Chuncheon

City in Gangwon, South Korea

Municipal City in South Korea

Chuncheon

Municipal City

Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul| 춘천시
• Hanja| 春川市
• Revised Romanization| Chuncheon-si
• McCune–Reischauer| Ch'unch'ŏn-si

Panoramic view of Chuncheon

Namiseom

KBS  Chuncheon

Kangwon National University

Legoland Korea

Chuncheon National Museum

Chuncheon City Hall

Flag

Badge

Location in South Korea

Coordinates: 37°52′N 127°44′E﻿ / ﻿37.867°N 127.733°E﻿ / 37.867; 127.733
Country| South Korea
Region| Yeongseo, Gwandong
Administrative divisions| 1 eup, 9 myeon, 15 dong
Government

[1]

• Mayor| Yuk Dong-han (육동한)
Area

• Total

| 1,116.41 km2 (431.05 sq mi)
Population

(September 2024[2])

• Total

| 286,124
• Density| 225/km2 (580/sq mi)
• Dialect

| Gangwon
Area code| +82-33-2xx
Climate| Dwa
Gangwon Provincial Office Annex in Chuncheon

Chuncheon (Korean: 춘천; Hanja: 春川市; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰun.tɕʰʌn]; literally spring river), formerly romanized as Ch'unch'ŏn, is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the north of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Soyang Lake and Uiam Lake (or Uiam Dam). The area has small river islands, such as Sangjungdo, Ha-Jungdo, Bungeodo, and Wido.

It is a popular destination among East Asian tourists as it was featured in the popular Korean drama Winter Sonata. It is where the resort island of Namiseom is located. Also, Gangwon Provincial Office is located in the city.

## History

[edit]

The area now occupied by the city was first settled several thousands of years ago, in prehistoric times, as demonstrated by stone-age archaeological evidence in the collections of Chuncheon National Museum and Hallym University Museum. In 637 AD the city was called Usooju. In 757 AD it was renamed Saku and again in 940 AD as Chunju (춘주; 春州) before receiving its current name in 1413. In 1896, Chuncheon became the capital city of Gangwon province. The city was largely destroyed during the Korean War in the Battle of Chuncheon.

Uiam Dam on the Bukhan River was completed in 1967.[3] In 1995 Chuncheon city was merged with the government of the surrounding Chuncheon county.

## Culture

[edit]

In the spring, the Chuncheon International Mime Festival is held, as well as the Spring Season Art Festival. In the summer, the Chuncheon Puppet Festival takes place. There is also a Makguksu festival; a cold noodle dish that originated in Chuncheon. Also celebrated in the summer is the International Animation Festival. The city has had its own annual marathon race since 1946; the Chuncheon Marathon is held every October. In winter, snow and ice festivals are organized. Currently, MAC Architects-Consultants Group Ltd. (명승건축그룹) is building the Design and Arts Arcadia of Myungseung in Chuncheon.

According to the legend surrounding the temple Cheongpyeongsa in Chuncheon, a man loved a princess so much that he became a snake and would not leave her alone. When she begged leave to collect rice from the temple, the snake let her go but then went looking for her, only to be struck dead by lightning. The princess then buried him at the temple.[4]

## Food

[edit]

The city was historically known as a chicken farming region, and is famous for "dak galbi", which translates as chicken ribs. It consists of chicken, sliced cabbage, sweet potatoes, tteok (rice cakes), and scallions, mixed with a spicy sauce heavy on gochujang. It is usually cooked in a big iron pan in the center of the table, but the original method is over charcoal. Despite the name, the dish is traditionally made from leg meat, not ribs.[5] There is even a street in the city dedicated to restaurants serving the dish, with some 25 restaurants populating the area.[6]

Also, the regional specialty Makguksu noodles are famed throughout the country.

## Tourism

[edit]

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### Festivities

[edit]

#### Cultural festival

[edit]

Gim Yujeong munhakje is a literature festival that takes place in April every year in memorial of the novelist Gim Yujeong.[7] Uiam jae is another festival in April in which people worship Nongae who sacrificed herself for the country.[8] In May, the Chuncheon International Mime Festival gathers troupes from places including Denmark, Taiwan, Germany etc., to give theatre and dance performance.[9] Chuncheon art festival in July provides performers with opportunities to show off their talents and skills.[10] Chuncheon International Early Music Festival also takes place in July with a wide range of classical traditional music of Korea.[11] Chuncheon Puppet Festival showcases traditional puppet shows every August while traditional theatre plays are performed on Chuncheon International Theatre Festival in September[12] Chuncheon International AniTown Festival in September is a free event that enables participants to learn more about animation production.[13]

