Hadong County


Hadong County is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is located on the far-west side of the province, bordering South Jeolla Province. The county office is located at Hadeong-eup.

History

Hadong was originally called Dasachon when it was a part of the Jin state. It later became part of Nangnoguk, one of the Byeonhan confederacy's twelve statelets. According to the History of the Three Kingdoms, the region was called Handasa-gun before changing into Hadong-gun in 757 CE during the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla. During the Goryeo dynasty, the area was known as Hadong-hyeon. Amid the reign of the Joseon-era King Taejong in 1414, it became known as Hanamhyeon with Namhaehyeon. In 1702, was added to Hadong-gun. Hadong was raised to the status of Hadongdohobu in 1740, the thirtieth year of King Sukjong's reign.
On April 1, 1914, Seo-myeon and Geumyang-myeon were added to Hadong. Part of Seomjin-ri, Daap-myeon, and of South Jeolla Province were added to Hadong on January 1, 1915. In 1917, Naehoengbo-myeon was renamed to Hoengcheon-myeon while Deokyang-myeon was renamed to Jingyo-myeon. Geumyang-myeon was abolished and incorporated into Jingyo-myeon and Geumnam-myeon, formerly Nam-myeon, on January 1, 1933. On October 1, 1938, Hadong-myeon was elevated to Hadong-eup.
During the Korean War, the region was the site of the Hadong Ambush, a North Korean attack on US Army forces.

Local sights and attractions

Nestled between the Seomjin River and Mount Jiri, the county is a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists who enjoy nature. Portions of the Jirisan National Park lie within the county, forming the county's hilly, mountainous landscape.
The Ssanggyesa is a historic Korean Buddhist temple of the Jogye Order that has been designated a National Treasure.
Pak Gyeongni's 16-volume novel Land is partially set in the village of Pyeongsa-ri in Agyang-myeon, Hadong County. A replica of the fictional Choi family's home was built there to commemorate the author's legacy.

Green tea

Hadong has been famous for its green tea since the Silla era when an envoy brought green tea seeds from the Tang Empire to be planted locally. The local government has long promoted this as a major local attraction, including sponsoring a tourism advertisement that aired on CNN in 2007. The annual "wild tea" festival, lasting 25 days, takes place during May and June.

Development

While much of South Korea has experienced rapid industrial development, Hadong remains a destination for those wishing to escape the bustle of city living. However, a lack of industrial sector activity has left the government with little incentive to expand the sometimes inadequate existing road infrastructure. A petition for the allocation of funds for new road construction was signed by a number of Hadong residents.
Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has recently announced plans for the construction of a Gyeongsangnam-do leisure resort palace in Hadong.

Notable people

  • Jeong Gi-ryong
  • Yi Byeong-ju, a novelist, journalist, and reporter
  • Jeong Ho-seung
  • Kang Man-soo
  • Jeong Gongchae, a poet who won the 1960 Contemporary Literature Award

    Schools

Twin towns – sister cities

Hadong is twinned with: