Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture
Encyclopedia
Yanbian is a Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province
, in Northeastern China, above the border with North Korea
. Yanbian is bordered to the north by Heilongjiang
, on the west by Baishan City
and Jilin City
, on the south by North Hamgyong Province of North Korea
, and on the east by Primorsky Krai
of Russia
. Yanbian is designated as an autonomous prefecture due to the large number of ethnic Koreans living in the region. The prefectural capital is Yanji
, and the total area is 42700 square kilometres (16,486.6 sq mi).
The Prefecture has an important Balhae
archaeological site: the Ancient Tombs at Longtou Mountain
, which includes the Mausoleum of Princess Jeonghyo.
The above counties and cities are divided into 642 villages (边境村/邊境村).
, Yanbian was governed by the Jianzhou Guard-district (建州衛), and in the late Qing Dynasty
the area was divided into the Yanji (延吉廳) and Hunchun (琿春廳) subprefecture
s.
In the 19th century, it was Chinese immigrants that migrated en masse from China proper to areas that were formerly off limits to Han Chinese migration. Qing China was not a Han Chinese state, but a Manchurian state. In addition, the Manchurian policy of trying to ensure that they were not assimilated by the Han Chinese stood as the main reason why immigration wasn't allowed into traditionally Manchurian lands (1644 - 1800s).
Those who took part in the Chinese Civil War did so with the implicit understanding that after the Chinese communists won, the Chinese communists would assist Korean communists in their own civil war.
In the 19th century, Korean immigrants migrated en masse from the Korean peninsula
to China
. After the foundation of the Republic of China
, a second wave arrived. The population increase was caused by the Japanese invasion of that region. The Japanese were trying to use Korean immigration to diffuse the staying power of Chinese in that region. After the end of World War II
, many Koreans did not go back to Korea, even though their country had been liberated (as there were economic and political problems back in their country). Instead, they joined the Chinese Civil War
and were mobilized by both Chinese communists and the Chinese Nationalists. When the civil war was over, the new Chinese government gave Koreans their own autonomous region (区) in 1952. Yanbian was upgraded to an ethnic autonomous prefecture in 1955.
Korean (Joseon) migration into what is now China (Manchuria) began at the tail end of the 19th century and were for the most part escaping the economic hardships faced under Japanese economic policy.
In 1952, the Korean migrants composed some 60% of the local population, but by 2000 their share had shrunk to 32%. The Chinese authorities subsidize Korean language schools and publications, but also take measures to prevent an emergence of the Korean irredentism
in the area. From the late 1990s the Koreans began to be assimilated into Chinese culture with increasing speed, often switching to daily use of Chinese and choosing to attend the Chinese language schools.
Mountains that are in the prefecture are:
There have been over 40 types of mineral
s and 50 kinds of metals, including gold
, lead
, zinc
copper
, silver
, manganese
and mercury
, discovered near or in the mountains.
Average land height is 500 metres above sea level
.
Main rivers include:
The rivers sustain 28 running water processing facilities.
The rivers created basins, which are suitable for agricultural uses, like rice
paddies and bean
farms.
Public roads are 1,480-kilometre altogether. There are four airports.
Population density: 51 people per km² (132 per mi2).
Like on the Korean peninsula, Yanbian Koreans' most common surname is Kim. Many emigrated from Korea during the 19th century, and again during the Japanese Occupation.
The Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture has an index of urbanization standard (城市化水准) at 55.6%, 20 percentage points greater than the provincial average (31.3%) and 25 more than the national average (26.5%).
and Korean
are used as official languages in Yanbian Ethnic Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Most ethnic Koreans in this area are bilingual. Like Koreans living in the Korean peninsula, ethnic Koreans in Yanbian use Western punctuation
in writing.
The Museum of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture was planned in 1960, and constructed in 1982. It contains over 10,000 exhibits, including 11 first-level artifacts. The exhibits' labels and explanations are bilingual in Korean and Chinese, and tour guides are also available in both languages.
Also popular among locals during holidays and festivities.
The first professional football team in this prefecture is Jilin Three Stars Football Club. From 1994 to 2000, this club had been played each years in the top Chinese football league. In 2000, they were relegated from the top league. Because of poor economic conditions the club was sold to Lucheng Group in Zhejiang
Province.
