| Gyeonggi | |
| Native Name: | 경기지방 京畿地方 |
| Settlement Type: | Region of Korea |
| Etymology: | "Area Surrounding the Capital" |
| Subdivision Type: | Countries |
| Subdivision Name: | |
| Subdivision Type1: | Dialects |
| Subdivision Name1: | Gyeonggi (문화어, 표준어) |
| Hangul: | 경기지방 |
| Hanja: | 京畿地方 |
| Rr: | Gyeonggi-Jibang |
| Mr: | Kyŏnggi-Chibang |
Gyeonggi (Hanja: 京畿;), alternatively spelled Kyŏnggi or Kyunggi, is a region of the Korean Peninsula that has historically occupied the west-central region of Korea. In modern times, the region hosts South Korea's Gyeonggi Province and Incheon Metropolitan City, and North Korea's Kaesong Industrial Region, and Changpung, and Ch'ŏrwŏn counties.
The current name of the region, Gyeonggi, comes from a combination of Gyeong (京/경; "capital") and Gi (畿/기; "near"), ultimately from Gyeonghyeon (京縣/경현) and Gihyeon (畿縣/기현) in relation to the location of the capital, Gaegyeong (modern day Kaesŏng, North Korea). The name means "Area Surrounding the Capital", and was first used in 1018 during the Goryeo dynasty.[1] Prior, the region was called Gwannae-do (關內道/관내도).[2]
See main article: Unified Silla and Goryeo. Towards the end of the Three Kingdoms period, the southeastern kingdom of Silla unified the Korean Peninsula up to the Taedong River and moved the capital from Gyeongju to Kaesong shortly thereafter. Gyeonggi originally a frontier region to Kaesong, as well as the secondary capital Namgyeong (modern-day Seoul, South Korea).[3]
See main article: Eight Provinces of Korea and Korean Empire. In 1392, general Yi Seong-gye, later 'Taejo of Joseon', waged successful a coup against the Goryeo dynasty and founded the Joseon dynasty. Two years later, Taejo moved the capital south to Hanseong (modern-day Seoul).[4] During the Joseon dynasty, Hanseong served not only as the national capital, but the provincial capital as well. Gyeonggi was one of the Eight Provinces (팔도 paldo), until 1895 when King Gojong created the 23 District system, splitting Gyeonggi into five districts, or bu (府/부):
One year later, the 23 districts were reorganized into eighteen provinces. In 1910, the Korean Empire was annexed into the Empire of Japan. Japanese Korea, or Chōsen (Kanji: 朝鮮), was administered from Keijō (JP: 京城;), and was surrounded by Keiki-dō.
See main article: Division of Korea, Korean War and Korean conflict. Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945, and the People's Republic of Korea, a provisional government, was founded shortly after. The provisional republic remained a sovereign, independent state for several days, until the United States and Soviet Union devised a plan to temporary partition Korea into two occupied zones, then reunify the peninsula once it was determined that the Koreans were fit to govern themselves.
Korea was divided at the 38th parallel north, which divided Korea roughly in half. Korea south of the 38th parallel was occupied by the United States Army Military Government in Korea. Most of Gyeonggi, including Kaesong, fell under the American occupation zone. By the end of the war, Kaesong was one of the only cities to officially change hands, going from a South Korean city to a North Korean city.
See main article: Administrative divisions of North Korea and Administrative divisions of South Korea. Both Korean governments claim sovereignty over the whole of the Korean Peninsula, and neither governments recognize changes to Korea's internal divisions made by the other.
Kyŏnggi falls under one of the seven claimed provinces of North Korea.
