During most of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces (do; 도; 道). The eight provinces' boundaries remained unchanged for almost five centuries from 1413 to 1895, and formed a geographic paradigm that is still reflected today in the Korean Peninsula's administrative divisions, dialects, and regional distinctions. The names of all eight provinces are still preserved today, in one form or another. Hangul (hangul: 한글; revised: hangeul; McCune-Reischauer: hangÅ­l) is the native alphabet used to write the Korean language, as opposed to the Hanja system borrowed from China. ... Hanja (hangul: 한자; hanja: 漢字; revised: hanja; McCune-Reischauer: hancha; lit. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... The Joseon Dynasty (also Chosun, Hangul: 조선왕조, Hanja: 朝鮮王朝) was the final ruling dynasty of Korea, lasting from 1392 until 1910. ... Korea refers to South Korea and North Korea together, which were a unified country until 1948. ... This article describes the historical evolution of Koreas provinces (Do ; Hangul: 도; Hanja: 道). ... Do can refer to: In English, do is a verb whose use as an auxiliary verb is often grammatically required for negation and for interrogative sentences. ... // Events March 20 - Henry V becomes King of England Project of Annals of Joseon Dynasty began. ... 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. ...

History

Provinces before 1895

In 1413 (the 13th year of the reign of King Taejong), the northeastern boundary of Korea was extended to the Tumen River. The country was reorganized into eight provinces: Chungcheong, Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, P'unghae (renamed Hwanghae in 1417), P'yŏngan, and Y'ŏnggil (eventually renamed Hamgyŏng in 1509). // Events March 20 - Henry V becomes King of England Project of Annals of Joseon Dynasty began. ... King Taejong was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great. ... The Tumen (Duman) River is a river in northeast Asia, on the border between China and North Korea in its upper reaches, and between North Korea and Russia in its lower stretches. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... Events Antipope Benedict XIII is deposed, and Pope Martin V is elected. ... Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... // Events February 2 - Battle of Diu took place near Diu, India. ...

Districts of 1895-96

For almost 500 years, the eight-province system remained virtually unchanged. In 1895 (the 32nd year of the reign of King Gojong), the five-century-old provincial system was abolished. On May 26 of that year—as part of the Gabo Reform—the country was redivided into 23 districts, each named for the city or county that was its capital. 1895 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Gojong (1852–1919) was the 26th king and 1st emperor of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. ... May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). ... The Gabo Reform or Gabo Gyeongjang (갑오 경장; 甲午更張) describes a series of sweeping reforms introduced into Korea (at that time called Joseon) in 1894, during the reign of King Gojong. ...

(Each district name in the following list links to the article on the province from which the district was formed from, and where more detailed information on the district is provided):

Andong, Chuncheon, Chungju, Daegu, Dongnae, Gangneung, Gongju, Haeju, Hamhŭng, Hanseong, Hongju, Incheon, Jeju, Jeonju, Jinju, Kaesŏng, Kanggye, Kapsan, Kyŏngsŏng, Naju, Namwon, P'yŏngyang, Ŭiju Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ...

Restored provinces of 1896

The new system of districts did not last long, however, as one year later, on August 4, 1896 (the 33rd year of King Gojong), the former eight provinces were restored, with five of them (Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, Hamgyŏng, and P'yŏngan), being divided into north and south halves, to form a total of 13 provinces. August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

The resulting 13 provinces—the eight traditional provinces, of which five had simply been divided in half—remained unchanged through the entire lifetime of the Korean Empire (1897-1910) and the Japanese Colonial Period (1910-1945). Since the end of World War II and the division of Korea in 1945, special cities and administrative regions and a handful of new provinces have been added in both the South and North. The Korean Empire existed from 1897 to 1910. ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... In Korean history, the Period of Japanese Rule or Iljeong Sidae (일정시대; 日政時代; (Period of Japanese Rule) in Korean) describes the period from 1910 to 1945, when Korea (at that time called Chosun) was ruled by Japan. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... The Korean peninsula, first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line The division of Korea occured after the end of World War 2 through an agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States as a way of administering the country. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... National motto: 널리 인간 세계를 이롭게 하라 Translation: Broadly bring benefit to humanity Official language Korean Capital Seoul Largest city Seoul President Roh Moo-hyun Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 108th 99,274 km² 0. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia, covering the northern half of the peninsula of Korea. ...

