Suncheon

Suncheon
Municipal city
View of Suncheon
Seonamsa
Sindae Complex
Naganeupseong
Sunchon National University
Songgwangsa
Flag of Suncheon
Flag
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
Special metropolitan cityJeonnam-Gwangju
Administrative divisions1 eup, 10 myeon, 13 dong
Government
 • MayorSon Hoon-mo (손훈모)
Area
 • Total
910.82 km2 (351.67 sq mi)
Population
 (September 2026)
 • Total
273,175
 • Density299.92/km2 (776.79/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 a city in Jeonnam-Gwangju, South Korea, with a registered population of 273,175 as of September 2026. It is located in the southeast of the region 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.

Part of Suncheon lies within the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone, which includes the Shindeok development district in Suncheon and neighbouring Gwangyang. A proposed merger of Yeosu, Suncheon and Gwangyang was announced in 2007, but the cities remained separate municipalities.

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

During the Samhan period, the area of present-day Suncheon belonged to the Mahan confederacy. Under Baekje, it was known as Gampyeong-gun, also recorded as Sapyeong or Mupyeong. In 757, during Unified Silla, it was renamed Seungpyeong-gun.

During the Goryeo period, the district was renamed Seungju in 940 and became Seungju-mok in 983. It reverted to Seungpyeong-gun in 1036, was raised again to Seungju-mok in 1309, and was reorganised as Suncheon-bu in 1310. The name Suncheon was first used in this period.

Under the Joseon dynasty, Suncheon became a dohobu (administrative prefecture) in 1413, during the reign of Taejong of Joseon. It was reorganised as Suncheon-gun in 1895. Following Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910, the area was administered within Zenranan Province. On 1 November 1931, Suncheon-myeon was elevated to the status of eup (town).

On 13 August 1949, nine ri of Dosa-myeon and parts of Haeryong-myeon, including Wangji, Jorye and Yeonhyang, were incorporated into Suncheon. The enlarged town became a city on 15 August 1949, while the remaining surrounding areas formed Seungju-gun. On 1 January 1995, the city and Seungju-gun merged to form the present municipality of Suncheon.

On 1 July 2026, South Jeolla Province merged with Gwangju to form Jeonnam-Gwangju, bringing Suncheon under the administration of the new special metropolitan city.

Yeosu–Suncheon rebellion

On 19 October 1948, soldiers of the South Korean 14th Regiment stationed in Yeosu refused orders to suppress the Jeju uprising and launched a rebellion that spread to Suncheon and surrounding areas. Government forces regained control of the main towns within about a week. Numerous civilians were killed during the fighting and subsequent counterinsurgency operations. South Korean legislation provides for investigation of the events and recognition of victims, covering the period from 19 October 1948 to 1 April 1955.

Tourism

2013 Suncheon Garden Exposition

  • 2013 Suncheon Garden Expo Korea: The 2013 Suncheon Garden Expo Korea was the first of its kind to be held in Korea. The Expo focused on green industry development such as solar energy, sustainable garden development and electronic transportation. It showcased green technologies, international garden exhibits, and wetland conservation. The Expo grounds, its permanent gardens, arboretum, wetland center, and connecting monorail to Suncheon Bay are maintained for continued tourism. Suncheon hosted the 2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo from 1 April to 31 October 2023, attracting approximately 9.8 million visitors.

Temples

  • Songgwang Temple: It is one of the Three Jewel Temples of Korea and a popular place for Jinul. The temple is located in Sinpyeong-ri, Songgwang-myeon. It is one of the Sambosachal along with Haein temple of Habcheon and Tongdo Temple of Yangsan. Jinul strived here to renew the tradition of Buddhism 800 years ago. The temple bore 16 state monks in the past. Today, the temple is home for monks from overseas and is a place to study the Buddhist culture of Korea. The temple was first built at the end of Silla Kingdom and named Gilsang Temple. It was then renamed in the Goryeo dynasty under the reign of Myeongjong, to Songgwang Temple. Reconstructions were done after it was burnt down in the Joseon period, but was severely damaged again in 1948 and 1951. At present, 33 complexes have been restored after 8 reconstruction projects from 1984 to 1988. The temple has a total of 26 cultural assets, including 17 national cultural assets and 9 local ones.
  • Seonamsa: Seonamsa of Mount Jogye is located in Jukak-ri, Seungju-eup, Suncheon. In the Baekje Kingdom, Adohwasang had first built a small temple in the mountain and named it Biroam of Cheongnyangsan Mountain. The temple was named Seonamsa later in the Silla Kingdom by state monk Doseon. Seonamsa is known to be a mixture of the various sects of Buddhism of the Goryeo dynasty. Cheontaejong was established here 900 years ago by Ui Cheon and the monk's heirs have been carried down to the present age. Seonamsa, like Songgwangsa, is a library for studies of Korean Buddhist culture. A total of 18 cultural assets are found here, including 7 treasures and 11 local cultural assets.
  • Cheonjaam, Ssanghyangsu: Belongs to the Chinese juniper family, and is technically named Juniperus Chinensi Limme. The height is 12.5 m and the circumference is 3.98m. The tree is about 700 years old. According to the legend, the cane used by a Buddhist on his way back from China had grown into the tree. The tree is uniquely twisted form.
  • Natural monument No, 88 (designated on December 3, 1962).
  • Ieub-ri, Songgwang-myeon (Songgwang Temple).
  • Area 600 pyeong (approximately 1,983 m2).

