South Gyeongsang Province

South Gyeongsang Province

경상남도
South Gyeongsang Province 경상남도
Province
Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul	경상남도
• Hanja	慶尙南道
• McCune‑Reischauer	Kyŏngsang-namdo
• Revised Romanization	Gyeongsangnam-do
	Geoje Sancheong County Tongyeong Namhae County Hapcheon
	Flag Logo
	Coordinates: 35°15′N 128°15′E / 35.250°N 128.250°E
Country	South Korea
Region	Yeongnam
Capital	Changwon
Subdivisions	8 cities; 10 counties
Government
• Governor	Park Wan-su; (People Power)
Area
• Total	10,533 km2 (4,067 sq mi)
• Rank	4th
Population (December, 2018)
• Total	3,447,687
• Rank	2nd
• Density	327.86/km2 (849.2/sq mi)
Demonym	Gyeongnamian
Metropolitan Symbols
• Flower	Rose
• Tree	Zelkova
• Bird	White heron
GDP
• Total	KR₩ 120 trillion; US$ 96 billion (2022)
ISO 3166 code	KR-48
Dialect	Gyeongsang
Website	Official website (English)

South Gyeongsang Province (Korean: 경상남도, romanized: Gyeongsangnam-do, Korean pronunciation: [kjʌŋ.saŋ.nam.do]) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and tourist attraction, is located in this province. Automobile and petrochemical factories are largely concentrated along the southern part of the province, extending from Ulsan through Busan, Changwon, and Jinju.

Etymology

The name derives from Korean Gyeongsang 'joyous furthermore'; from gyeong (Korean 경, Hanja 慶) 'celebrate' and sang (Korean 상, Hanja 尚) 'append to'. The name derives from the names of the principal cities of Gyeongju (경주; 慶州) and Sangju (상주; 尙州).

History

Joseon

In 1407, for military purposes, the administrative districts were reorganized, with Gyeongsang-do being divided into Gyeongsangjwa-do (or Gyeongsangjwa Province; left) and Gyeongsangwu-do (or Gyeongsangwu Province; right) as the reference points of the Nakdonggang River.^[2]

Before 1895, the area corresponding to modern-day South Gyeongsang Province was part of Gyeongsang Province, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon dynastic kingdom. In 1895, southern Gyeongsang was replaced by the districts of Jinju in the west and Dongnae (modern-day Busan) in the east. In 1896, they were merged to form South Gyeongsang Province.

Today

The provincial capital was originally at Jinju; it moved in 1925 to Busan. During the Japanese rule over Korea, the province was known as Keishōnan-dō. In 1948, South Gyeongsang Province became part of South Korea. In 1963, Pusan separated from South Gyeongsang Province to become a Directly Governed City (Jikhalsi). In 1983, the provincial capital moved from Pusan to Changwon. In 1995, Pusan became a Metropolitan City (Gwangyeoksi), and Ulsan separated from South Gyeongsang Province to become a Metropolitan City in 1997.

Geography

The province is part of the Yeongnam region, on the north by North Gyeongsang Province, on the west by North Jeolla Province and South Jeolla Province, and on the south by the Korea Strait far from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Most of the province is drained by the Nakdong River and its tributaries. The total area of the province is 10,533 square kilometres (4,067 sq mi).^[3]

The tail of the Taebaek Mountains reaches the east of the Province, and the Nakdonggang River flows in the middle of the mountain range. The Province is bordered by the Sobaek Mountains and Honam to the west. The central lowland spreads along the Nakdonggang River basin. The Nakdonggang River is collecting tributaries of Gyeongsangnam-do to develop the Gimhae Delta Plain near the downstream. Jirisan, Deogyusan, and Bagunsan are lined up in the west.^[4]

Demographics

Historical population

Year

Pop.

±% p.a.

1980

2,689,376

—

1990

2,810,194

+0.44%

2000

2,978,502

+0.58%

2010

3,160,154

+0.59%

2015

3,334,524

+1.08%

2020

3,333,056

−0.01%

Source: Citypopulation^[5]

Religion in South Gyeongsang (2015)^[6]

Not religious (55.1%)

Buddhism (29.4%)

Protestantism (10.5%)

Catholicism (4.2%)

Other (including Won Buddhism) (0.8%)

Resources

The Nakdong delta plain around Gimhae is one of the best granaries in South Korea. Agricultural products form Gyeongsangnam-do include rice, beans, potatoes, and barley. The area is renowned for its cotton, sesame, and fruits which are grown along the southern seaside. A number of marine products are caught. The province is one of the country's leading fisheries.