#### Local festivals

[edit]

In August, visitors can enjoy traditional Chuncheon cuisines like Dak-galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) and Mak-guksu (buckwheat noodles) during the Chuncheon Dakgalbi & Makguksu Festival.[14] The Soyang festival, which takes place in September, promotes the cultural history of the Soyang Dam.[15]

#### Leisure sports festival

[edit]

There are three marathons in Chuncheon every year. The National inlineskate Chuncheon Marathon takes place in April while The Chosun Ilbo Chuncheon Marathon[16] and the Lakeside Chuncheon Marathon Festival[17] are both held in October.[18] People participate in Chuncheon Open International Taekwondo Championships in June to compete for championship in the Korean martial arts Taekwondo.[19] Gangchon national MTB Challenge Competition September is a mountain bike racing festival.[20]

### Legoland Korea Resort

[edit]

Main article: Legoland Korea Resort

Legoland Korea

Legoland Korea Resort in Chuncheon covers 280,000 square meters, making it the 2nd largest in Asia behind Legoland Malaysia Resort.[21]

## Economy

[edit]

Chuncheon is the market center for agricultural produce from the surrounding area. The main products are rice and soybeans. Since the 1960s light industry has become dominant in the city. After the huge success of the TV drama Winter Sonata, the city has also become a major "Korean Wave" (Han-ryu, 한류) tourist destination, attracting visitors from around East Asia.[22]

Legoland Korea on Jungdo Island opened on May 5, 2022, featuring seven clusters with different themes and 40 attractions.[23]

There are hydroelectric powerplants in the area around Chuncheon. The Soyang Dam is the largest sand gravel dam in East Asia.[24]

## Population

[edit]

Per Korean census data, Chuncheon's population has grown steadily over the past half century.

Historical populationYear| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1965 | 191,576| —
1970 | 209,821| +9.5%
1975 | 204,246| −2.7%
1980 | 210,985| +3.3%
1985 | 213,198| +1.0%
1990 | 217,869| +2.2%
1995 | 233,016| +7.0%
2000 | 251,991| +8.1%
2005 | 256,455| +1.8%
2010 | 272,739| +6.3%
2015 | 281,725| +3.3%
2020 | 284,645| +1.0%
Source: Statistics Korea (1965-2015),[25] citypopulation.de (2020)[26]

## Education

[edit]

National Universities

* Kangwon National University
* Chuncheon National University of Education
* Korea National Open University Gangwon Campus
* Korea Polytechnic 3 University

Private Universities

* Hallym University
* Hallym Sungsim University
* Songgok College

## Transportation

[edit]

Chuncheon station

As of June 2014, there are two train stations in the Chuncheon suburban area: the terminus of the Gyeongchun Line, Chuncheon station, and the busier Namchuncheon station. Gimyujeong, Baegyang-ri, Gulbongsan, and Gangchon stations, all located in rural Chuncheon, attract tourists. Gangchon is one of the most favorite recreational destinations for university students. The Gyeongchun Line is a double track rapid transit commuter train that connects to Yongsan, Cheongnyangni and Sangbong stations in Seoul. On 21 December 2010, a new realignment of the Gyeongchun Line was opened, and several new or transferable stations have since been opened to replace the existing stations outside Chuncheon, such as Cheonmasan, Sinnae, and Byeollae.

There is the Gyeongchun Line subway in Chuncheon. If you use the Gyeongchun Line, you can get to Chuncheon in an hour and a half from Seoul.

Chuncheon is the northern terminus of the publicly funded Jungang Expressway, and the main destination of the privately run Seoul-Chuncheon Expressway, also known as Gyeongchun Expressway that connects to Seoul and Hongcheon-east.[27] As of 2017, the expressway has been extended to east coast city of Yangyang, thus renamed to Seoul-Yangyang Expressway. Chuncheon Bus Terminal connects to all major cities in mainland South Korea.

On National roads-wise, Chuncheon is also the main strategic destination that connects between Changwon to Cheolwon of Route (Number) 5, Incheon to Goseong of 46, and Cheolwon to Yangyang of 56.

There are also river transport facilities in Soyangho (Lake Soyang), which connects to Cheongpyeongsa (청평사, Buddhist) temple.[24]

## Climate

[edit]

Chuncheon has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa)[28] with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. The lowest measured temperature was −27.9 °C (−18 °F) (6 February 1969),[29] and the highest was 39.5 °C (103 °F) (1 August 2018).[30] The annual precipitation is an average of 1347.3 mm.

