About Jeollanam-do
South Jeolla Province, South Korea
History of Jeonnam
Jeollanam-do is a province in South Korea well-known for its dedication to justice, as evidenced by its role during difficult times such as the Japanese Invasion of 1592, periods of guerrilla resistance against invasion from foreign enemies, and during the May 18 Democratic Movement.
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Samhan/Three-Kingdom
The last capital city of the Mahan Kingdom and one of the five bangs (administrative provinces) during the Baekje Kingdom.
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Unified Silla Kingdom
Mujinju, one of 9 ju and 5 sogyeong (administrative provinces and districts), was referred to as Muju in 757, the 16th year of King Gyeongdeok’s reign.
Goryeo Kingdom
Named Haeyangdo in 995, the 14th year of King Seongjong’s reign, and renamed Jeolla-do in 1018, the 9th year of King Hyeonjong’s reign.
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Joseon Kingdom
Jeollado was divided into Jeollabukdo and Jeollanamdo on August 4, 1896, the 32nd year of Emperor Gojong’s reign, according to Imperial Order No. 36.
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Present
Gwangju City was promoted to Metropolitan City status and separated from Jeollanamdo on November 1, 1986.
Jeollanamdo Provincial Government was relocated from Gwangju Metropolitan City to Muan-gun, Jeollanamdo in November 2005.
Geography of Jeonnam
Jeollanam-do is located in the south-western end of the Korean peninsula. Jeollanam-do faces China across the ocean to the west and Japan to the south-east, which makes it a hub of East Asia, a starting point of Europe and Asia, and a gateway to the Pacific Ocean.
Rivers flowing across Jeollanam-do provide fertile farmlands by creating vast plains southwest and northwest of the river basins. There are three primary rivers in the region: Yeongsangang River, which flows into Mokpo Bay; Seomjingang River, which originates in Jeollabukdo and flows down the eastern mountainous terrains in Jeollanamdo and Jeollabukdo; and Tamjingang River, which flows through Jangheung-gun and Gangjin-gun. Regarding the plains of Jeollanam-do’s, Naju Plain in the Yeongsangang River basin and Honam Plain in Jeollabukdo are some of Korea’s most prominent granaries.
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Located in the south-western part of the Korean Peninsula
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Peaks of the Sobaek Mountain Range bordering Gyeongsangnamdo to the east
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Low hilly terrains of the Noryeong Mountain Range bordering Jeollabukdo to the west
Location
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“East High West Low” and “North High South Low”
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Terrain is more alpine to the east than to the north
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Heavily indented coast in south-western area
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With 2,165 islands, comprising 65% of the entire Korean islands. (Source: Ocean & Ports Division (2017))
Geography
*Land areas of administrative districts in ㎢
Administrative Districts and Population of Jeonnam
5 cities, 17 counties (gun), and 297 eups, myeons and dongs. Land area is 12,345.21㎢ (12.3 % of the entire country) and sea area is 26,450㎢ (37.3% of the entire country).
Clean Natural Environment
JeollaNamdo is a productive land with optimal natural conditions for the eco-friendly era, and boasts mother-like warmth and excellent natural healing powers.
Fresh Air
The concentration of negative ions of oxygen in Jeollanamdo, also known as “vitamins in the air”, is 8 times higher than that of the country’s capital (at 1,736 ions/㎤ compared with 200 ions/㎤) and the quantity of hazardous heavy metals in Jeollanamdo is 1/30 of the environmental standards requirements.
Global Marine Resources
Jeollanamdo is home to the majority of islands in Korea, the longest coastlines, and the largest mudflats, along with marine spaces 2.2 times as wide as its land size, various marine ecosystems, and sufficient marine resources.
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Sea: 26,450㎢ (accounting for 37.3% of 71,000 ㎢ in Korea)
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Coastlines: 6,743 ㎢ (accounting for 45% of 14,963 ㎢ in Korea)
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Mudflats: 1,037 ㎢ (accounting for 41.7% of 2,489 ㎢ in Korea, one of the five largest mudflats in the world)
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Islands: 2,219 (accounting for 65.1% of 3,409 islands in Korea)
※ 296 inhabited islands (487 in Korea), 1,923 uninhabited islands (2,922 in Korea)
Mild Climate
Jeollanamdo receives 2,138.8 hours of sunshine on average per year, slightly higher than the national average of 2,122.5 hours. The average temperature is 14℃, above the national average.
Highest Solar Radiation in Jeollanamdo
Solar radiation in Mokpo-si, Jeollanamdo is 5,110MJ, 10% higher than that of the national average (and 20% higher than the capital area), making for an optimal site for photovoltaic generation.
Clean Waters
Spring waters in Jeollanam-do are rich with minerals (calcium, magnesium, and potassium), germanium, and selenium, enhancing anti-cancer functions, immunity, salvation, and physiology.