In 2001, Yanbian Football Club was founded. They are currently playing in the second-class football league.
features a female protagonist, "Yang Guk Hwa" (played by South Korean actress Ku Hye Sun) who came to Seoul
from Yanbian. She is portrayed as an honest and warm-hearted young lady who grew up in a poverty-stricken rural region and experiences difficulties living in urban Seoul. Other characters in the drama refer to Guk Hwa as a 'country girl' and as a 'foreigner' (which would be technically correct since ethnic Koreans in Yanbian are citizens of the People's Republic of China
, and in one scene Guk Hwa is shown to own a passport that has a red cover with gold lettering, characteristic of PRC passports). In one scene, Guk Hwa is shown speaking in Chinese
.
Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
, in Northeastern China, above the border with North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Yanbian is bordered to the north by Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
, on the west by Baishan City
Baishan
Baishan is a prefecture-level city in Jilin province of the People's Republic of China. "白山" literally means "White Mountain", and is named after Baekdu Mountain, which is known as "长白山" in Chinese....
and Jilin City
Jilin City
Jilin City is the second largest city of Jilin province in Northeast China. At the 2010 census, 4,414,681 people resided within its administrative area of and 1,975,803 in its built up area...
, on the south by North Hamgyong Province of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, and on the east by Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Yanbian is designated as an autonomous prefecture due to the large number of ethnic Koreans living in the region. The prefectural capital is Yanji
Yanji
Yanji , also known as Yeon'gil from its Korean name , is the seat of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. Its population is approximately 400,000 of which a large section is ethnic Korean...
, and the total area is 42700 square kilometres (16,486.6 sq mi).
The Prefecture has an important Balhae
Balhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
archaeological site: the Ancient Tombs at Longtou Mountain
Ancient Tombs at Longtou Mountain
The Ancient Tombs at Longtou Mountain are a collection of twelve burials for royalty of the Balhae Kingdom. It is located on the Longtou Mountain, southeast Toudao Township , Helong County , Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin, China...
, which includes the Mausoleum of Princess Jeonghyo.
Administration
The prefecture is subdivided into eight county-level divisions: six county-level cities and two counties:| Map | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Hanzi | Hanyu Pinyin | Hangul Hangul Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean... |
Korean Revised Revised Romanization of Korean The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea proclaimed by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, replacing the older McCune–Reischauer system... |
Korean McCune McCune-Reischauer McCune–Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced McCune–Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000... |
Population (2003 est.) | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) |
| 1 | Yanji City Yanji Yanji , also known as Yeon'gil from its Korean name , is the seat of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. Its population is approximately 400,000 of which a large section is ethnic Korean... |
延吉市 | Yánjí Shì | 연길시 | Yeongil-si | Yŏngil-si | 410,000 | 1,332 | 308 |
| 2 | Tumen City Tumen, Jilin Tumen is a county-level city in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. Of its 136,000 inhabitants, approximately 78,000 are of Korean descent. The two official languages are Chinese and Korean. Tumen is separated from Namyang of North Hamgyong province of... |
图们市 | Túmén Shì | 도문시 | Domun-si | Tomun-si | 130,000 | 1,142 | 114 |
| 3 | Dunhua City Dunhua Dunhua is a city in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in southeastern Jilin province, Northeast China. It has more than 480,000 inhabitants and was the capital of Balhae between 742–756, known at the time as "Junggyeong"... |
敦化市 | Dūnhuà Shì | 돈화시 | Donhwa-si | Tonhwa-si | 480,000 | 11,963 | 40 |
| 4 | Hunchun City Hunchun Hunchun is a county-level city in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, far eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. It borders North Korea and Russia , has over 250,000 inhabitants, and streching on a 5,145 square-kilometer... |
珲春市 | Húnchūn Shì | 혼춘시 | Honchun-si | Honch’un-si | 220,000 | 4,938 | 45 |
| 5 | Longjing City | 龙井市 | Lóngjǐng Shì | 룡정시 | Ryongjeong-si | Ryongjŏng-si | 250,000 | 2,592 | 96 |
| 6 | Helong City Helong Helong is a city of southeastern Jilin province, Northeast China. It is under the administration of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Helong has 3 subdistricts and 8 towns.Subdistricts:... |
和龙市 | Hélóng Shì | 화룡시 | Hwaryong-si | Hwaryong-si | 210,000 | 5,069 | 41 |
| 7 | Wangqing County Wangqing County Wangqing County is a county of eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. It is under the administration of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Wangqing has 8 towns and one township.Towns:... |
汪清县 | Wāngqīng Xiàn | 왕청군 | Wangcheong-gun | Wangch’ŏng-kun | 250,000 | 8,994 | 28 |
| 8 | Antu County Antu County Antu County is a county of southeastern Jilin province, Northeast China. It is under the administration of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.-Administrative Divisions:Antu has 7 towns and 2 townships.Towns:... |
安图县 | Āntú Xiàn | 안도군 | Ando-gun | Ando-kun | 210,000 | 7,444 | 28 |
The above counties and cities are divided into 642 villages (边境村/邊境村).
