna ...

, its second-busiest airport. Use of water transportation from the harbor at

is also high.

Road

The road pavement rate throughout the province averages 86.5 percent. The area has access to many of South Korea's expressways, including * No. 1 Gyeongbu Expressway, Seoul–Busan * No. 15

Seohaean Expressway The Seohaean Expressway ( Korean: 서해안 고속도로; Seohaean Gosok Doro), meaning "West Coast Expressway", is a freeway in South Korea, connecting Mokpo to Gunsan, Dangjin, and Seoul. It is numbered 15. The entire length from Seoul ...

, Seoul–

Mokpo Mokpo (; ''Mokpo-si'') is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, located at the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula, close to Yudal mountain. Mokpo has frequent high-speed train services to Seoul, and is the terminus for a number of f ...

* No. 35 Jungbu Expressway, Seoul–

Tongyeong Tongyeong () is a coastal city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. In 2010, it had an area of and a population of 139,869 people. It is divided into 1 eup (town), 6 myeon (township) and 11 dong (neighborhood). Chungmu city and Tongyeong cou ...

* No. 37 Second Jungbu Expressway, Seoul–

* No. 45

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 ...

Yeoju Yeoju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Yeoju was a county but was raised to the status of a city in September 2013. Together with the neighboring city of Icheon, it is known as a major center of contemporary South Korean ceramics, ...

–

Gimcheon Gimcheon (; , trans., 'gold spring city') is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is situated on the major land transportation routes between Seoul and Busan, namely the Gyeongbu Expressway and Gyeongbu Line railway. In ancient ...

* No. 50

Yeongdong Expressway The Yeongdong Expressway () is an expressway in South Korea. Numbered 50, it connects the Seoul area with Gangwon Province. It is named from Yeongdong, an old name for Gangwon. The road has its western end in Namdong-gu of Incheon Metropol ...

, Incheon–

Gangneung Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...

* No. 60 Seoul–Yangyang Expressway, Seoul– Chuncheon * No. 100

Seoul Ring Expressway The Capital Region First Ring Expressway (Formerly as Seoul Ring Expressway) (Expressway No.100) () is an expressway, circular beltway or ring road around Seoul, South Korea. It connects satellite cities around Seoul, Ilsan, Namyangju, Hanam ...

* No. 110 Second Gyeongin Expressway, Incheon– Anyang * No. 120

Gyeongin Expressway The Gyeongin Expressway, officially Expressway No. 120, is an expressway in South Korea connecting the Yangcheon District of Seoul to the Nam District of Incheon. It is the oldest expressway in South Korea. Construction began March 24, 1967 ...

, Seoul–Incheon * No. 130

Incheon International Airport Expressway The Incheon International Airport Expressway (Korean: 인천국제공항고속도로, Incheon Gukje Gonghang Gosok Doro) is an expressway in South Korea connecting Incheon International Airport to Goyang, Gyeonggi. History * December 1995: C ...

, Incheon International Airport–Seoul

Rail

Gyeonggi-do is served by Korail commuter, standard and high-speed ( KTX) services. It is home to Korea's first railroad, the

Gyeongin Line The Gyeongin Line (Gyeonginseon) is a railway mainline in South Korea, currently connecting Guro station in Seoul and Incheon. Commuter services along the line through operates into Seoul Subway Line 1. History The Gyeongin Line was the fi ...

, and includes portions of the

Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu Line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest ones in the country. It was constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul with Busan via Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu ...

Gyeongui Line The Gyeongui Line is a railway line between Seoul Station and Dorasan Station in Paju. Korail operates the Seoul Metropolitan Subway service between Seoul Station and Dorasan Station. History ''For the original line's history and other infor ...

, Jungang Line, and

Honam Line {{Infobox rail line , box_width = auto , name = Honam Line , other_name = , native_name = 호남선(湖南線) , native_name_lang = kr , color = , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image = Korail H ...

. Gyeonggi has stations on the Suin,

Bundang Bundang is a planned community in the Bundang-gu district of Seongnam, South Korea. It was developed to encourage affordable housing and urban decentralization. The community has a sports complex, a park and a youth center. Origin Bundang w ...

