Pocheon
Encyclopedia
Pocheon is a landlocked
city
in the far northeastern region of Gyeonggi province in South Korea
. It covers 826.48 km2 with a population of 160,176 people, according to the 2008 census. Pocheon lies between Seoul
and the mountainous northwestern areas of Gangwon
province. The city borders Yeoncheon county, with the cities of Dongducheon
and Yangju
to the west, along with Uijeongbu
, and Namyangju
of Gyeonggi province to the south. It also borders Hwacheon county of Gangwon
province on its eastern border and Cheorwon is to the north. Alongside the adjoining Gapyeong, Pocheon consists of the highest mountainous areas in Gyeonggi province. The current city of Pocheon was created after Pocheon-hyeon and Yeongpyeong counties were merged. The north part of the city used to be part of Yeongpyeong county while the south used to be part of Pocheon-hyeon.
period. and was part of Mahol during the Goguryeo
period. After the Korean peninsula was unified by Silla
, it was called Gyeonseong-gun (堅城郡). As Silla was absorbed by the ruling dynasty, Goryeo
, the name was changed to Poju-gun (抱州郡) in 995, the 14th year of King Seongjeong's reign. During the King Hyeonjong's reign, the region belonged to Yangju-gun, Yanggwang-do. In the next ruling dynasty, Joseon, the region was named Pocheon-gun after the eight province system was established in 1413.
of the Gwangju Mountains stretches from the northeast of Pocheon to the southeast. Except for the Pocheon basin, most regions of the city consist of high mountains.
Pocheon has two main water sources; Yeongpyeongcheon stream and Sannaecheon stream. The tributaries of Yeongpyeongcheon stream are the Pocheoncheon stream running through Pocheon-dong and Seondan-dong areas and the Ildongcheon stream passing through Ildong-myeon. The two streams merge into Yeongpyeongcheon which passes Auraji Ferry in Sindap-ri, Yeoncheon county and finally ends up to reach Hantan River
. The other main water source, Sannaecheonm, runs through Choseong-ri village, Yeoncheon county and also reaches Hantan River. The two stream areas are relatively wide, so that it enables for the residents to use as cultivation places and resident places.
Pocheon is located inland, so the weather shows a continental climate. The annual average temperature is 10.5 °C (50.9 °F). The coldest month is January with an average temperature of -7.3 C while the hottest month is August with an average temperature of 25.7 °C (78.3 °F). The annual average rainfall is 1300 millimetres (51.2 in).
and poultry farming
are active in the city. Ginseng
and pine nuts are also often harvested due to the geographical features. The cultivation of apples and Korean pears in Yeongbuk-myeon has been famous for many years. The livestock
industry is active in Sinbuk-meyon, especially in areas such as raising Han-u
(Korean traditional cattle) and pigs and in Hwahyeon-myeon .
Various types of minerals are produced in Pocheon such as feldspar
in Naechon-myeon, coal
, graphite
, silica, gold, silver, and copper in Sinbuk-myeon and Changsu-myeon and iron ore, and limestone
in Yeongbuk-myeon.
In the city, roughly 2,166 small and medium sized manufacturers produce textiles and metal products. The commerce is developed mainly in Pocheon-dong and Seondan-dong. The Sin-eup 5 day market is held every fifth and tenth day of the month month garners a lot of customers. Pocheon makgeolli (unfiltered rice wine) and Idong galbi (marinated short ribs) are nationwide famous local specialties named after the city and Idong-myeon.
, commonly known as Gwangneung Arboretum, is located in the village of Jikdong-ril, Soheul-eup. It is the biggest arboretum in South Korea. It is also known to be a home to white bellied black woodpeckers. The arboretum also houses the Gwangneung Forest Museum and Gwangneung Forest Beach.
As of 2003, the city reported that it had not only one Treasure and a Historical Site designated by the state government, but also 15 properties designated to be as such by Gyeonggi province including four tangible and one intangible cultural properties, two cultural documents, and 8 surveyors.
, which are Daejin University
, CHA University, and Gyeongbok College. It also has 30 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 6 high schools.