History
In the Ming DynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, Yanbian was governed by the Jianzhou Guard-district (建州衛), and in the late Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
the area was divided into the Yanji (延吉廳) and Hunchun (琿春廳) subprefecture
Subprefecture
Subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.-Albania:There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is subdivided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures.-Brazil:...
s.
In the 19th century, it was Chinese immigrants that migrated en masse from China proper to areas that were formerly off limits to Han Chinese migration. Qing China was not a Han Chinese state, but a Manchurian state. In addition, the Manchurian policy of trying to ensure that they were not assimilated by the Han Chinese stood as the main reason why immigration wasn't allowed into traditionally Manchurian lands (1644 - 1800s).
Those who took part in the Chinese Civil War did so with the implicit understanding that after the Chinese communists won, the Chinese communists would assist Korean communists in their own civil war.
In the 19th century, Korean immigrants migrated en masse from the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. After the foundation of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, a second wave arrived. The population increase was caused by the Japanese invasion of that region. The Japanese were trying to use Korean immigration to diffuse the staying power of Chinese in that region. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many Koreans did not go back to Korea, even though their country had been liberated (as there were economic and political problems back in their country). Instead, they joined the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
and were mobilized by both Chinese communists and the Chinese Nationalists. When the civil war was over, the new Chinese government gave Koreans their own autonomous region (区) in 1952. Yanbian was upgraded to an ethnic autonomous prefecture in 1955.
Korean (Joseon) migration into what is now China (Manchuria) began at the tail end of the 19th century and were for the most part escaping the economic hardships faced under Japanese economic policy.
In 1952, the Korean migrants composed some 60% of the local population, but by 2000 their share had shrunk to 32%. The Chinese authorities subsidize Korean language schools and publications, but also take measures to prevent an emergence of the Korean irredentism
Irredentism
Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. Some of these movements are also called pan-nationalist movements. It is a feature of identity politics and cultural...
in the area. From the late 1990s the Koreans began to be assimilated into Chinese culture with increasing speed, often switching to daily use of Chinese and choosing to attend the Chinese language schools.
Geography
- Geographic coordinates: 41° 59' 47" - 44° 30' 42", 127° 27' 43" - 131° 18' 33" E
- Total border length: 755.2 kilometres (469.3 mi)
- With N Korea: 522.5 kilometres (324.7 mi)
- With Russia: 232.7 kilometres (144.6 mi)
Mountains that are in the prefecture are:
- The central range of Changbai MountainsChangbai MountainsThe Changbai Mountain Range or Jangbaek Mountain Range are a mountain range on the border between China and North Korea...
- Zhangguangcai Peak (张广才岭)
- Harba Peak (哈尔巴岭)
- Peony Peak (牡丹领)
- Old Master Peak (老爷岭)
- Nangang Mountain Range (南岗山脉)
There have been over 40 types of mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s and 50 kinds of metals, including gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
and mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, discovered near or in the mountains.
Average land height is 500 metres above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
Main rivers include:
- Songhua RiverSonghua RiverThe Songhua or Sunggari River is a river in Northeast China, and is the largest tributary of the Heilong River , flowing about from Changbai Mountains through Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. The river drains of land, and has an annual discharge of .As the Second Songhua River, it joins the...