, Gyeongchun, and Shinbundang

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...

services and the

Gyeongbu The name Gyeongbu refers to the Seoul-Busan corridor in South Korea. It is used as the name of the Gyeongbu railway line and Gyeongbu Expressway, both of which connect Seoul—the South Korean capital and largest city—to Busan—t ...

and

Honam High Speed Railway The Honam high-speed railway, also known as Honam HSR, is a high-speed rail between Osong (on the existing Gyeongbu high-speed railway) and Mokpo in South Korea. The line is a part of Korail's Korea Train Express (KTX) system, accelerating Seoul� ...

s. The area has numerous connections to 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 includin ...

system. Line 1 (formerly Korea National Railroad of Seoul) extends to Cheonan past Gyeonggi-do to the southwest, and to Dongducheon to the north. Line 3 connects to Goyang to the north, while Line 4 is connected to Gwacheon and Ansan to the southwest. Line 7 is connected to Uijeongbu to the north and Gwangmyeong to the south, while Line 8 is connected to Seongnam to the south.

Uijeongbu Uijeongbu () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Overview Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul; it lies inside a defile, with mountains on two sides, and commands a natural choke point across the main traditional in ...

has its own light rail system, the

U Line The U Line is a driverless, fully automatic, grade-separated light rail or light metro line in Uijeongbu, Seoul Capital Area, South Korea. The "U" is short for the city Uijeongbu. The line uses Véhicule Automatique Léger (VAL) 208 trains buil ...

, which connects to Line 1. A short section of the

AREX AREX (Airport Railroad Express) is a South Korean commuter rail line that links Incheon International Airport with Seoul Station via Gimpo International Airport. The section between the two airports opened on March 23, 2007, and line was exten ...

line between Gimpo and Incheon airports passes through Gyeonggi, but there are no stops within the province.

Education

Gyeonggi-do is actively investing in education to foster a talented population suitable for the globalized economy. It is promoting the opening of local campuses of reputable universities as well as establishing special purpose high schools for high-quality education. It has also founded and operates at

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. ...

the largest domestic "English village" for education in the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

, as well as villages in Ansan and Yangpyeong.

Universities of Gyeonggi Province(경기도)

;National ; Anseong City ;*

Hankyong National University Hankyong National University is the only national university in Gyeonggi Province. It is located in Anseong, a city approximately 80 kilometres from Seoul. The university specialises in fields such as environmental engineering, agricultural scien ...

;Private ; Ansan City ;*

Ansan University Ansan University () is a 3,4-year university located in Ansan City, Gyeonggi province, South Korea. It hosts a student body of about four thousand, and offers programs in fields including nursing, physiotherapy, early childhood education, and ...

Hanyang University Hanyang University (Korean: 한양대학교) is a private research university in South Korea. The main campus is located in Seoul and its satellite campus, the Education Research Industry Cluster (ERICA campus), is in Ansan. ''Hanyang'' (한양 ...

(ERICA Campus) ;*

Seoul Institute of the Arts Seoul Institute of the Arts is a prominent educational institution specializing in the Arts located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The school has nurtured many graduates who are actively working in art related fields within Korea as ...

Shin Ansan University Ansan College of Technology (also called Ansan Technical College) is a private technical college in Ansan City, which lies south of Seoul in Gyeonggi province. It offers degree programs in social science (including English), tourism, physical ...

; Anseong City ;*

Chung-Ang University Chung-Ang University (CAU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is widely regarded as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and ...

(Anseong Campus) ; Anyang City ;* Anyang University ;* Sungkyul University ; Bucheon City ;* Seoul Theological University ; Goyang City ;*

Korea Aerospace University Korea Aerospace University (한국항공대학교 (Traditional Chinese: 韓國航空大學校) an'guk Hang-gong Dae-hak-gyo is a private university located in Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea. History Beginnings (1950s–1960s) Korea Aero ...

; Gunpo City ;*

Hansei University Hansei University () is a mid-sized Evangelical Christian University located in Gunpo City near Seoul, South Korea. History In 1953, Assemblies of God missionaries established the Full Gospel Bible College. In 1997, the name was changed to Ha ...

; Gwangju City ;* Seoul Jangsin University and Theological Seminary ;

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 ...

;* Hyupsung University ;* Shingyeong University ; Osan City ;*

Hanshin University Hanshin University is a private university in the Seoul National Capital Area of 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 ...

; Pochon City ;* College of Medicine Pochon CHA University ;*

Daejin University Daejin University is a private university located in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was founded by Daesun Jinrihoe in November 1991 and opened in March 1992. The university operates Daejin University China Campus, a study abroa ...