(See Provinces of Korea and Special cities of Korea for more historical information. For modern-day administrative divisions, see Administrative divisions of South Korea and Administrative divisions of North Korea.) This article describes the historical evolution of Koreas provinces (Do ; Hangul: 도; Hanja: 道). ... In North and South Korea, Special cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces (Do). ... Administrative divisions of South Korea South Korea is divided into 1 Special City (Teukbyeolsi), 6 Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi), and 9 Provinces (Do). ... Administrative divisions of North Korea As of 2004, North Korea consisted of two directly-governed cities (Chikalshi; 직할시;直轄市), three special administrative regions with various designations, and nine provinces (Do, singular and plural; 도; 道). ...

Cultural significance

The boundaries between the eight provinces for the most part followed rivers, mountain chains, and other natural boundaries, and consequently corresponded closely to dialect and cultural divisions. Because of this natural fit between the provincial boundaries and the "real world," most of the provincial boundaries and names have survived in one form or another down to today, and most Koreans are keenly aware of the regional and dialect distinctions that still exist. (For example, a famous regional rivalry exists between Gyeongsang and Jeolla residents, due to historic social, economic, and political differences.) Most of the traditional provinces also had alternative regional names which are still used today (especially Honam, Yeongdong, and Yeongnam). Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Korea has traditionally been divided into a number of unofficial regions that reflect historical, geographical, and dialect boundaries within the peninsula. ... Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. ... This article is about Yeongdong, a region in eastern Korea. ... Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea. ...

Modern-day usage

The term Paldo ("Eight Provinces") is itself often used as a shorthand to denote Korea as a whole, or to describe the traditional folk culture of Korea's regions. Thus, one sometimes finds such expressions as:

• Paldo kimchi in reference to the many varieties of kimchi unique to particular regions of Korea;
• Paldo Arirang to denote the hundreds of regional versions of the popular folk song Arirang; and
• Paldo sori to broadly refer to the diversity of folk music (sori; "sounds") across Korea.

Cf. The four Provinces of Ireland—where reference to the ancient provinces is used to talk of the entire Irish island. Kimchi or gimchi or kimchee is a traditional Korean dish of fermented chile peppers and vegetables, usually based on cabbage. ... Arirang is arguably the most popular and best known Korean folk song, both inside and outside Korea. ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ...

Names

With the exception of Gyeonggi (see note 2 below), each province took its name from the initial Hanja (Sino-Korean characters) of two of its principal cities. The origin of each province's name is detailed in the table below. Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Hanja (hangul: 한자; hanja: 漢字; revised: hanja; McCune-Reischauer: hancha; lit. ... Sino-Korean describes those elements of the Korean language that come directly or indirectly from Chinese — namely, Hanja and the words formed from them (Korean hangul: 한자어; hanja: 漢字語; revised: hanjaeo; McCune-Reischauer: hanchaŏ; lit. ...

