Sacheon Explained

Sacheon
Native Name:Korean: 사천시
Settlement Type:Municipal City
Translit Lang1:Korean
Translit Lang1 Type1:Hangul
Translit Lang1 Info1:Korean: 사천시
Translit Lang1 Type2:Hanja
Translit Lang1 Info2:Korean: {{linktext|泗|川|市
Translit Lang1 Info3:Sacheon-si
Translit Lang1 Info4:Sach'ŏn-si
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Yeongnam
Population Blank1 Title:Dialect
Population Blank1:Gyeongsang
Area Total Km2:396.99
Population Total:114556
Population Density Km2:288.6
Parts Type:Administrative divisions
Parts:1 eup, 7 myeon, 6 dong
Image Blank Emblem:Sacheon logo.png
Blank Emblem Type:Emblem of Sacheon

Sacheon (; pronounced as /ko/) is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Sacheon's chief fame comes from its being the site of two naval battles in the Seven Year War.

The city as it now exists results from the merging of Sacheon-gun and Samcheonpo-si in 1995. The northern part of the city is called Sacheon-eub and is located at the top of Sacheon Bay, near the city of Jinju. The southern part of the city is located in the old Samcheonpo-si, which is located at the mouth of Sacheon Bay.

History

During prehistoric times, the local area was very important for trade between the interior and coastal area. A large central settlement called the Igeum-dong site developed in the neighbourhood of the same name in Samcheonpo. This complex site was a major settlement, megalithic cemetery, and ceremonial area during the latter part of the Middle Mumun pottery period (c. 700-550 B.C.). Several islands that lie just off the coast of Samcheonpo, including Neuk-do Island and Ma-do Islet, were also important during the same period and into the Korean Protohistoric period when this part of Korea increased its trade contacts with the chiefdoms in the Liaoning Province region of China, Taedong-gang River area of North Korea, and Yayoi chiefdoms of Western Japan (c. 300 B.C.- A.D. 300/400).

Economy

Traditionally, the urbanized part of Sacheon (Sacheon-eub) and the coastal settlement of Samcheonpo have different economic functions. Samcheonpo has a good harbour and has been sustained by fishing and other marine industries for hundreds of years. This part of the city continues to be a regional hub for these industries: A major fish market and a number of live fish distribution centres are located at the harbour area. Sacheon-eub is in close proximity to the Namhae Expressway and the city of Jinju, thus contains manufacturing, transport and service industry facilities.

Korean Aerospace Industries, a national South Korean aerospace company, is based in Sacheon. British American Tobacco Korea has a major manufacturing complex in Sacheon, too.

Much of the area between Sacheon-eub and Samcheonpo is a narrow coastal plain, and devoted to fruit producing orchards as well as wet and dry agriculture.

Transportation

Sacheon Airport is located in the industrial part of Sacheon-eup, and there are two daily flights to Seoul's Gimpo airport. The Korean National Railroad passenger terminal is located in nearby Jinju. Sacheon-eup and Samcheonpo both have bus terminals that serve local and regional destinations such as Jinju, Masan, and Busan.

Attractions

The harbour area of Samcheonpo contains a multitude of rustic but popular raw fish restaurants close to the waterfront. The fish and traditional market areas are nearby.

The harbour of Samcheonpo is the gateway to a number of small islands lying offshore, where people still practice a traditional fishing subsistence lifestyle that dates back to the Jeulmun Period (c. 4000 BC).

Twin towns – sister cities

Sacheon is twinned with:

Trivia

In Korean, the idiom "Korean: 잘 나가다가 삼천포로 빠진다", literally "Was going well but suddenly slips into Samcheonpo," means that a speaker has gone off-topic.[1]

Park Seonghwa, member of the K-pop group ATEEZ, was born in Sacheon, but was raised in Jinju.[2]

See also

External links

35.0667°N 133°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 잘 나가다가 삼천포로 빠진다 유래 . 잘 나가다가 삼천포로 빠진다 유래 . 27 January 2022.
  2. Web site: SEONGHWA (ATEEZ) Profile, Facts & Favorites - karchives . KArchives . 1 November 2022.