Provinces of Korea

thumb|The ancient country, [[Old Chosŏn]]

Korea has had administrative districts that can be considered provinces since the 7th century. These divisions were initially called ju () in Unified Silla and Later Baekje, and there were nine in total. After Goryeo conquered these states in the 10th century, twelve divisions called mok () were established, although they were reorganized into ten do () in the 11th century.

After Joseon's conquest of Goryeo, it established the Eight Provinces in 1413. These provincial boundaries closely reflected major regional and dialect boundaries, and are still significant in contemporary Korea. In 1895, as part of the Gabo Reform, the country was redivided into 23 districts (Bu; 부; ), which were replaced a year later by thirteen new provinces. The thirteen provinces of 1896 included three of the original eight provinces, with the five remaining original provinces divided into north and south halves (Bukdo (북도; ) and Namdo (남도; ) respectively). The thirteen provinces remained unchanged throughout the Japanese colonial period.

With the liberation of Korea in 1945, the Korean peninsula was divided into North Korea and South Korea, with the dividing line established along the 38th parallel. Three provinces—Hwanghae, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon (Kangwŏn)—were modified or split as a part of this. The special cities of Seoul (South Korea) and P'yŏngyang (North Korea) were formed in 1946. Between 1946 and 1954, five new provinces were created: Jeju in South Korea, and North and South Hwanghae, Chagang, and Ryanggang in North Korea. With the freezing of the Korean War in 1953, provincial boundaries were again modified between the two Koreas, and have since remained mostly unchanged; new cities and special administrative regions have since been created in their provinces.

Provinces of Balhae

Although southern part of Korean peninsula was took over by Silla, northern part was not fully conquered by nor Tang dynasty and Silla. Under the leadership of Tae Joyŏng, Parhae was founded. The country was divided into 5 capitals, 15 provinces; and 62 prefectures. Its territory covered former regions of Goguryeo while added territories of Outer Manchuria.

thumb

{| class="wikitable"

! style="valign:top;" |Hanja

! style="valign:top;" |Hangul

! style="valign:top;" |RR, Pinyin

!Modern location

|上京/龍州

|상경/용주

|Sanggyeong/Yongju

Shangjing/Longzhou

|Ning'an (寧安市)

(Manchu: Ninguta 寧古塔)

|中京/顯州

|중경/현주

|Junggyeong/Hyeonju

Zhongjing/Xianzhou

|Helong/Dunhua

(和龍市/敦化市)

|東京/慶州

|동경/경주

|Donggyeong/Gyeongju

Dongjing/Qingzhou

|Hunchun

|南京/沃州

|남경/옥주

|Namgyeong/Okju

Nanjing/Wozhou

|Hamheung

|西京/神州

|서경/신주

|Seogyeong/Sinju

Xijing/Shenzhou

|Linjiang

|瑕州

|하주

|Haju

Xiazhou

|Jingyu

(靖宇县)

|扶州

|부주

|Buju

Fuzhou

|Kaiyuan

|鄚州

|막주

|Makju

Mozhou

|Acheng

(阿城)

|定州

|정주

|Jeongju/Dingzhou

|Partizansk

|安州

|안주

|Anju

Anzhou

|Olga

|華州

|화주

|Hwaju

Huazhou

|Ussuriysk/Shuaibin

|伊州

|이주

|Iju

Yizhou

|Dangbi

(密山市/当壁鎮)

|德理鎮

|덕리진

|Deongnijin/Delizhen

|Yilan

(依蘭郷)

|達州

|달주

|Dalju

|Tongjiang

(同江市)

|寧州

|영주

|Yeongju

Ningzhou

|Dalnerechensk

Provinces of Unified Silla

thumb|Map of 9 districts of Unified Silla with their 5 sub capitals.

The Korean peninsula was mostly unified for the first time by the state Silla in the 7th century. Silla's capital was Geumseong (now Gyeongju). It had five sub-capitals () at Geumgwan-gyeong (, now Gimhae), Namwon-gyeong (남원경, Namwon), Seowon-gyeong (, Cheongju), Jungwon-gyeong (, Chungju), and Bugwon-gyeong (, Wonju).

The country was divided into nine provinces (): three in the pre-660 territory of Silla, and three each in the territories of the former kingdoms Baekje and Goguryeo.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Provinces of Silla Goryeo had three subcapitals: Donggyeong (now Gyeongju), Namgyeong (now Seoul), and Seogyeong (now Pyongyang).