; Pyeongtaek City ;* Pyongtaek University ; Seongnam City ;* Gachon University ; Siheung City ;*

Korea Polytechnic University Tech University of Korea (TU Korea, ), formerly Korea Polytechnic University (KPU, ), is a polytechnic university in South Korea. KPU was established in 1998 by support from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy The Ministry of Trade, ...

; Suwon City ;* Ajou University ;*

Kyung Hee 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 ...

;* Seoul National University ( Gwanggyo Graduate School Campus) ;* Sungkyungwan university (Natural Science Campus) ;* Suwon Catholic University ;* Suwon Science College ; Uijeongbu City ;* Hanbuk University ;

;* Asian Center for Theological Studies and Mission ; Yongin City ;* Calvin University ;*

Dankook University Dankook University (commonly referred to as Dankook), abbreviated as DU or DKU, is a prestigious private research university in Yongin and Cheonan, South Korea. The university was established in 1947. It was the first university established after ...

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (abbreviated as HUFS; Korean: 한국외국어대학교) is a private research university based in Seoul, in South Korea. HUFS consistently ranks as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university ...

(Global Campus) ;* Kangnam University ;*

(International Campus) ;* Luther University ;*

Myongji University Myongji University () is a private, Christian university founded in 1948 in South Korea. It provides higher education in the fields of engineering, sciences and humanities. It has two campuses: the Social Science Campus is located in Seoul and ...

(Science Departments Campus) ;* Yongin University

Colleges

Schools

Culture

Historical landmarks

Gyeonggi-do has long been a capital area, leaving many historic relics and ruins. For royal tombs (called reung), there are Donggureung of

Guri Guri (, lit. Nine Villages Town(Town of Nine Villages) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is located immediately to the east of Seoul, in the heart of the Capital Metropolitan Area. The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are locat ...

, and Gwangreung, Hongreung and Yureung of

Namyangju Namyangju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri City, and to the north is Pocheon City. Namyangju-si was originally a southern part of Yangju-gun, but was separated into Namyangju-gu ...

. For castles (called seong), there are Suwon Hwaseong, which is designated as the World Cultural Heritage, Namwonsanseong, Haengjusanseong, Ganghwasanseong, and

Doksan Fortress Doksan Fortress (Hangul: 독산성, Hanja: 禿山城) is a Korean hill fort located in Osan, South Korea. It is known for the Siege of Doksan in 1593, where the Japanese failed to defeat Gwon Yul during the Imjin War The Imjin River ( in Sout ...

. For Buddhist temples, there are many aged temples within Gyeonggi-do where one can experience ‘temple stay’. You can view folk culture in the

Korean Folk Village Minsok village (Korean Folk Village) is a living museum type of tourist attraction in the city of Yongin, a satellite city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in the province of Gyeonggi in South Korea. It was first opened on October 3, 1974 (ground ...

, and the scene of Korea's division at

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 Korea ...

Performing arts

Gyeonggi-do is investing a lot of money at a provincial level so that people do not have to go to Seoul to enjoy a high-class cultural life. There are performances at Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon as well as at Gyeonggi Korean Traditional Music Center in

. Gyeonggi Provincial Museum in

, Nam June Paik Art Center in

, Gyeonggi Museum of Art in Ansan, and the Ceramics Museum in Gwangju are some of the facilities that are currently run by the province. There are also sightseeing opportunities at Jangheung Art Park, Publication Art Complex at Heyri,

, and the Icheon Ceramics Exposition.

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 Korea's largest art town. Various Korean artists constructed the cultural town of Heyri and it features several art galleries and museums; there are about 40 museums, exhibitions, concert halls and bookstores.

Religion

According to the census of 2005, of the people of Gyeonggi-do 34.3% follow

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

(21.9%

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

and 12.4%

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

) and 16.8% follow

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

. 51.1% of the population is mostly not religious or follow indigenous religions.

Sports

The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup matches were held in

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 ...

. As for the professional soccer teams with Gyeonggi-do as their home ground, there are the Suwon Samsung Bluewings and

Seongnam FC Seongnam () is the fourth largest city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province after Suwon and the 10th largest city in the country. Its population is approximately one million. Seongnam is a satellite city of Seoul. It is largely a residential city ...

