| Gumi | |
| Native Name: | Korean: 구미시 |
| Settlement Type: | Municipal City |
| Translit Lang1: | Korean |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Hangul |
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | Korean: 구미시 |
| Translit Lang1 Type2: | Hanja |
| Translit Lang1 Info2: | Korean: {{linktext|龜|尾|市 |
| Translit Lang1 Info3: | Gumi-si |
| Translit Lang1 Info4: | Kumi-si |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Yeongnam |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Dialect |
| Population Blank1: | Gyeongsang |
| Population Demonym: | Gumite |
| Area Total Km2: | 616.25 |
| Population As Of: | November, 2022 |
| Population Total: | 407,880 |
| Population Density Km2: | 552.5 |
| Parts Type: | Administrative divisions |
| Parts: | 3 eup, 5 myeon, 17 dong |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Gumi logo.png |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Emblem of Gumi |
| Leader Title: | mayor |
| Leader Name: | Jang Ho Kim (김장호) |
| Timezone1: | Korea Standard Time |
| Utc Offset1: | +9 |
| Area Code: | +82-54 |
Gumi (; pronounced as /ko/) is the second largest and most densely populated city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is located on the Nakdong River, halfway between Daegu and Gimcheon, also lies on the Gyeongbu Expressway and Gyeongbu Line railway which are the principal traffic routes of the country.
The city is an industrial center of the country with many companies, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, LG Display, having a manufacturing presence and R&D Centres there.
The primary industries are electronics and IT Manufacturing such as Smartphone, Tablet computer, 5G and 6G Networking Equipment, Semiconductors, OLED and other Displays, Carbonated fibres, rubber, plastic and metal products. In Gumi, 1,772 companies employ over 80,000 workers.[1] It is the largest scale in Korea. In 2009, the city exported the largest amount in the country and accounted for 96.9% of trade surplus of Korea in 2000 to 2009.[2] The birthplace of South Korean president Park Chung Hee is in the city.
In the Three Kingdoms period, Gumi was part of the territory of the Silla Kingdom. The first Silla temple, Dorisa Temple, was constructed here by Monk Ado who is also the one that made Jikjisa.
The city is the birthplace of the 1962–1979 South Korean president Park Chung Hee. It was during his administration that the South Korean government selected Gumi as a site for major industrial development. Gumi developed rapidly during the 1960s, growing from a small rural town into a large city thanks to huge infusions of development money from the government. It was selected for development for some practical reasons such as its easy access to transportation infrastructure, and its location in the industrialized Yeongnam region.
See also: Administrative divisions of South Korea. The city center of Gumi is divided into 17 dong, or neighborhood units. The hinterland is divided into 5 myeon, or rural areas, and 3 eup, or large villages. Sandong was promoted from a myeon to an eup on 1 January 2021.
| Name | Hangeul | Hanguk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seonsan-eup | 선산읍 | 善山邑 | |
| Goa-eup | 고아읍 | 高牙邑 | |
| Sandong-eup | 산동읍 | 山東邑 | |
| Mueul-myeon | 무을면 | 舞乙面 | |
| Okseong-myeon | 옥성면 | 玉城面 | |
| Dogae-myeon | 도개면 | 桃開面 | |
| Haepyeong-myeon | 해평면 | 海平面 | |
| Jangcheon-myeon | 장천면 | 長川面 | |
| Songjeong-dong | 송정동 | 松亭洞 | |
| Wonpyeong-dong | 원평동 | 元坪洞 | |
| Doryang-dong | 도량동 | 道良洞 | |
| Jisan-dong | 지산동 | 芝山洞 | |
| Seongjuwonnam-dong | 선주원남동 | 善州元南洞 | |
| Hyeonggok 1(il)-dong | 형곡1동 | 荊谷一洞 | |
| Hyeonggok 2(i)-dong | 형곡2동 | 荊谷二洞 | |
| Sinpyeong 1(il)-dong | 신평1동 | 新坪一洞 | |
| Sinpyeong 2(i)-dong | 신평2동 | 新坪二洞 | |
| Bisan-dong | 비산동 | 飛山洞 | |
| Gongdan-dong | 공단동 | 工團洞 | |
| Gwangpyeong-dong | 광평동 | 廣坪洞 | |
| Sangmosagok-dong | 상모사곡동 | 上毛沙谷洞 | |
| Imo-dong | 임오동 | 林烏洞 | |
| Indong-dong | 인동동 | 仁同洞 | |
| Jinmi-dong | 진미동 | 眞美洞 | |
| Yangpo-dong | 양포동 | 陽浦洞 |
Population: At present, the population of Gumi is 427,770 (as of February 19, 2019).[3]
Gumi was the homeground of the KB Insurance Stars volleyball team until July 2017, when the club relocated to Uijeongbu.[4] The team played at the Park Chung Hee Gymnasium.
Geumo Mountain (Geumo San) Provincial Park is a hiking destination. The peak at 976 m above sea level is one of the eight famous spots in the Yeongman area and is the location of the start of the nature preservation campaign in Korea. The park has an amusement area called Geumo Land and the Geumo reservoir. There are several interesting sites on the mountain that include:[5]
The Doesan Cave, Daehye Waterfall and HaeUn Buddhist Temple are all easily reached by taking the cable car from the entrance of the park and then hiking a short distance. The YakSa Temple and the Ma Ae cliff Buddha statue are both near the summit of Geumo Mountain and require about one to two hours of hiking to reach them.
On September 27, 2012, workers at the Hube Global[6] plant in Gumi were unloading hydrofluoric acid (HF) from a tanker when an explosion occurred causing about 8 tonnes of the acid to leak into the surrounding area. The leak caused 5 deaths initially and prompted more than 3000[7] people to seek medical attention at local hospitals. Local rice and grape crops were ruined because the acid caused them to wither. Approximately 3,200 livestock were exposed. The acid, which can etch glass and is used in the electronics industry, caused damage to at least 1,000 vehicles. Total damage costs as of October 10, 2012 were about US$16 million.[8]