Suncheon

Suncheon
Flag of Suncheon
Location in South Korea
Location in South Korea
Coordinates: 34°57′02″N 127°29′15″E / 34.95056°N 127.48750°E / 34.95056; 127.48750
CountrySouth Korea
RegionHonam
Provincial-level cityJeonnam-Gwangju
Administrative divisions1 eup, 10 myeon, 12 dong
Government
 • MayorNo Gwan-gyu (노관규)
Area
 • Total
907.43 km2 (350.36 sq mi)
Population
 (September 2024)
 • Total
276,375
 • Density304.57/km2 (788.83/sq mi)
 • Dialect
Jeolla
Time zoneUTC+9 (Korea Standard Time)
Area code+82-61
Korean name
Hangul
순천시
Hanja
順天市
RRSuncheon-si
MRSunch'ŏn-si

Suncheon (Korean: 순천; Korean pronunciation: [sʰun.tɕʰʌn]) is the largest city in Jeonnam-Gwangju, South Korea, with a population of 280,719 as of 2022. It is located in the southeast of the province and is a scenic agricultural and industrial city, known for tourist attractions, such as Suncheon Bay. The port city of Yeosu is around forty minutes south of Suncheon and Gwangyang twenty minutes to the east of the city.

It is currently experiencing strong development due to being included as part of the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone, one of three newly created Free Economic Zones (FEZs) in South Korea due to open within the next decade. As of October 14, 2007 plans are being set up and a referendum is being planned for a merging of the cities of Yeosu, Suncheon and Gwangyang into a new metropolitan city, taking advantage of the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone, Yeosu's Expo 2012 bid and port facilities, Suncheon's educational institutes and Gwangyang's POSCO plant.

The city was once part of South Jeolla Province, but on July 1, 2026, that province was dissolved and merged with Gwangju into the provincial-level city of Jeonnam-Gwangju. Now, the city is directly managed under Jeonnam-Gwangju.

History

On July 1, 2026, South Jeolla Province was dissolved and merged with Gwangju into the provincial-level city of Jeonnam-Gwangju. Suncheon then became directly managed under Jeonnam-Gwangju.

Yeosu–Suncheon rebellion

In October 1948, a rebellion swept Yeosu, Sunchon, and nearby towns, when South Korean soldiers refused to take part in the suppression of the ongoing Cheju uprising. The rebel forces killed a number of ROK soldiers, police, officials, and landlords. A couple days later, the rebellion was crushed by the South Korean military. Civilians thought to have aided the rebellion were also summarily executed.

Tourism

2013 Suncheon Garden Exposition

Temples

Castles

Mountains

Parks

Naganeupseong Folk Village

Museums

Filming locations

Slogans

On its website, Suncheon is dubbed by its city council as the City of Beautiful People, and its slogan is "Aha! Suncheon."

Twin towns – sister cities

Suncheon is twinned with:

Notable people from Suncheon

Schools

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Population statistics". Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety. 2024.
  2. ↑ "Yeosu, Surrounding Cities to Merge". Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
  3. ↑ 조홍복; 진창일 (2026-07-01). "분리 40년만에 광주·전남 하나로… 인구 320만, 반도체 기대 품고 새 출발". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  4. ↑ "행정통합Q&A" [Administrative merger Q&A]. Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-07-08.
  5. ↑ 조홍복; 진창일 (2026-07-01). "분리 40년만에 광주·전남 하나로… 인구 320만, 반도체 기대 품고 새 출발". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  6. ↑ "행정통합Q&A" [Administrative merger Q&A]. Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-07-08.
  7. ↑ Bizwire, Korea (4 January 2019). "Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve Returns to Top 100 Tourist Spot List". Be Korea-savvy. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  8. ↑ "Suncheon Bay Garden". The Korea Times. 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  9. ↑ "Naganeupseong, Town Fortress and Village". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  10. ↑ "'Aha! Suncheon' Suncheon brand slogan confirmed Four colors to promote urban image" (in Korean). 2005-10-18. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  11. ↑ "Sister Cities". antalya.bel.tr. Antalya. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  12. ↑ "Sister Cities". como.gov. City of Columbia. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  13. ↑ "海外姉妹都市". city.kagoshima-izumi.lg.jp (in Japanese). Izumi, Kagoshima. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  14. ↑ "Gradovi pobratimi". Grad Kragujevac (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-11.
  15. ↑ "Déclaration d'amitié Nantes-Cardiff". nantes.fr (in French). Nantes. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  16. ↑ 순천시, 중국 산시성 타이위안시와 자매도시협약 체결. suncheon.go.kr (in Korean). Suncheon. Retrieved 2020-06-02.