Goryeo reorganized its provinces several times. Originally, the country had one royal district () around Gaegyeong and twelve administrative districts (). In 995, the twelve districts were redivided into ten provinces (). In 1005,

! Modern equivalent

!Silla equivalent

| Yangju-mok ()

| rowspan="4" | Gwannae-do

(관내도)

| rowspan="3" | Seohae-do (西海道,서해도)

| Hwanghae

| rowspan="5" |Hanju

| Hwangju-mok () || North Hwanghae

| Haeju-mok () || South Hwanghae

| Gwangju-mok ()

| rowspan="4" | Yanggwang-do (楊廣道,양광도)

| Gyeonggi

| Chungju-mok ()

| rowspan="2" | Jungwon-do

(중원도)

| rowspan="2" | North Chungcheong

| Cheongju-mok

| rowspan="2" | Ungju

| Gongju-mok || Hanam-do

(하남도)

| South Chungcheong

| Jeonju-mok () || Gangnam-do

(강남도)

| rowspan="3" | Jeolla-do (전라도)

| Jeonbuk

| Jeonju

| Naju-mok

| rowspan="2" | Haeyang-do

(해양도)

| rowspan="2" | South Jeolla

| rowspan="2" | Muju

| Seungju-mok

| Sangju-mok || Yeongnam-do

(영남도)

| rowspan="3" | Gyeongsang-do (경상도)

| North Gyeongsang

| Sangju

| rowspan="2" | Jinju-mok

| Sannam-do

(산남도)

| Western South Gyeongsang

| Gangju

| Yeongdong-do

(영동도)

| Eastern South Gyeongsang

| Yangju

| —

| rowspan="2" | Sakbang-do

(삭방도)

| Gyoju-do (교주도,交州道), also known as gyoju gangneungdo (交州江陵道,교주강릉도)

| rowspan="2" | Gangwon

| Sakju

| — || Donggye (東界,동계), also known as Dongbukmyeon (東北面,동북면)

| Myeongju

| — || Paeseo-do

(패서도)

| Bukgye (北界,북계), also known as Seobukmyeon (西北面,서북면)) || Pyeongan

| —

Provinces of Joseon

thumb|The Eight Provinces (Paldo)

thumb|220px|23 Districts (Isipsambu)

thumb|13 Provinces (Sipsamdo)

In 1413, Korea (at that time called Joseon) was divided into eight provinces: Chungcheong, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Hamgyŏng (originally called Yeonggil), Hwanghae (originally called P'unghae), and P'yŏngan.

{|class=wikitable

!RR Romaja!!M–R Romaja!!Hangul!!Hanja

!Name origin!!Capital!!Region!!Korean dialect!!Post-1896 Provinces

|Chungcheong||Ch'ungch'ŏng

|||

|Chungju (), Cheongju ()||Gongju||Hoseo||Chungcheong dialect

|North Chungcheong South Chungcheong

|Gangwon||Kangwŏn

|||

|Gangneung (), Wonju ()||Wonju||Gwandong (Yeongseo, Yeongdong||Gangwon dialect

|Gangwon

|Gyeonggi||Kyŏnggi

|||

|(See note)||Hanseong (Seoul)||Gijeon||Seoul dialect

|Gyeonggi

|Gyeongsang||Kyŏngsang

|||

|Gyeongju (), Sangju ()

|Daegu||Yeongnam||Gyeongsang dialect

|North Gyeongsang South Gyeongsang

|Hamgyeong||Hamgyŏng

|||

|Hamhung (), Kyongsong ()

|Hamhung||Kwanbuk, Kwannam

|Hamgyŏng dialect

|North Hamgyong South Hamgyong

|Hwanghae||Hwanghae

|||

|Hwangju (), Haeju ()

|Haeju||Haeso||Hwanghae dialect

|Hwanghae

|Jeolla||Chŏlla

|||

|Jeonju (), Naju ()

|Jeonju||Honam||Jeolla dialect; Jeju language

|North Jeolla South Jeolla

|Pyeongan||P'yŏngan

|||

|Pyongyang (), Anju ()

|Pyongyang||Kwanso||Pyongan dialect

|North Pyongan South Pyongan

Districts of Late Joseon period

In 1895, Korea was redivided into 23 districts (Bu; 부; ), each named for the city or county that was its capital. The districts were short-lived, however, as the following year, the provincial system was restored.