. Also, there is the professional basketball team of

Kdb Life Winnus, sponsored by Kdb Life Insurance. Korea's foremost thoroughbred horse racing track

Seoul Race Park LetsRun Park Seoul, also known a Seoul Race Park or Seoul Racecourse Park is a 40,000 capacity Korean thoroughbred racetrack in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is host to many of Korea's most valuable thoroughbred horse races including th ...

is in

Sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

is a high-profile sport in Gyeonggi. Gyeonggi-do's location on the bank of the river Han makes it an ideal venue for the sport which is host to the prestigious Korea Match Cup event which is a part of the

World Match Racing Tour Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) features world class sailors including America’s Cup and Olympic champions, in a global championship series. WMRT is sanctioned with ‘Special Event Status’ by World Sailing, the sport� ...

. The event draws the world's best sailing teams to Gyeonggi in a gladiatorial battle of nerve and skill on the water. The identical supplied (KM-36) boats are raced two at a time in an on the water dogfight which tests the sailors and skippers to the limits of their physical abilities. Points accrued count towards the World Match Race Tour and a place in the final event, with the overall winner taking the title

ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

World Match Racing Tour Champion. Match racing is an ideal sport for spectators in Gyeonggi. Racing in such close proximity to the river bank provides excellent heart of the action views for the audience. Highlights of the event can be seen on

KBS World KBS World is the Korean Broadcasting System's international broadcasting service. It consists of KBS World Radio, KBS World television channel and KBS Korea. History The foreign-language radio broadcast from KBS (before its restructure into a ...

television and via the official World Match Racing Tour website.

Domestic sports clubs

Association football

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 ...

(3) ** Suwon Samsung Bluewings **

** Suwon FC *

K League 2 The K League 2 (Hangul: K리그2) is the men's second-highest division of the South Korean football league system. It is contested between thirteen professional clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the K League 1. Hi ...

(2) ** FC Anyang ** Bucheon FC 1995 *

K3 League The K3 League is the third tier of South Korean football league system, which was created from the rebranding of the Korea National League (2003–2019) and the former K3 League (2007–2019) into K3 League and K4 League in 2020. 16 teams are ...

(5) **

Gimpo FC Gimpo FC ( ko, 김포 FC), formerly Gimpo Citizen FC, is a South Korean football club based in the city of Gimpo. Since 2022, they are playing in the K League 2, the second tier of football in South Korea. History Gimpo Citizen FC (2013–202 ...

** Hwaseong FC ** Paju Citizen ** Pyeongtaek Citizen ** Yangju Citizen *

K4 League The K4 League is the fourth tier of the South Korean football league system. After 2019, the semi-professional Korea National League and the former amateur K3 League were rebranded into the current K3 League and K4 League. Competition format T ...

(5) ** Goyang Citizen ** Pocheon Citizen ** Siheung Citizen ** Yangpyeong FC **

Yeoju FC Yeoju FC is a South Korean football club based in the city of Yeoju. The club is a member of the K4 League, a semi-professional football league in South Korea. Season-by-season records See also * List of football clubs in South Korea This is a ...

* WK-League (2) ** Suwon FMC ** Goyang Daekyo Noonnoppi Kangaroos

Baseball

* Korea Baseball Organization (1) **

KT Wiz KT Wiz ( ko, KT 위즈) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They are a member of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Suwon Baseball Stadium in Suwon. History On 11 January 2013, the Korea Baseball Organization offi ...

Basketball

* KBL (2) **

Anyang KGC The Anyang Korea Ginseng Corporation ( ko, 안양 KGC인삼공사), or Anyang KGC, is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League, based at Anyang Arena in the city of Anyang. The club has won three KBL championship titles, ...

Goyang Orion Orions Goyang Carrot Jumpers (Korean: 고양 캐롯 점퍼스) is a professional basketball club based in Goyang, South Korea which plays in the Korean Basketball League. Before the change of ownership in 2022, they were called Orions. History Dayo ...

* WKBL (4) ** Yongin Samsung Life Blueminx ** Ansan Shinhan Bank S-Birds ** Guri KDB Life Winnus ** Bucheon KEB-Hana

Volleyball

* V-League Men (2) ** Suwon KEPCO Vixtorm ** Sangmu Shinhyup * V-League Women (3) ** Suwon Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate ** Seongnam Korea Expressway Hi-pass Zenith **

Hwaseong IBK Altos Hwaseong IBK Altos ( ko, 화성 IBK 기업은행 알토스) is a South Korean women's professional volleyball team founded in 2011. In the 2012−13 V-League season, just one year after the team was founded, the club won both the regular season ...

