North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

in eastern

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the

Korean peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former

Gyeongsang Gyeongsang Province (; ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Joseon Korea. Gyeongsang was located in southeastern Korea. The provincial capital of Gyeongsang was Daegu. The region was the birthplace of the kingdom of Silla, which unified Korea in ...

province, and remained a province of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

(as Keishōhoku-dō during Japanese rule) until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.

Daegu Daegu (; ), formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City (), is a city in southeastern South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; the fourth-largest List of provincial-level ci ...

was the capital of North Gyeongsang Province between 1896 and 1981, but has not been a part of the province since 1981. In 2016, the provincial capital moved from Daegu to

Andong Andong () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong Ri ...

History

The 1,000-year-old

Silla Kingdom Silla (; Old Korean: 徐羅伐, Yale: Syerapel, RR: ''Seorabeol''; IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between 57 BCE – 935 CE and was located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Paekje ...

flourished and unified the previous

three kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

. The area was named Gyeongsang-do in 1314 during the

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

. In 1896, during the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

, the area was renamed Gyeongsangbuk-do as 13 roads were reorganized. The current administrative district was reorganized with the reorganization of Bu, Gun, and Myeon in 1914.

Geography and climate

The province is part of the

Yeongnam Yeongnam (, ; literally "south of the ridge") is a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province, one of the ancient Eight Provinces, in what is now South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a countr ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

, bordered to the south by

South Gyeongsang Province South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple tha ...

, to the west by

North Jeolla North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of South Chungcheong to the north, North Gyeo ...

and

North Chungcheong Province North Chungcheong Province (), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region on the south-centre of the Korean Peninsula. No ...

s, and to the north by Gangwon Province. It is largely surrounded by mountains: the

Taebaek Mountains The Taebaek Mountains () are a mountain range that stretches across North Korea and South Korea. They form the main ridge of the Korean peninsula. Geography The Taebaek mountains are located along the eastern edge of the peninsula and run alon ...

in the east and the

Sobaek Mountains The Sobaek Mountains (, literally mean little Taebaek Mountains) are a mountain range cutting across the southern Korean peninsula. They split off from the Taebaek Mountains and trend southwest across the center of the peninsula. They are tradi ...

in the west. The province also contains the island of

Ulleungdo Ulleungdo (), also spelled Ulreungdo, is a South Korean island east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan. It was formerly known as Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe. Volcanic in origin, the rocky steep-sided island is the top o ...

, the seventh largest island in South Korea located in the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

Culture

Cuisine

Andong

Sikhye ''Sikhye'' (, also spelled ''shikhye'' or ''shikeh''; also occasionally termed ''dansul'' or ''gamju'') is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage, usually served as a dessert. It is a popular beverage in South Korea, often found in the beverag ...

, a local food from

and northern North Gyeongsang Province, is essential for entertaining guests on

Seollal () is a Korean traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Korean lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in both North Korea and South ...

or feast days. Unlike ordinary Sikhye, it is red with

Chili powder Chili powder (also spelled chile, chilli, or, alternatively, powdered chili) is the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties of chili pepper, sometimes with the addition of other spices (in which case it is also sometimes known as chili p ...

, has more grains of rice, and less soup.

Tourism

North Gyeongsang Province is the homeland of the former kingdom of

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

and has retained much of its cultural tradition. A number of artists, political leaders and scholars have come from the province. File:Hahoe 8782.jpg, View of

Hahoe Folk Village The Hahoe Folk Village () is a traditional village from the Joseon Dynasty, located in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The 'Ha' is short for river and 'hoe' means to 'turn around, return, come back. The village is a valuable part ...

File:Yangdong 8459.jpg, View of Yangdong Folk Village in

Gyeongju Gyeongju (, ), historically known as Seorabeol (, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of ...

File:Adamsribs7.jpg, View of Muryangsojieon lantern statue and

Buseoksa Buseoksa Temple () is a Buddhist temple located near Mt. Bonghwang in Buseok-myeon, Yeongju, South Korea. It was founded by the prominent scholar-monk Uisang in 676, the 16th year of Munmu of Silla. Buseoksa temple is also well known as the "Tem ...

Yeongju Yeongju (; ) is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It has an area of 668.84 km2 and a population of 113,930 people according to the 2008 census. The city borders Bonghwa county to the east, Danyang County of North Chungcheong Pr ...