Landlocked
A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas. There are 48 landlocked countries in the world, including partially recognized states...
city
Administrative divisions of South Korea
||South Korea is divided into 8 provinces , 1 special autonomous province , 6 metropolitan cities , and 1 special city...
in the far northeastern region of Gyeonggi province in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It covers 826.48 km2 with a population of 160,176 people, according to the 2008 census. Pocheon lies between Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and the mountainous northwestern areas of Gangwon
Gangwon-do (South Korea)
Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
province. The city borders Yeoncheon county, with the cities of Dongducheon
Dongducheon
Dongducheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city located in the north of Seoul is strategically important for the defence of the Korean capital.The main camps of the US Second Infantry Division are located in the city with the division command at Uijeongbu City.-History:During...
and Yangju
Yangju
Yangju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Yangju is located south of Dongducheon and north of Uijeongbu not far from Seoul.- Attractions:...
to the west, along with Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
, and Namyangju
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.-History of Namyangju:...
of Gyeonggi province to the south. It also borders Hwacheon county of Gangwon
Gangwon-do (South Korea)
Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
province on its eastern border and Cheorwon is to the north. Alongside the adjoining Gapyeong, Pocheon consists of the highest mountainous areas in Gyeonggi province. The current city of Pocheon was created after Pocheon-hyeon and Yeongpyeong counties were merged. The north part of the city used to be part of Yeongpyeong county while the south used to be part of Pocheon-hyeon.
History
The city of Pocheon belonged to Mahan during the SamhanSamhan
The Samhan period of Korean history comprises confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan in central and southern Korean peninsula, during the final century BCE and the early centuries CE....
period. and was part of Mahol during the Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
period. After the Korean peninsula was unified by Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
, it was called Gyeonseong-gun (堅城郡). As Silla was absorbed by the ruling dynasty, Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
, the name was changed to Poju-gun (抱州郡) in 995, the 14th year of King Seongjeong's reign. During the King Hyeonjong's reign, the region belonged to Yangju-gun, Yanggwang-do. In the next ruling dynasty, Joseon, the region was named Pocheon-gun after the eight province system was established in 1413.
Geography and climate
The peakSummit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
of the Gwangju Mountains stretches from the northeast of Pocheon to the southeast. Except for the Pocheon basin, most regions of the city consist of high mountains.
Pocheon has two main water sources; Yeongpyeongcheon stream and Sannaecheon stream. The tributaries of Yeongpyeongcheon stream are the Pocheoncheon stream running through Pocheon-dong and Seondan-dong areas and the Ildongcheon stream passing through Ildong-myeon. The two streams merge into Yeongpyeongcheon which passes Auraji Ferry in Sindap-ri, Yeoncheon county and finally ends up to reach Hantan River
Hantan River
The Hantan River is a river in South Korea, flowing through Gangwon and Gyeonggi Provinces. It is a tributary of the Imjin River, which eventually joins the Han River and empties into the Yellow Sea. The Hantan River is a popular site for white-water rafting....
. The other main water source, Sannaecheonm, runs through Choseong-ri village, Yeoncheon county and also reaches Hantan River. The two stream areas are relatively wide, so that it enables for the residents to use as cultivation places and resident places.
Pocheon is located inland, so the weather shows a continental climate. The annual average temperature is 10.5 °C (50.9 °F). The coldest month is January with an average temperature of -7.3 C while the hottest month is August with an average temperature of 25.7 °C (78.3 °F). The annual average rainfall is 1300 millimetres (51.2 in).
Administrative divisions
- Changsu-myeon
- Gasan-myeon
- Gwanin-myeon
- Hwahyeon-myeon
- Ildong-myeon
- Sinbuk-myeon
- Yeongbuk-myeon
- Yeongjong-myeon
- Soheul-eup
- Jajak-dong
- Sineup-dong
- Seondan-dong
Population
The population of the city was generally seen as being stagnant until the 1980s. Later on, when apartment buildings were constructed in Pocheon-dong, Seondan-dong and Soheul-myeon, and small and medium sized factories were established in Sinbuk-myeon and Gasan-myeon, its population increased.Economy
70 percent of the total area is forest, while arable land only accounts for 18.5 percent. The area with the lowest percentage of cultivatable area Idong-myeon with 6.5 percent in contrast to the highest region being Gasan-myeon with 39.6%. The main crops produced in Pocheon include rice and barley as well as sesame and perilla as local specialties. Sesames are produced in Ildong-myeon on a large scale, as is Perilia in Yeongbuk-myeon. In addition, oyster mushroomOyster mushroom
Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster mushroom, is a common edible mushroom. It was first cultivated in Germany as a subsistence measure during World War I and is now grown commercially around the world for food. However, the first documented cultivation was by Kaufert There is some question about the...
