Gyeryong City (; ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in southeastern

South Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province (), informally called Chungnam, is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province of South Korea in the Hoseo region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. South Chungcheong borders the provinces of Gyeonggi to ...

, South Korea. The incumbent mayor is . The city was created in 2003 after being split from

Nonsan Nonsan (; ) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at . The origin of Nonsan's geographical names is said to have come from the small garden " Nolmoe, " which rises in the middle of farming fields, where rice paddie ...

. Gyeryongdae, a large military complex that serves as the headquarters of the

Republic of Korea Armed Forces The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength o ...

, is located on Gyeryong's outskirts. Due to the city's proximity to Gyeryongdae, approximately half of its inhabitants are connected to the military as service personnel and their dependents or civilian employees. The city also hosts major South Korean and international military conferences. From 1989 to 1993, the military headquarters were relocated from several locations in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

to a more spacious and newly-built integrated complex. The

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

headquarters were first moved to Gyeryongdae in 1989, followed by the

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

headquarters four years later. The nearby Mount Gyeryong is considered to have the most qi (spiritual energy) of any mountain in the country and is the heart of Gyeryongsan National Park. As of September 2024, the city's population was 46,687.

Modern history

Gyeryong is one of the nation's newest cities outside of the

Seoul Metropolitan Area The Seoul Metropolitan Area (Sudogwon; , ) or Gyeonggi (region), Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-western South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2024) is ranked ...

. It was established as a city in 2003 following a split from Nonsan. In 1896, Gyeryong and its vicinity were called Yeonsan County. During Japan's occupation of Korea, it was incorporated into Nonsan and later chosen as a military site. In 1989, Gyeryongdae, South Korea's military headquarters, was relocated to Gyeryong. In 1991, the city was designated a special area by the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

. On June 30, 2003, the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

passed a bill establishing Gyeryong and Gyeryong was officially designated as a city six months later. Among older residents, the area of Gyeryong is known as ''Shindoan''. Gyeryong is also considered a satellite city of

Daejeon Daejeon (; ) is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of nearly 1.5 million. Located in a central lowland valley between the Sobaek Mountains and the Geum River, the city is known both as a ...

due to its geographical proximity.

Economy

Pelicana Chicken has its headquarters in the city.Outline of the Pelicana Korea Ltd.

Archive
. Pelicana Chicken. Retrieved on August 22, 2014. "257 Wangdae-ri Duma-myeon Gyeryong-city, Chungnam province
MapArchive
. Due to Gyeryongdae's proximity, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and

Ministry of National Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divide ...

are major employers.

Transportation

Trains

The

Honam Line The Honam Line is a major railway line serving the Honam region (North and South Jeolla Provinces) in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul (via the Gyeongbu Line) to Gwangju and Mokpo. History A Honam Ra ...

goes through the Gyeryong station east to west. The station receives service from KTX five times a day and also receives frequent service from Saemaeul-ho and

Mugunghwa-ho The Mugunghwa-ho () is a class of train operated by Korail, the main railway operator of South Korea. Mugunghwa trains are Korail's slowest tier of trains stopping at a number of towns and villages, and operating over a number of lines that are ...

trains.

Roads

The Honam Expressway Branch passes through the city, exiting through Gyeryong IC. National Route 1 and National Route 4 pass through the city center.

Sister city

* Jeungpyeong County, South Korea *

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.List of cities in South Korea The largest cities of South Korea have an autonomous status equivalent to that of provinces. Seoul, the largest city and capital, is classified as a ''teukbyeolsi'' (List of special cities of South Korea#Position in hierarchy and types, Special ...

Geography of South Korea South Korea is located in East Asia, on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula located out from the far east of the Asian landmass. The only country that shares a land border with South Korea is North Korea, lying to the north with of ...

Military of South Korea The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength o ...

References

External links

City government website
{{Coord, 36.274587, 127.248788, format=dms, display=title, type:city_region:KR-44 Cities in South Chungcheong Province