Andong
Chuncheon
Chungju
Daegu
Dongnae
Gangneung
Gongju
Haeju
Hamhŭng
Hanseong
Hongju
Incheon
Jeju
Jeonju
Jinju
Kaesŏng
Kanggye
Kapsan
Kyŏngsŏng
Naju
Namwon
P'yŏngyang
Ŭiju

Provinces of the Korean Empire

In 1896, the former eight provinces were restored, with five of them (Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Hamgyŏng, and P'yŏngan) being divided into North and South Provinces (Bukdo (북도; ) and Namdo (남도; ) respectively). The resulting system of thirteen provinces lasted until the Division of Korea in 1945.

The thirteen provinces were: North and South Chungcheong, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, North and South Gyeongsang, North and South Hamgyŏng, Hwanghae, North and South Jeolla, and North and South P'yŏngan.

Provinces of Chōsen

thumb|Provinces of Korea during Japanese rule

Under Colonial Japanese rule, Korean provinces of Korean Empire, remained much the same, only taking on the Japanese reading of the hanja. The Provinces of Chōsen were:

{|class="wikitable sortable"

!Japanese name!!Kanji!!Kana!!Korean name!!Hangul

|Chūseihoku-dō||||||Chungcheongbuk-do||

|Chūseinan-dō||||||Chungcheongnam-do||

|Keishōhoku-dō||||||Gyeongsangbuk-do||

|Keishōnan-dō||||||Gyeongsangnam-do||

|Heianhoku-dō||||||Pyeonganbuk-do||

|Heian'nan-dō||||||Pyeongannam-do||

|Kōgen-dō||||||Gangwon-do||

|Kōkai-dō||||||Hwanghae-do||

|Kankyōhoku-dō||||||Hamgyeongbuk-do||

|Kankyōnan-dō||||||Hamgyeongnam-do||

|Zenranan-dō||||||Jeollanam-do||

|Zenrahoku-dō||||||Jeollabuk-do||

|Keiki-dō||||||Gyeonggi-do||

Provincial divisions since the division of Korea

thumb|Provinces of North and South Korea

At the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into Northern Korea and Southern Korea under trusteeship of the Soviet Union and the United States. The peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel in 1945. In 1948, the two zones became the independent countries of North Korea and South Korea.

Three provinces—Hwanghae, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon—were divided by the 38th parallel.

Most of Hwanghae Province belonged to the Northern zone. The southern portion became part of Gyeonggi Province in the south.
Most of Gyeonggi Province belonged to the Southern zone. In 1946, the northern portion became part of Hwanghae Province in the north.
Gangwon Province was divided roughly in half, to form modern-day Gangwon Province in South Korea and Kangwon Province in North Korea. The northern province is expanded in 1946 to include some area around the city of Wonsan (Originally part of South Hamgyong Province)

Also in 1946, the cities of Seoul in the south and Pyongyang in the north separated from Gyeonggi and South Pyongan Provinces respectively to become Special Cities. Both North Korea and South Korea have subsequently upgraded other cities to a level equal to a province, and these cities (special cities of North Korea and special cities of South Korea [qq.v.]) are sometimes counted along with provinces.

Finally, the new provinces of Jeju Province (in the south, in 1946) and Chagang Province (in the north, 1949) were formed, from parts of South Jeolla and North Pyongan respectively. In 1954, Ryanggang Province was split from South Hamgyong and Hwanghae was divided into North and South Hwanghae Provinces.

The following table lists the present provincial divisions in the Korean Peninsula.

{|class="wikitable sortable"