File:Bulguksa Temple (6222044051).jpg,

Bulguksa Bulguksa () is a Buddhist temple on Tohamsan, in Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism and contains six National Treasures, including the Dabotap and Seokgata ...

Demographics

Cities, towns, and villages

Religion

According to the census of 2015, 25.3% followed

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and 18.5% followed

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

(13.3%

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and 5.2%

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

). 55.4% of the population is irreligious.

Administrative divisions

Gyeongsangbuk-do is divided into 10 cities (''si'') and 12 counties (''gun''). The names below are given in English,

hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

, and

hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

. Gyeongsang do is originated from Gyeongju & Sangju old city of Gyeong+Sang from

(1392–1910). Do means road to 8 directional road from Seoul. Pohang is Korean steel production hub, Gumi is electronics capital of South Korea. Pohang skyline

Economy

In October 2022, the province announced its plan to make the province a leading area centered on the domestic metaverse. It is also a specialized complex for

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Its conductivity can be modified by adding impurities (" doping") to its crystal structure. When two regions with different doping level ...

and

secondary battery A rechargeable battery, storage battery, or secondary cell (formally a type of Accumulator (energy), energy accumulator), is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to a ...

national high-tech strategic industries.

Industry

The service industry accounts for 58.3%, mining manufacturing industry account for 30.6%, construction account for 10.5%, and agriculture and fishing account for 0.6%. Mobile convergence, digital device parts, and energy material parts are major specialized industries.

Transportation

Railway

Gyeongbuk Line The Gyeongbuk Line () is a railway line serving North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. The line runs from Gimcheon on the Gyeongbu Line via Sangju, Jeomchon (junction with the Mungyeong Line), and Yecheon to Yeongju on the Jungang Line ...

Yeongdong Line The Yeongdong Line is a line of Korail. It connects Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province with Gangneung in Gangwon Province. From Yeongju, it crosses the Taebaek Mountains and reaches the Sea of Japan (East Sea) at Donghae, thence proceedin ...

The railway stations in North Gyeongsang Province are as follows: *

Andong station Andong Station is a railway station on the Jungang Line and formerly the Gyeongbuk Line. As of December 17, 2020, the location of Andong Station has changed from downtown (adjacent to the Nakdong River) to near the edge of town (next to Andong ...

* Apo station *

Bonghwa station Bonghwa station () is a railway station on the Yeongdong Line. It is located at Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang External links Station informationfrom Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in South Korea. It ...

* Cheongdo station *

Daesin station Daesin station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, con ...

Gimcheon station Gimcheon Station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, ...

* Gimcheon (Gumi) station *

Gumi station Gumi station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, conne ...

Gyeongju station Gyeongju station (formerly Singyeongju station) is a station near the city of Gyeongju. It is on the Gyeongbu KTX Line and Donghae Line The Donghae Line () is a railway line connecting Busanjin station to Samcheok station in South Korea. T ...

* Gyeongsan station *

Hwabon station Hwabon station, located in Saneom-ro, Hwabon-ri, Daegu Metropolitan City's Gunwi County, began operations on December 1, 1938, as a regular station on the Jungang Line. The name "Hwabon" originates from the local belief that the nearby Jorim Mou ...

Jeomchon Station Jeomchon Station is a railway station on the Gyeongbuk Line The Gyeongbuk Line () is a railway line serving North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. The line runs from Gimcheon on the Gyeongbu Line via Sangju, Jeomchon (junction with the ...

Jicheon station Jicheon station is a railway station in South Korea on the Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was construc ...

Jikjisa station Jikjisa () station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North K ...

* Jinyeong station *

Moryang station Moryang station () is a railway station of the Donghae Line and Jungang Line in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. History *25 December 1922: Started operation as Gwangmyeong Station. *1 June 1939: The station name was changed to ...

Mungyeong station The Jungbunaeryuk Line () is a rail line partly in operation and partly under construction from Bubal to Mungyeong. Construction started in November 2015. The line opened in December 2021 between Bubal station, Bubal on the Gyeonggang Line & Ch ...

Munsu station Munsu station is a railway station in Munsu-myeon, the city of Yeongju, South Korea. It is on the Jungang Line. External links Cyber station informationfrom Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in Sout ...

Namseonghyeon station Namseonghyeon station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders Nor ...