Castles

Mountains

  • Jogyesan: The mountain where Songgwang Temple and Seonamsa are located.
  • Geumjeonsan: Surrounding north of Nagan Castle.
  • Bonghwasan: The nearest mountain from the center of the city. There's Jukdobong Park having a lookout pavilion.

Parks

Naganeupseong Folk Village
  • Suncheon Bay Ecological Park: The world's fifth biggest tideland, featuring reed beds and there many types of birds. The reserve was designated as a preservation zone by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 2003.
  • Suncheonman Bay National Garden: This garden is home to over 790,000 trees and was stablished on a plot of 1.112 km2 (0.429 sq mi) to help protect Suncheon Bay.
  • Goindol Park, a dolmen park in Hwasun, Suncheon: Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.
  • Suncheon Open Film Location: Drama film set located in the neighborhood of Jorye-dong. This set was created to film movies and dramas in 2006. The village is split in three eras: 1950s Suncheon, 1960s Seoul Bongcheong-dong Village and 1970s Seoul suburb.
  • Naganeupseong Folk Village: a historic village representing the traditional lifestyle and cultural landscape in the Joseon Dynasty. It was originally and administrative town and has preserved traditional elements such as a fortress, government buildings and private houses.

Museums

  • The Deep-Rooted Tree Museum (순천시립 뿌리깊은나무 박물관) is located close to Naganeupseong Walled Town. A collection of Korean famous magazine's founder, Han Chang-gi; as well as artifacts from the Bronze Age to the present era are displayed. The museum also features 6,500 articles including Korean vintage literature books, folk arts, ceramics, and traditional items of clothing from the Three Kingdoms era, in which visitors could sense the ancient-modern Korean culture and lifestyles.

Filming locations

  • Jorye-dong, which is located in Suncheon is the largest filming site in Korea that preserves the 60s and 80s buildings. Visitors could experience vintage village life in the 1960s and 1980s, as there are 200 houses with 39,669.6 m². A remake drama written by Kim Soo-Hyeon <Love & Ambition> starring actor Lee Byung-hun and actress Soo-ae was filmed in Jorye-dong, Suncheon. Other hit movies and dramas such as <You are far Away> (2008) and <Giant> (2010) were also shot in the same city.
  • In 2021, the Korea Tourism Organization released a music video in collaboration with Korea's famous hip-hop label AOMG and Higher Music to produce a soundtrack to highlight the attractions and cultural heritage in Korea. The clips of the music video were filmed in Suncheon, which demonstrates the coexistence of tradition and contemporary lifestyles In Korea.

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. 1 2 "Administrative districts" (in Korean). Suncheon City Government. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  2. ↑ "Mayor Son Hoon-mo – Profile" (in Korean). Suncheon City Government. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  3. 1 2 "Resident registration population statistics" (in Korean). Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  4. ↑ "Suncheon-si resident registration population (September 2026)". GData (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  5. ↑ "Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone". Korean Free Economic Zones. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  6. ↑ "Three Southwestern Cities to Merge". The Korea Times. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  7. 1 2 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.
  8. 1 2 "행정통합Q&A" [Administrative merger Q&A]. Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-07-08.
  9. 1 2 3 "History of Suncheon" (in Korean). Suncheon City Government. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  10. ↑ "순천시 (Suncheon-si)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Academy of Korean Studies. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  11. ↑ "여수·순천 사건 (Yeosu–Suncheon Incident)" (in Korean). National Institute of Korean History. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  12. ↑ "Special Act on Investigating the Truth of the Yeosu–Suncheon Incident of 19 October and Restoring the Honour of Victims" (in Korean). Korean Law Information Center. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  13. ↑ "2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo closes" (in Korean). Suncheon City Government. 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  14. ↑ "Naganeupseong, Town Fortress and Village". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2026-10-26.
  15. ↑ Bizwire, Korea (4 January 2019). "Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve Returns to Top 100 Tourist Spot List". Be Korea-savvy. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  16. ↑ "Suncheon Bay Garden". The Korea Times. 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  17. ↑ "Naganeupseong, Town Fortress and Village". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  18. ↑ "'Aha! Suncheon' Suncheon brand slogan confirmed Four colors to promote urban image" (in Korean). 2005-10-18. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  19. ↑ "Sister Cities". antalya.bel.tr. Antalya. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  20. ↑ "Sister Cities". como.gov. City of Columbia. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  21. ↑ "海外姉妹都市". city.kagoshima-izumi.lg.jp (in Japanese). Izumi, Kagoshima. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  22. ↑ "Gradovi pobratimi". Grad Kragujevac (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2023-07-11.
  23. ↑ "Déclaration d'amitié Nantes-Cardiff". nantes.fr (in French). Nantes. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  24. ↑ 순천시, 중국 산시성 타이위안시와 자매도시협약 체결. suncheon.go.kr (in Korean). Suncheon. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  25. ↑ "Girl group DIA to disband after its contract expires Saturday". Korea JoongAng Daily. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2026-10-26.