Ice hockey

* Asia League Ice Hockey (1) **

HL Anyang HL Anyang () is a professional ice hockey team based in Anyang in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is one of the founding and current members of the Asia League Ice Hockey (ALIH). Formed in 1994, it is the oldest professional ice hockey team in Sout ...

Former sports clubs

Football

* Anyang LG Cheetahs (1996–2003, Anyang →

) * Bucheon SK (1996–2005, Bucheon → Jeju) * Bucheon FMC Best (2010, Dissolved) *

Ansan H FC Goyang Zaicro FC was a South Korean professional football team based in Goyang. The club competed in the K League Challenge between 2013 and 2016. They played their home games at Goyang Stadium. The club traces its origins to ''Immanuel FC'', a Ch ...

* Goyang KB Kookmin Bank * Namyangju United

Basketball

* Suwon Samsung Thunders (1997–2001, Suwon →

) * Bucheon Shinsegae Coolcat (2006–2012, Dissolved)

Tourism

Entertainment

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 ...

theme park in

Yongin-si 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 ...

* Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Dramia at

Cheoin-gu Cheoin-gu is the largest '' gu'' in Yongin; it is located in the southeastern part of the city. It has four ''dong'', two '' eup'', and five '' myeon''. Under administrative districts * Yeoksam-dong (combination of Yeokbuk-dong and Samga-dong) * ...

; is the filming location of historical dramas such as ''

Moon Embracing the Sun ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (, also known as ''The Moon that Embraces the Sun'' or ''The Sun and the Moon'') is a 2012 South Korean television drama series, starring Kim Soo-hyun, Han Ga-in, Jung Il-woo, and Kim Min-seo. It aired on MBC from Jan ...

'', ''

Jumong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...

'', ''

Queen Seondeok Queen Seondeok of Silla ( ko, 선덕여왕 ; 595~610 – 17 February 647/January 8, Lunar Calendar) reigned as Queen Regnant of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first re ...

'' and '' Dong Yi''. Viewing tours are available, which includes traditional folk games, historical court dress and archery. * Hallyuworld theme park, which is based on the ‘Korean Fever’, is under construction in Goyang *

Seoul Grand Park Seoul Grand Park is a park complex to the south of Seoul, South Korea, in the city of Gwacheon (과천시). Facilities at Seoul Grand Park include hills and hiking trails, Seoul Grand Park Zoo, Children's Zoo, a rose garden, Seoul Land amusement ...

, which has the Korea's National Museum of Contemporary Art and a zoo * ski and golf resorts *

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 ...

Hot Spring * LetsRunPark in

*The place is also known among KPOP fans as popular global

KPOP K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...

Star Jin, member of

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...

is from this province.

Gourmet

Gyeonggi-do has long been famous for its

rice,

Yangpyeong Yangpyeong County (''Yangpyeong-gun'') is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Climate Yangpyeong has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate ( Köppen: ''Dwa'') with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. Korean War Yangpy ...

Korean beef, Suwon cow ribs and Korean court cuisine, and marine delicacies made of fresh marine products from the west coast.

Festival

Partition proposal

Sisterhood relations

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, United States * Aichi Prefecture, Japan *

Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kanag ...

, Japan * Liaoning, People's Republic of China * North Holland, Netherlands *

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

, South Africa * State of Mexico, Mexico *

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, United States *

Alto Paraná Department Alto Paraná (; ''Upper Paraná'') is a department in Paraguay. The capital is Ciudad del Este (formerly known as Puerto Presidente Stroessner, originally Puerto Flor de Lis). The Alto Paraná department has experienced tremendous economic and ...

, Paraguay *

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 , establishe ...

, Australia *

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

, Spain *

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States *

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

, People's Republic of China *

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 *

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and 0 ...

, People's Republic of China * Shandong, People's Republic of China *

Taiwan Province Taiwan Province (; PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal administrative division of the Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constitution of the Republic of China, but the province is no lo ...

Republic of China (Taiwan) Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

References

Notes

External links

* *
Invest in Gyeonggi Province – English

Gyeonggi Tourism Guide – English

DMZ – English

KINTEX – English

Goyang City Hall
{{Authority control Provinces of South Korea Provinces of Korea Regions of Korea Seoul Capital Area Divided regions