Major cities

Largest cities in South Gyeongsang Province Citypopulation^[7]
	Rank		Pop.
Changwon Gimhae	1	Changwon	1,029,389	Jinju Yangsan
	2	Gimhae	552,427
	3	Jinju	352,403
	4	Yangsan	351,206
	5	Geoje	246,965
	6	Tongyeong	127,984
	7	Sacheon	111,184
	8	Miryang	103,228
	9	Haman	65,279
	10	Geochang	59,595

The largest cities in the region are Busan and Ulsan, which are separately administered as provincial-level Metropolitan Cities. Apart from the capital Changwon, other large or notable cities include Gimhae and Jinju.

Attractions

Yeongnamnu in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province. A pavilion from the Joseon.

Gyeongsangnam-do is the home of Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many tourists. It is in the national park around Jirisan (1,915 m) on the border with Jeollabuk-do. The temple was first built in 802.

Changnyeong County contains three major tourist attractions for the province: Upo Wetland, the natural hotsprings of Bugok, and Hwawangsan.

Yangsan-si contains two major temples for the province: Tongdosa and Naewon Temple

Culture

Festival

Jinhae Naval Port Festival

Beginning in 2002, the Tongyeong International Music Festival is one of the most important music events in Asia. Held every spring, the festival consists of stages from well-known classical music figures and aspiring musicians. It aims to foster young composers and performers.^[8]

Jinhae Naval Port Festival, one of the biggest cherry blossom festivals in South Korea, is held in Jinhae.^[9]

The Haman Water Fireworks Festival takes place around Buddha's Birthday in April every year. It is one of the cultures that has existed since the Joseon Dynasty. It originated from the heart of praying for peace in the country.^[10]

Tourism

The Jinju National Museum opened in 1984 as the first national museum in South Gyeongsang Province. Visitors can experience cultural heritages in the Province, including Gaya.^[11]

Haeinsa, one of Korea's top three temples, was built in 802 by two monks Seung-woon and Lee Jung. The temple houses various treasures along with Woodblocks of national treasures, including the Tripitaka Koreana and Janggyeong Panjeon.^[12]

Destination
Haeinsa
Jinju National Museum
Yeonji Park in Gimhae

Administrative divisions

Gimhae

Tongyeong

Yangsan

Gyeongsangnam-do is divided into 8 cities (si) and 10 counties (gun). The names below are given in English, hangul, and hanja.

#	Name	Hangul	Hanja	Population (2024)^[13]	Subdivisions

— Specific City —
1	Changwon	창원시	昌原市	1,001,902	5 ilban-gu — 2 eup, 6 myeon, 54 haengjeong-dong
2	Gimhae	김해시	金海市	531,966	1 eup, 6 myeon, 12 haengjeong-dong
— City —
3	Jinju	진주시	晉州市	339,338	1 eup, 15 myeon, 15 haengjeong-dong
4	Yangsan	양산시	梁山市	358,074	1 eup, 4 myeon, 8 haengjeong-dong
5	Geoje	거제시	巨濟市	232,921	9 myeon, 10 haengjeong-dong
6	Tongyeong	통영시	統營市	118,896	1 eup, 6 myeon, 8 haengjeong-dong
7	Sacheon	사천시	泗川市	108,650	1 eup, 7 myeon, 6 haengjeong-dong
8	Miryang	밀양시	密陽市	100,802	2 eup, 9 myeon, 5 haengjeong-dong
— County —
9	Haman County	함안군	咸安郡	59,102	2 eup, 8 myeon
10	Geochang County	거창군	居昌郡	59,737	1 eup, 11 myeon
11	Changnyeong County	창녕군	昌寧郡	56,246	2 eup, 12 myeon
12	Goseong County	고성군	固城郡	48,356	1 eup, 13 myeon
13	Namhae County	남해군	南海郡	40,060	1 eup, 9 myeon
14	Hapcheon County	합천군	陜川郡	40,440	1 eup, 16 myeon
15	Hadong County	하동군	河東郡	40,909	1 eup, 12 myeon
16	Hamyang County	함양군	咸陽郡	36,307	1 eup, 10 myeon
17	Sancheong County	산청군	山淸郡	33,373	1 eup, 10 myeon
18	Uiryeong County	의령군	宜寧郡	25,168	1 eup, 12 myeon