Climate data for Chuncheon (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °C (°F)  | 12.7
(54.9)  | 19.9
(67.8)  | 23.5
(74.3)  | 32.0
(89.6)  | 34.0
(93.2)  | 36.4
(97.5)  | 37.2
(99.0)  | 39.5
(103.1)  | 34.7
(94.5)  | 28.5
(83.3)  | 24.8
(76.6)  | 16.6
(61.9)  | 39.5
(103.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 1.9
(35.4)  | 5.4
(41.7)  | 11.6
(52.9)  | 18.9
(66.0)  | 24.3
(75.7)  | 28.1
(82.6)  | 29.3
(84.7)  | 29.9
(85.8)  | 25.6
(78.1)  | 19.6
(67.3)  | 11.2
(52.2)  | 3.5
(38.3)  | 17.4
(63.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)  | −4.1
(24.6)  | −1.0
(30.2)  | 5.0
(41.0)  | 11.7
(53.1)  | 17.6
(63.7)  | 22.2
(72.0)  | 24.9
(76.8)  | 25.0
(77.0)  | 19.8
(67.6)  | 12.7
(54.9)  | 5.3
(41.5)  | −2.0
(28.4)  | 11.4
(52.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | −9.3
(15.3)  | −6.7
(19.9)  | −1.1
(30.0)  | 4.7
(40.5)  | 11.3
(52.3)  | 17.0
(62.6)  | 21.3
(70.3)  | 21.3
(70.3)  | 15.3
(59.5)  | 7.5
(45.5)  | 0.4
(32.7)  | −6.6
(20.1)  | 6.3
(43.3)
Record low °C (°F)  | −25.6
(−14.1)  | −27.9
(−18.2)  | −16.2
(2.8)  | −6.4
(20.5)  | 1.6
(34.9)  | 5.6
(42.1)  | 11.7
(53.1)  | 11.3
(52.3)  | 1.9
(35.4)  | −5.4
(22.3)  | −15.8
(3.6)  | −21.7
(−7.1)  | −27.9
(−18.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 18.6
(0.73)  | 27.6
(1.09)  | 33.5
(1.32)  | 71.5
(2.81)  | 99.4
(3.91)  | 122.9
(4.84)  | 398.2
(15.68)  | 319.9
(12.59)  | 128.1
(5.04)  | 49.3
(1.94)  | 48.3
(1.90)  | 24.2
(0.95)  | 1,341.5
(52.81)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 6.2  | 5.9  | 7.3  | 8.3  | 9.1  | 9.9  | 15.6  | 14.0  | 8.3  | 6.0  | 8.0  | 7.5  | 106.1
Average snowy days  | 8.8  | 6.3  | 3.9  | 0.2  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 0.0  | 1.8  | 6.7  | 27.7
Average relative humidity (%)  | 68.0  | 63.2  | 60.6  | 58.8  | 65.0  | 70.6  | 80.0  | 80.5  | 78.2  | 76.2  | 73.3  | 71.5  | 70.5
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 170.0  | 174.3  | 199.9  | 210.1  | 227.5  | 205.0  | 144.2  | 166.3  | 173.3  | 178.9  | 141.8  | 148.4  | 2,139.7
Percentage possible sunshine | 54.1  | 56.6  | 53.3  | 54.5  | 50.2  | 45.3  | 32.1  | 40.1  | 46.6  | 50.0  | 46.4  | 50.0  | 47.7
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration (snow and percent sunshine 1981–2010)[31][30][32]

## Sports

[edit]

* Chuncheon Songam Sports Town

### International competitions

[edit]

High1 (하이원) is an ice hockey team based in Chuncheon. The club was a member of the Asia League Ice Hockey between 2005 and 2019.

### Domestic competitions

[edit]

Chuncheon's association football club, Chuncheon FC, is a member of the K4 League, a semi-professional football competition and the fourth tier of the South Korean football league system. The club was founded on 27 February 2010 with its home at the Chuncheon Stadium.