Cities of Kyŏnggi-do
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| Name | Hangul | Hanja | Population (2015.5)[5] | Subdivisions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — Special City — | ||||||
| 1 | Suwon | Korean: 수원시 | Korean: 水原市 | 1,177,376 | 4 ilban-gu — 41 haengjeong-dong | |
| 2 | Seongnam | Korean: 성남시 | Korean: 城南市 | 974,580 | 3 ilban-gu — 39 haengjeong-dong | |
| 3 | Goyang | Korean: 고양시 | Korean: 高陽市 | 1,041,706 | 3 ilban-gu — 46 haengjeong-dong | |
| 4 | Yongin | Korean: 용인시 | Korean: 龍仁市 | 968,346 | 3 ilban-gu — 1 eup, 6 myeon, 23 haengjeong-dong | |
| 5 | Bucheon | Korean: 부천시 | Korean: 富川市 | 852,758 | 36 haengjeong-dong | |
| 6 | Ansan | Korean: 안산시 | Korean: 安山市 | 704,765 | 2 ilban-gu — 24 haengjeong-dong | |
| 7 | Anyang | Korean: 안양시 | Korean: 安養市 | 599,464 | 2 ilban-gu — 31 haengjeong-dong | |
| 8 | Namyangju | Korean: 남양주시 | Korean: 南楊州市 | 640,579 | 5 eup, 4 myeon, 7 haengjeong-dong | |
| 9 | Hwaseong | Korean: 화성시 | Korean: 華城市 | 565,269 | 4 eup, 10 myeon, 10 haengjeong-dong | |
| — City — | ||||||
| 10 | Uijeongbu | Korean: 의정부시 | Korean: 議政府市 | 431,149 | 15 haengjeong-dong | |
| 11 | Siheung | Korean: 시흥시 | Korean: 始興市 | 393,356 | 17 haengjeong-dong | |
| 12 | Pyeongtaek | Korean: 평택시 | Korean: 平澤市 | 453,437 | 3 eup, 6 myeon, 13 haengjeong-dong | |
| 13 | Gwangmyeong | Korean: 광명시 | Korean: 光明市 | 346,888 | 18 haengjeong-dong | |
| 14 | Paju | Korean: 파주시 | Korean: 坡州市 | 416,439 | 4 eup, 9 myeon, 7 haengjeong-dong | |
| 15 | Gunpo | Korean: 군포시 | Korean: 軍浦市 | 288,494 | 11 haengjeong-dong | |
| 16 | Gwangju | Korean: 광주시 | Korean: 廣州市 | 304,503 | 3 eup, 4 myeon, 3 haengjeong-dong | |
| 17 | Gimpo | Korean: 김포시 | Korean: 金浦市 | 344,585 | 3 eup, 3 myeon, 6 haengjeong-dong | |
| 18 | Icheon | Korean: 이천시 | Korean: 利川市 | 204,988 | 2 eup, 8 myeon, 4 haengjeong-dong | |
| 19 | Yangju | Korean: 양주시 | Korean: 楊州市 | 203,519 | 1 eup, 4 myeon, 6 haengjeong-dong | |
| 20 | Guri | Korean: 구리시 | Korean: 九里市 | 186,611 | 8 haengjeong-dong | |
| 21 | Osan | Korean: 오산시 | Korean: 烏山市 | 207,596 | 6 haengjeong-dong | |
| 22 | Anseong | Korean: 안성시 | Korean: 安城市 | 181,478 | 1 eup, 11 myeon, 3 haengjeong-dong | |
| 23 | Uiwang | Korean: 의왕시 | Korean: 義王市 | 157,916 | 6 haengjeong-dong | |
| 24 | Pocheon | Korean: 포천시 | Korean: 抱川市 | 155,629 | 1 eup, 11 myeon, 2 haengjeong-dong | |
| 25 | Hanam | Korean: 하남시 | Korean: 河南市 | 155,752 | 12 haengjeong-dong | |
| 26 | Dongducheon | Korean: 동두천시 | Korean: 東豆川市 | 97,407 | 8 haengjeong-dong | |
| 27 | Gwacheon | Korean: 과천시 | Korean: 果川市 | 69,914 | 6 haengjeong-dong | |
| 28 | Yeoju | Korean: 여주시 | Korean: 驪州市 | 110,560 | 1 eup, 8 myeon, 3 haengjeong-dong | |
| — County — | ||||||
| 29 | Yangpyeong | Korean: 양평군 | Korean: 楊平郡 | 106,445 | 1 eup, 11 myeon | |
| 30 | Gapyeong | Korean: 가평군 | Korean: 加平郡 | 61,403 | 1 eup, 5 myeon | |
| 31 | Yeoncheon | Korean: 연천군 | Korean: 漣川郡 | 45,314 | 2 eup, 8 myeon | |
| — Claimed — | ||||||
| 32 | Gaeseong Special City | Korean: 개성특별시 | Korean: 改城貼別市 | 192,578 | 24 dong, 3 ri | |
| 33 | Gaepung-guyeok | Korean: 개풍구역 | Korean: 開豊區域 | Unknown | 2 dong, 14 ri | |
| 33 | Jangdan County | Korean: 장단군 | Korean: 長湍郡 | Unknown | Unknown | |