and poultry farming
Poultry farming
Poultry farming is the raising of domesticated birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, for the purpose of farming meat or eggs for food. According to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the world's poultry meat, and 68 percent of eggs are produced in ways that are described as...
are active in the city. Ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
and pine nuts are also often harvested due to the geographical features. The cultivation of apples and Korean pears in Yeongbuk-myeon has been famous for many years. The livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
industry is active in Sinbuk-meyon, especially in areas such as raising Han-u
Han-u
Han-u refers to a breed of cattle raised in Korea, , which may be a hybrid derived from the cross-breeding of and . Its maternal lineage is taurus cattle.Its meat is a favored in South Korea...
(Korean traditional cattle) and pigs and in Hwahyeon-myeon .
Various types of minerals are produced in Pocheon such as feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
in Naechon-myeon, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
, silica, gold, silver, and copper in Sinbuk-myeon and Changsu-myeon and iron ore, and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
in Yeongbuk-myeon.
In the city, roughly 2,166 small and medium sized manufacturers produce textiles and metal products. The commerce is developed mainly in Pocheon-dong and Seondan-dong. The Sin-eup 5 day market is held every fifth and tenth day of the month month garners a lot of customers. Pocheon makgeolli (unfiltered rice wine) and Idong galbi (marinated short ribs) are nationwide famous local specialties named after the city and Idong-myeon.
Tourism
Spring water spots are developed largely in the areas of Sanbuk-myeon, Yeongbuk-myeon, Ildong-myeon, and Hwahyeo-myeon to attract tourists. The Korea National ArboretumKorea National Arboretum
Korea National Arboretum is arboretum located in Jikdong-ri, Soheul eup, Pocheon city of Gyeonggi province of South Korea. The initiation of planting great deal of forests started druing the reign of Sejo of Joseon. He and Queen Jeonghui designated the area for posthumous tomb to protect forests...
, commonly known as Gwangneung Arboretum, is located in the village of Jikdong-ril, Soheul-eup. It is the biggest arboretum in South Korea. It is also known to be a home to white bellied black woodpeckers. The arboretum also houses the Gwangneung Forest Museum and Gwangneung Forest Beach.
As of 2003, the city reported that it had not only one Treasure and a Historical Site designated by the state government, but also 15 properties designated to be as such by Gyeonggi province including four tangible and one intangible cultural properties, two cultural documents, and 8 surveyors.
Healthcare
In Pocheon there are three general hospitals, 39 health clinics, 16 dental clinics, and 11 traditional Korean clinics. In addition, one public health center, and 12 affiliated branches provide healthcare to the residents.Education
Pocheon has three institutions of tertiary educationTertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
, which are Daejin University
Daejin University
Daejin University is a private university in Pocheon City, Gyeonggi province of South Korea. About 200 instructors are employed. The current president is Chung, Tae Soo, who has served since the university's founding....
, CHA University, and Gyeongbok College. It also has 30 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 6 high schools.
Culture
Pocheon annually hosts the Gakhol Cultural Festival, Banwol Cultural Festival, and Sanjeong Lake and Myeongseong Mountain Festival. The Sanjeon Lake Festival, held in every October since 1997, is a representative cultural festival of Pocheon in regards to the nature; Sanjeon Lake, Myeongseong Mountain. It hosts an amateur photography competition and offers various traditional performances and local special foods and drinks.Notable citizens
- Mo Tae-BumMo Tae-BumMo Tae-Bum is a South Korean speed skater. He started speedskating while in the third grade. Prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Mo won two distances at the 2006 World Junior Speed Skating Championships...
, winner of the 500mSpeed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 500 metresThe men's 500 metres speed skating competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Richmond Olympic Oval on 15th February 2010.-Track maintenance issues:...
long track speed skatingLong track speed skatingSpeed skating is an Olympic sport where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as short track speedskating, inline speedskating, and quad speed skating are also called speed skating...
event at the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, and silver medalist in the 1000m eventSpeed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 1000 metresThe men's 1000 metres speed skating competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Richmond Olympic Oval on February 17, 2010.-Records:Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows....
.