## Notable people

[edit]

* Son Heung-Min (손흥민), South Korean professional footballer
* Hwang Hee-chan (황희찬), South Korean professional footballer
* Hur Jae (허재), South Korean basketball coach and former basketball player
* Kim Jun-hyun (김준현), South Korean comedian
* Park Bo-ram (박보람), South Korean singer-songwriter
* Seunghee (Real Name: Hyun Seung-hee, 현승희), singer, dancer, actress and K-pop idol, member of K-pop girl group Oh My Girl
* Yebin (Real Name: Baek Ye-bin, 백예빈), singer-songwriter, dancer, composer and K-pop idol, former member of K-pop girl groups DIA and Uni.T.
*   * Changjo (Real Name: Choi Jong-hyun, 최종현), singer-songwriter, rapper, dancer, model, actor and K-pop idol, member of K-pop boy group Teen Top
* Gim Yu-jeong (김유정), one of the novelists of Korea
* Jin Jong-oh (진종오), a South Korean sports shooter who competed at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics
* Han Seung-soo (한승수), the 39th prime minister of Rep. of Korea, tenure 2008–2009
* Minji (Real Name: Kim Min-ji, 김민지), singer-songwriter, dancer, and K-pop idol, member of K-pop girl group NewJeans

## Sister cities

[edit]

Chuncheon protested against the enactment of "Day of Takeshima" ordinance of Shimane Prefecture, which expressed dispute over the Dokdo Islands, and announced suspension of its sisterhood relationship with Kakamigahara in March 2005.[33]

City  | State  | Country  | Year launched  | Year terminated

|
|
|
|

Higashichikuma District |  Nagano Prefecture |  Japan  | 8 June 1984  |
Hōfu |  Yamaguchi Prefecture |  Japan  | 29 October 1991  |
Dongdaemun District | Seoul |  South Korea  | 2003  |
Ansan | Gyeonggi Province |  South Korea  | 2011  |
Kakamigahara |  Gifu Prefecture |  Japan  | 31 October 2003  | 25 June 2005
Addis Ababa | Addis Ababa (State)  |  Ethiopia  | 2 May 2004  |
Chicago |  Illinois |  United States | 1998
Nanyang | Henan |  China  | 15 September 2012  |

## See also

[edit]

* List of cities in South Korea

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "chuncheon mayor". chuncheon City. 2024.
2. ^ "Population statistics". Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety. 2024.
3. ^ Young-kwon Kim; Korea (South). Haeoe Kongbogwan; Soo-jung Lee (1978). A Handbook of Korea. Korean Overseas Information Service, Ministry of Culture and Information. p. 576. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
4. ^ Cin Woo Lee "Simply stunning: 33 incredible Korean temples" Archived 17 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine CNN Go. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012
5. ^ "Hansik.org". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
6. ^ Chuncheon's Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken with vegetables) Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Tour2Korea.com, Retrieved on 14 April 2006
7. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
8. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
9. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
10. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
11. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
12. ^ "CITF". citf.or.kr. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
13. ^ "GimC:Gangwon Information & Multimedia Corporation". gimc.or.kr.
14. ^ 2018 춘천막국수닭갈비축제. Mdfestival.com.
15. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
16. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
17. ^ 춘천호반마라톤대회, 2018 함기용 세계제패기념 제15회. 2018 함기용 세계제패기념 제15회 춘천호반마라톤대회. hoban.wizrun.com.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
18. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
19. ^ "koreaopentkd.org". Koreaopentkd.org.
20. ^ "Tour.chuncheon.go.kr". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
21. ^ "Korea's own Legoland to open next May". 28 September 2021.
22. ^ A promo page of Gangwon Drama Gallery Archived 27 September 2007 at archive.today, Chuncheon, 2005
23. ^ "Legoland Korea, a decade in the making, opens on Children's Day". Korea JoongAng Daily. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
24. ^ a b Lake Soyang (Gangwon province) Archived 11 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
25. ^ 통계청. Kostat.go.kr. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
26. ^ Chuncheon population statistics
27. ^ In contrast of private-owned Seoul-Chuncheon, The current line of Chuncheon Junction to East Hongcheon interchange is run by KEC, publicly.
28. ^ "Chuncheon climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Chuncheon weather averages". En.climate-data.org. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
29. ^ 전년 일최저기온 (°C) 최저순위, 지점:101 지명:춘천 Korea Meteorological Administration
30. ^ a b 순위값 - 구역별조회 (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
31. ^ "Climatological Normals of Korea (1991 ~ 2020)" (PDF) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. pp. II-19, II-20, II-453. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
32. ^ "Climatological Normals of Korea" (PDF). Korea Meteorological Administration. 2011. p. 499 and 649. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
33. ^ 冬ソナ・春川市も交流中断 姉妹関係の各務原市などと) (in Japanese). Kyodo News. 18 March 2005. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2008.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chuncheon.

* Chuncheon travel guide from Wikivoyage
* Official Homepage of Chuncheon (in English)

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