| Jeonju | |
| Native Name: | Korean: 전주시 |
| Settlement Type: | Specific city |
| Translit Lang1: | Korean |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Hangul |
| Translit Lang1 Type2: | Hanja |
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | Korean: 전주시 |
| Translit Lang1 Info2: | Korean: {{linktext|全|州|市 |
| Translit Lang1 Info3: | Jeonju-si |
| Translit Lang1 Info4: | Chŏnju-si |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Jeonju logo.png |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Logo |
| Coordinates: | 35.8167°N 136°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Honam |
| Parts Type: | Administrative divisions |
| Parts: | 2 Gu, 40 dong |
| Government Type: | City government |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Woo Beom-ki |
| Leader Title1: | Council |
| Leader Name1: | Jeonju City Council |
| Area Total Km2: | 206.22 |
| Population Total: | 652,458 |
| Population As Of: | 2012--> |
| Population Total: | 652,392 |
| Population As Of: | November, 2022 |
| Population Density Km2: | 3,164 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Dialect |
| Population Blank1: | Jeolla |
| Utc Offset1: | +9 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 560011-561870 |
| Area Code Type: | Area Code |
| Area Code: | +82-63-2xx |
Jeonju (pronounced as /ko/,) is the capital and largest city of North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many residents who work in Jeonju). It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities, and innovative festivals.
In May 2012, Jeonju was chosen as a Creative City for Gastronomy as part of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. This honour recognizes the city's traditional home cooking handed down over thousands of years, its active public and private food research, a system of nurturing talented chefs, and its hosting of distinctive food festivals.[1]
Jeonju is a city with over 1,300 years of history and culture. The city has produced many scholars and has a developed publishing industry.[2]
Jeonju is divided into two wards, Deokjin-gu (덕진구) and Wansan-gu (완산구) that, in turn, are divided into approximately 40 neighborhoods.
Jeonju has a cooler version of a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa), with winter being warm enough to avoid being classified as an humid continental (Dwa) if the 0 °C isotherm is used.
Jeonju, like all of Korea, has four distinct seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter). The winters can have a mix of days that are cool to days that are quite cold. The colder days are often influenced by a high pressure front that brings cold air from Siberia.
In the summer, the humidity of Southeast Asia comes over the Korean peninsula from June through September. Temperatures in spring (late April and through May) and fall (after September 25 and through October) are often in the mid-20s°C and with low humidity.
The Baekje kingdom was located in southwestern Korea which included the area Jeonju is now located. It is believed that Jeonju was founded as a market town within Baekje around 57 BC.[3]
Jeonju (along with Baekje in general) was conquered by the kingdom of Silla in 660 AD. It soon became part of the Silla kingdom and in 685, Jeonju became one of the nine chu (a provincial capital of the kingdom). From 889 and onward, peasant revolts (caused from over taxation) became widespread throughout the kingdom and it also spread to Jeonju where it became the headquarters of one of the most powerful rebel leaders of the time, Gyeon Hwon. In 892 (or 900), Gyeon Hwon renamed the city Wansan and established it as the capital of the Later Baekje kingdom. From Wansan, Gyeon Hwon campaigned against Silla which climaxed with the destruction of Geumseong (the capital of the Silla kingdom) and the assassination of King Gyeongae in 927. With the decline of Silla, Gyeon Hwon and Wang Geon (of the Goryeo kingdom) waged battle for control of the peninsula. However, Wang Geon and his forces invaded Later Baekje in 934 and Jeonju surrendered to him in 935.
Under Goryeo rule, Jeonju reverted to being a provincial capital and enjoyed relative stability and economic growth. However, in 1182, the city was taken by peasant rebels with the aid of governmental troops stationed there who resented being forced to do heavy labor along slaves. The rebellion was soon suppressed forty days after it began.
The Joseon defeated Goryeo and founded a new dynasty in 1392 and took all their possessions including Jeonju. The Joseon considered Jeonju their ancestral home (an ancestor of Yi Seonggye of Joseon may have fled Jeonju after the 1182 peasant revolt). During the Joseon period, Jeonju became the capital of a reorganized Jeolla (one of the eight provinces of the Joseon). In 1413, Jeonju (along with three other cities) was given the honor of safekeeping copies of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty which still survives extant in the former Confucian academy in Jeonju.
The town was occupied by the Donghak Peasant Revolution in 1894.[4] Jeonju was occupied by the Japanese beginning from 1910 to 1945, and was renamed to Zenshū during the period. The ancient walls of the old city were destroyed by the Japanese authorities with the Pungnammum Gate being the only remnant left today. Jeonju's population grew between 1925 and 1949 when it reached 100,000 inhabitants. Jeonju was given metropolitan status in 1935, and the city was founded in 1949. During the Division of Korea, Jeonju was not in the immediate frontline of the war but by the armistice signing in July 1953, Jeonju (along with many other cities) suffered bombardment and the loss of many male residents who fought during the war.
Jeonju was given its modern boundaries and government system in 1963. It has since then industrialized rapidly. Since the Joseon dynasty period, it was a metropolis, but it did not experience industrialization in the 20th century compared to other parts of Korea. It does not have the industrial infrastructure, manufacturing, or heavy industries found in other major Korean cities. Today, traditional tourism and sightseeing is a major industry in the city.
Fire stations in Jeonju:[5]
Libraries in Jeonju:
Jeonbuk National University and Jeonju National University of Education are the public universities in Jeonju.
Many city buses and taxis are available in Jeonju. However, tourists are often advised to walk between points of interest, as many attractions are near each other.[6]
The local mountains and parks are popular for outdoor recreation due to its rural location. There are historical sites in the area. The city has a zoo, a park, and the Hanguk Sound and Culture Hall, a large, modern concert complex on the Jeonbuk National University campus.
Jeonju hosts K League 1 team Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. The team's home ground is the Jeonju World Cup Stadium.[12] Jeonju also hosts a semi-professional football team, Jeonju Citizen, which plays in the K4 League. Their home ground is the Jeonju Sports Complex Stadium.
In addition, Jeonju was the home city of the Jeonju KCC Egis, a professional basketball team of the Korean Basketball League, between 2001 and 2023, when they relocated to Busan after the city of Jeonju postponed the construction of a new gymnasium.[13]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in South Korea.