- Mudan River (Peony River)
- Tumen RiverTumen RiverThe Tumen River is a 521 km-long river that serves as part of the boundary between China, North Korea, and Russia, rising in Mount Baekdu and flowing into the Sea of Japan....
- Gaya River (流嘎呀河): branch of the Tumen
- Hunchun River (珲春河)
The rivers sustain 28 running water processing facilities.
The rivers created basins, which are suitable for agricultural uses, like rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
paddies and bean
Bean
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
farms.
Transportation
Railways include:- Chang-Tu Line (长图线): most important
- Mu-Tu Line (牡图线)
- Chao-Kai Line (朝开线)
- Yangchuan-Shantun Line (阳川山屯线)
- Tumen-Hunchun Railway: under construction
Public roads are 1,480-kilometre altogether. There are four airports.
Demographics
Ethnicity compositions:- 2,184,000 (1997)
- 57.4% HanHan ChineseHan Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
- 39.7% Korean
- 2.4% ManchuManchuThe Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
- 0.3% HuiHui peopleThe Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
- 0.1% other nationalities, including the Mongol
- 57.4% Han
- Growth rate 0.4%.
Population density: 51 people per km² (132 per mi2).
Like on the Korean peninsula, Yanbian Koreans' most common surname is Kim. Many emigrated from Korea during the 19th century, and again during the Japanese Occupation.
The Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture has an index of urbanization standard (城市化水准) at 55.6%, 20 percentage points greater than the provincial average (31.3%) and 25 more than the national average (26.5%).
Culture
Both ChineseChinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
are used as official languages in Yanbian Ethnic Korean Autonomous Prefecture. Most ethnic Koreans in this area are bilingual. Like Koreans living in the Korean peninsula, ethnic Koreans in Yanbian use Western punctuation
Punctuation
Punctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud.In written English, punctuation is vital to disambiguate the meaning of sentences...
in writing.
The Museum of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture was planned in 1960, and constructed in 1982. It contains over 10,000 exhibits, including 11 first-level artifacts. The exhibits' labels and explanations are bilingual in Korean and Chinese, and tour guides are also available in both languages.
Tourism
There are seven public parks in Yanbian's green space (18% of whole prefecture), including:- Yanji People's Park (延吉人民公园)
- Youth Lake Park (青年湖公园)
Also popular among locals during holidays and festivities.
- Baekdusan
Nature and Environment
Over 70% are originally forest in the prefecture, so there is a rich diversity of life.- 1,460 speciesSpeciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of native animalAnimalAnimals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s - 250 species of native plantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s.
Sports
Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture is an important football region for Chinese football. Over 50 years more than 40 footballers have been selected by the Chinese national football team.The first professional football team in this prefecture is Jilin Three Stars Football Club. From 1994 to 2000, this club had been played each years in the top Chinese football league. In 2000, they were relegated from the top league. Because of poor economic conditions the club was sold to Lucheng Group in Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
Province.
In 2001, Yanbian Football Club was founded. They are currently playing in the second-class football league.
In Popular Culture
The popular 2006 South Korean drama serial Pure In HeartPure in Heart
Pure in Heart is a 167-episode South Korean television drama/romantic comedy broadcast by KBS from 2006 to early 2007. The drama won many awards at 2006 KBS Drama Acting Awards.- Plot :...
features a female protagonist, "Yang Guk Hwa" (played by South Korean actress Ku Hye Sun) who came to 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...
from Yanbian. She is portrayed as an honest and warm-hearted young lady who grew up in a poverty-stricken rural region and experiences difficulties living in urban Seoul. Other characters in the drama refer to Guk Hwa as a 'country girl' and as a 'foreigner' (which would be technically correct since ethnic Koreans in Yanbian are citizens of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and in one scene Guk Hwa is shown to own a passport that has a red cover with gold lettering, characteristic of PRC passports). In one scene, Guk Hwa is shown speaking in Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
.
External links
- Official government website
- Official government Tourism website
- Yanbian Office in Korea
- Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture: by the Information Office of Jilin Provincial Government
- A map labeled in Chinese written in the list in the "Administration" section