Table of provinces

The table below lists the eight provinces in romanized spelling, Hangul and Hanja; the origin of their names; their capitals, dialects, and regional names; and the 13 provinces that replaced them in 1896. (The capitals and regional names are as of the mid 19th century. Since they were not official, other regional names were also used, but the ones in the table are the most widely used or representative.) There are three commonly used romanization schemes for the Korean Hangul script, namely: Revised Romanization of Korean: official in South Korea since 2000 and quite common on the Internet; McCune-Reischauer: formerly official in South Korea and a variation of which is currently official in North Korea, and common in... Hangul (hangul: 한글; revised: hangeul; McCune-Reischauer: hangÅ­l) is the native alphabet used to write the Korean language, as opposed to the Hanja system borrowed from China. ... Hanja (hangul: 한자; hanja: 漢字; revised: hanja; McCune-Reischauer: hancha; lit. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Hangul (hangul: 한글; revised: hangeul; McCune-Reischauer: hangÅ­l) is the native alphabet used to write the Korean language, as opposed to the Hanja system borrowed from China. ... Hanja (hangul: 한자; hanja: 漢字; revised: hanja; McCune-Reischauer: hancha; lit. ... Korea has traditionally been divided into a number of unofficial regions that reflect historical, geographical, and dialect boundaries within the peninsula. ... The Korean language is spoken in a number of different dialects around the Korean peninsula. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Chungju is a city in North Chungcheong province, South Korea. ... Cheongju is a city in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea, and the capital of North Chungcheong. ... Gongju (Gongju-si) is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... North Chungcheong is a province in the centre of South Korea. ... South Chungcheong is a province in the west of South Korea. ... Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Gangneung is a city in Gangwon Province, on the east coast of South Korea. ... Wonju is a city in Gangwon province, South Korea. ... Wonju is a city in Gangwon province, South Korea. ... ... Yeongseo is the western, inland region of Gangwon Province, South Korea and Kangwon Province, North Korea. ... This article is about Yeongdong, a region in eastern Korea. ... Gangwon (Gangwon-do) is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Seoul (서울, â–¶(?)) is the capital of South Korea and is one of the most populous cities in the world, located in the northwestern part of the country on the Han River. ... Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Gyeonggi is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Gyeongju is a city (see Subdivisions of South Korea) and prominent tourist destination in eastern South Korea. ... Sangju is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. ... Daegu is the 4th largest metropolitan area in South Korea, and is officially called Daegu Metropolitan City. ... Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea. ... North Gyeongsang is a province in eastern South Korea. ... South Gyeongsang is a province in the southeast of South Korea. ... Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Hamhŭng (Hamhŭng-si) is the capital of South Hamgyŏng Province, North Korea. ... Hamhŭng (Hamhŭng-si) is the capital of South Hamgyŏng Province, North Korea. ... Kwanbuk is a region in North Hamgyong and South Hamgyong Provinces of North Korea. ... Kwannam is the southern region of the Hamgyong provinces, North Hamgyong and South Hamgyong, North Korea. ... North Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-pukto) is a province of North Korea. ... South Hamgyŏng (Hamgyŏng-namdo) is a province of North Korea. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... Haeju (Hanja: 海州) is a city in North Korea located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay. ... Haeju (Hanja: 海州) is a city in North Korea located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... Hwanghae (Hwanghae-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, and one of the thirteen provinces of Korea during the Japanese Colonial Period. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeonju (Jeonju-si) is a city in and the capital of North Jeolla Province, South Korea. ... Naju (Naju-si) is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. ... Jeonju (Jeonju-si) is a city in and the capital of North Jeolla Province, South Korea. ... Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. ... North Jeolla is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... South Jeolla is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-do) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Pyŏngyang (평양 / 平壤) is the capital city of North Korea, located in the northwest of the country, situated on the Taedong River. ... North Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-pukto) is a province of North Korea. ... South Pyŏngan (Pyŏngan-namdo) is a province of North Korea. ...

Notes

Li or li may refer to: Lee or Li is a transliteration of several Chinese and Korean family names, see Li (Chinese name) and Lee (Korean name). ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... The Capital Metropolitan Area is a region located at the center of the Korean peninsula and is home to the capital of South Korea, Seoul. ... Incheon Metropolitan City is a metropolitan city and major seaport on the west coast of South Korea, near Seoul. ... North Hwanghae (Hwanghae-pukto) is a province of North Korea. ... South Hwanghae (Hwanghae-namdo) is a province of North Korea. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jeju is the smallest province of South Korea, situated on its largest island. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Dialects of Korean
• Regions of Korea
• Provinces of Korea
• Special cities of Korea
• Administrative divisions of South Korea
• Administrative divisions of North Korea

• For comparison, see:
  • Provinces of France
  • Provinces of Ireland
  • Provinces of Japan

This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ... The Korean language is spoken in a number of different dialects around the Korean peninsula. ... Korea has traditionally been divided into a number of unofficial regions that reflect historical, geographical, and dialect boundaries within the peninsula. ... This article describes the historical evolution of Koreas provinces (Do ; Hangul: 도; Hanja: 道). ... In North and South Korea, Special cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces (Do). ... Administrative divisions of South Korea South Korea is divided into 1 Special City (Teukbyeolsi), 6 Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi), and 9 Provinces (Do). ... Administrative divisions of North Korea As of 2004, North Korea consisted of two directly-governed cities (Chikalshi; 직할시;直轄市), three special administrative regions with various designations, and nine provinces (Do, singular and plural; 도; 道). ... The Kingdom of France was organized into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ... Before the modern prefecture system was established, the land of Japan was divided into tens of kuni (国, countries). ...

External links

Note: Unfortunately, there is little detailed information on the Eight Provinces available online in English. The sources listed below are all in Korean only.

• South Korean government page on Korea's traditional provincial and regional names
• Article on the eight provinces, and the 23 districts and 13 provinces that replaced them
• Article on the 1895 changes to administrative divisions (includes a table listing the 13 post-1896 provinces)
• Seoul City history article on Hanseong and 22 other late 19th-century districts (includes a detailed list of all the counties into which the 23 districts were divided)

The Eight Provinces of Joseon-Dynasty Korea
Chungcheong | Gangwon | Gyeonggi | Gyeongsang | Hamgyŏng | Hwanghae | Jeolla | P'yŏngan