* Pohang station * Punggi station *

Sagok station The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul with Busan via Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu. It is ...

* Samseong station * Sinam station *

Sindong station The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul with Busan via Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu. It is ...

Singeo station The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul with Busan via Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu. It is ...

Uiseong station Uiseong station () is a railway station in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed ...

Waegwan station Waegwan station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Kor ...

Yangmok station Yangmok station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line, the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It is located between Waegwan station and Gumi station. It is approximately 25-minutes from Daegu station, over 2 ...

* Yeongcheon station *

Yeongdeok station Yeongdeok station () is a railway station of the Donghae Line in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang, South Korea. External links Cyber station informationfrom Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in ...

* Yeongju station *

Yeonhwa station Yeonhwa station is a railway station on the Gyeongbu Line that was opened on in Chilgok County in North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest provinc ...

Recent discoveries

In September 2021, archaeologists announced the discovery of 1500 years-old woman skeleton with a

necklace A necklace is an article of jewellery that is worn around the neck. Necklaces may have been one of the earliest types of adornment worn by humans. They often serve ceremonial, religious, magical, or funerary purposes and are also used as sy ...

and a

bracelet A bracelet is an article of jewellery that is worn around the wrist. Bracelets may serve different uses, such as being worn as an ornament. When worn as ornaments, bracelets may have a supportive function to hold other items of decoration, ...

in North Gyeongsang Province. The remains of a 135-centimeter-tall woman, who is estimated to have died in her 20s, were discovered along with the bones of animals such as horses and cows, as well as

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...

Notable people from North Gyeongsang Province

Lee Myung-bak Lee Myung-bak (; born 19 December 1941), often referred to by his initials MB, is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the tenth president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engi ...

, Former

President of South Korea The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (), is the head of state and head of government of South Korea. The president directs the executive branch of the Government of South Korea, government and is ...

Han Duck-soo Han Duck-soo (; born 18June 1949) is a South Korean diplomat, economist, and politician who served as the acting president of South Korea in December 2024 and from March to May 2025 and as the prime minister of South Korea from 2007 to 2008 an ...

, the

Prime minister of South Korea The prime minister of the Republic of Korea () is the deputy head of government and the second highest political office of South Korea. The prime minister is appointed by the president of the Republic of Korea, with the National Assembly's appro ...

Cho Tae-yul Cho Tae-yul (; born 10 November 1955) is a South Korean diplomat who has been serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 9 January 2024. Education Cho graduated from Seoul National University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Laws degree. In 1983, C ...

, 41st Foreign Minister of South Korea *

Taeyeon Kim Tae-yeon (; born March 9, 1989), known mononymously as Taeyeon, is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one ...

(born Kim Tae-yeon 1989), singer and member of

Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piec ...

* Kwon Yong-jin, South Korean politician *

Kim Boo-kyum Kim Boo-kyum (; born 21 January 1958) is a South Korean activist and politician who served as the 47th prime minister of South Korea from 2021 to 2022 under President Moon Jae-in. He was also the Minister of Interior and Safety from 2017 to 2 ...

, South Korean politician *

Park Chung Hee Park Chung Hee (; ; November14, 1917October26, 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 after he seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961 until Assassination of Park Chung ...

, Former South Korean President *

Ahn Ji-young Ahn Ji-young (Korean: ; born 14 September 1995) is a South Korean singer and songwriter. She is the main vocalist and only remaining member of South Korean indie duo Bolbbalgan4 BOL4 (), also known as Bolbbalgan4 or , is a South Korean musi ...

, a member of Korean band

Bolbbalgan4 BOL4 (), also known as Bolbbalgan4 or , is a South Korean musical act formed by Shofar Music in 2016. They appeared on '' Superstar K6'' in 2014 before signing a contract with their current agency. BOL4 was originally a duo consisting of Ahn Ji-y ...

Yoo Jae-ha Yoo Jae-ha (; June 6, 1962 – November 1, 1987) was a South Korean singer and songwriter. His first and only album, '' Because I Love You'' () was released through Seoul Records in 1987. Yoo died in a car accident months later from the album r ...

, South Korean singer and songwriter

References

External links

*
Alsace/Gyeongsangbuk-do
* {{coord, 36, 15, N, 128, 45, E, display=title Provinces of South Korea States and territories established in 1896