!RR Romaja!!M–R Romaja!!Hangul/Chosongul!!Hanja!!ISO!!Type

!Area!!Capital!!Region!!Country

|Busan||Pusan

|||||KR-26||City

|align=right|767||Yeonje||Yeongnam||South Korea

|ChungcheongbukNorth Chungcheong||ChungchongbukNorth Ch'ungch'ŏng

|||||KR-43||Province

|align=right|7,436||Cheongju||Hoseo||South Korea

|ChungcheongnamSouth Chungcheong||ChungchongnamSouth Ch'ungch'ŏng

|||||KR-44||Province

|align=right|8,352||Hongseong||Hoseo||South Korea

|Daegu||Taegu

|||||KR-27||City

|align=right|884||Jung||Yeongnam||South Korea

|Daejeon||Taejŏn

|||||KR-30||City

|align=right|539||Seo||Hoseo||South Korea

|Gangwon||Kangwŏn

|||||KR-42||Province

|align=right|16,894||Chuncheon||Gwandong||South Korea

|Gangwon||Kangwŏn

|||||KP-07||Province

|align=right|11,091||Wonsan||Gwandong||North Korea

|Gwangju||Kwangju

|||||KR-29||City

|align=right|501||Seo||Honam||South Korea

|Gyeonggi||Kyŏnggi

|||||KR-41||Province

|align=right|10,131||Suwon||Sudogwon||South Korea

|GyeongsangbukNorth Gyeongsang||KyongsangbukNorth Kyŏngsang

|||||KR-47||Province

|align=right|19,440||Andong||Yeongnam||South Korea

|GyeongsangnamSouth Gyeongsang||KyongsangnamSouth Kyŏngsang

|||||KR-48||Province

|align=right|11,859||Changwon||Yeongnam||South Korea

|HamgyongbukNorth Hamgyeong||HamgyongbukNorth Hamgyŏng

|||||KP-09||Province

|align=right|15,980||Chongjin||Kwanbuk||North Korea

|HamgyongnamSouth Hamgyeong||HamgyongnamSouth Hamgyŏng

|||||KP-08||Province

|align=right|18,534||Hamhung||Kwannam||North Korea

|HwanghaebukNorth Hwanghae

||HwanghaebukNorth Hwanghae

|

||

||KP-06

||Province

|align=right|8,154

||Sariwon

||Haeso

||North Korea

|HwanghaenamSouth Hwanghae

||HwanghaenamSouth Hwanghae

|

||

||KP-05

||Province

|align=right|8,450

||Haeju

||Haeso

||North Korea

|Incheon||Inch'ŏn

|||||KR-28||City

|align=right|1,029||Namdong||Sudogwon||South Korea

|Jagang||Chagang

|||||KP-04||Province

|align=right|16,765||Kanggye||Kwanso||North Korea

|Jeju||Cheju

|||||KR-49||Province

|align=right|1,846||Jeju City||Jejudo||South Korea

|JeollabukNorth Jeolla||JeollabukNorth Chŏlla

|||||KR-45||Province

|align=right|8,043||Jeonju||Honam||South Korea

|JeollanamSouth Jeolla||ChollanamSouth Chŏlla

|||||KR-46||Province

|align=right|11,858||Muan||Honam||South Korea

|Nampo||Namp'o

|||||KP-??||City

|align=right|829||Kangsŏ||Kwanso||North Korea

|Naseon||Rasŏn

|||||KP-13||City

|align=right|746||Rajin||Kwanbuk||North Korea

|PyeonganbukNorth Pyeongan||PyonganbukNorth P'yŏngan

|||||KP-03||Province

|align=right|12,680||Sinuiju||Kwanso||North Korea

|PyeongannamSouth Pyeongan||PyongannamSouth P'yŏngan

|||||KP-02||Province

|align=right|11,891||Pyongsong||Kwanso||North Korea

|Pyongyang||P'yŏngyang

|||||KP-01||City

|align=right|1,100||Chung||Kwanso||North Korea

|Gaeseong||Kaesŏng

|||||none||City

|align=right|442||Kaepung||Haeso||North Korea

|Yanggang||Ryanggang

|||||KP-10||Province

|align=right|13,880||Hyesan||Kwannam||North Korea

|Sejong||Sejong

|||||KR-50||City

|align=right|465||Hansol||Hoseo||South Korea

|Seoul||Sŏul

|||[1]||KR-11||City

|align=right|605||Jung||Sudogwon||South Korea

|Ulsan||Ulsan

|||||KR-31||City

|align=right|1,057||Nam||Yeongnam||South Korea

;Notes: 1 See Names of Seoul.

Notes

References

Sources

Nahm, Andrew C. (1988). Korea: Tradition and Transformation - A History of the Korean People. Elizabeth, NJ: Hollym International.
Nahm 1988 (in Korean).

Provinces of Korea

Provinces of Balhae

Provinces of Unified Silla

Provinces of Joseon

Districts of Late Joseon period

Provinces of the Korean Empire

Provinces of Chōsen

Provincial divisions since the division of Korea

See also

Notes

References

Sources

External links