Boseong County (''Boseong-gun'') is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in
South Jeolla Province,
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 ...
. Boseong is famous for its green tea leaves, with 26.71 hectares of land dedicated to its production.
It is also the birthplace of the Korean independence activist
Philip Jaisohn.
History
In the
Samhan
Samhan, or Three Han (), is the collective name of the Byeonhan, Jinhan, and Mahan confederacies that emerged in the first century BC during the Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea, or Samhan, period. Located in the central and southern regions o ...
era, Boseong belonged to the
Mahan confederacy and later became Bokhol County (伏忽郡) under the rule of the
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...
dynasty. The name "Boseong" was given in
Unified Silla
Unified Silla, or Late Silla, is the name often applied to the historical period of the Korean kingdom of Silla after its conquest of Goguryeo in 668 AD, which marked the end of the Three Kingdoms period. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alli ...
.
Geography
Large areas consist of mountains such as Mangil-Bong, Jonje Mountain and Joowol Mountain. The Boseong River flows through the center of Boseong. The multipurpose Juam Dam was built on the Boseong River in 1990.
Climate
Boseong is one of the rainiest places in South Korea. It has a moderate climate. The average annual temperature is 12.6 °C. The average temperature in January is −0.5 °C and the average temperature in August is 27.8 °C. Annual mean precipitation is 1,450 mm.
Administrative district
Boseong consists of two towns-Boseong town and Beolgyo town. In both towns, the population has gradually decreased.
* The town of Boseong is the seat of a county office. It is also a major transportation hub since 1930 and the distribution center of agricultural products. The largest tea gardens in South Korea are in the southern part of the Boseong County.
*
Beolgyo is also major transportation hub. It had flourished since the Japanese occupation but it has somewhat declined in recent years.
Boseong Green Tea
Boseong Green Tea is a special product of the Boseong district.
Boseong County, also called DongguyeojI-Seungnam (meaning "tea house" in the Joseon Dynasty),
is known as the green tea capital of Korea. It has produced green tea for the past 1600 years.
It is the largest tea-producing area in Korea, accounting for 40 percent of the nation's tea production.
Almost one third of all tea farmland is located in Boseong, and nearly half of all green tea production in Korea comes from the area. This status has been carefully crafted in recent decades, partly due to the long history green tea has with the area.
The surrounding climate and soil provide good conditions for growing a unique green tea that has a distinct taste and aroma.
The earliest historical mention of green tea in Korea was from the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla in the mid-7th century AD.
["Korea’s Rolling Hills of Green Tea in Boseong" 2008]
Nearly two hundred years later, historical records indicate that green tea seeds were planted at the foot of nearby Jirisan Mountain.
During the Joseon dynasty, green tea began to fall out of favor due to its close association with Buddhism, but was still enjoyed by certain parts of the population; and the Jirisan plantation continued to thrive.
But green tea was not produced on a large-scale basis until the 1930s. By the 1970s, huge, terraced farms as large as 250 acres became commonplace on local mountainsides.
The 1980s marked the beginning of a decline in green tea demand, which resulted in lower green tea output and a degradation of crops.
The local government then decided to reinvigorate the green tea industry: local green tea businesses were subsidized; newer, more efficient means to increase output and quality were developed through collaboration with local universities and research institutes.
Local media outlets also made efforts to present Boseong as the green tea capital of the country, in order to increase dominance in the industry by local businesses and draw in tourists from around the country.
Mt. Hwangseong features the largest plantation in Boseong, the Daehan Green Tea Plantation.
This plantation accounts for over one third of all tea production in the area. The mountainside features a terraced design that extends along the lower reaches of the mountain and is carefully manicured, providing an impressive view when seen from the top. This view is accessible by road and has become a well-known stop for tourists. The Boseong Fragrance Tea Festival is also staged in May of each year and 2013 will mark the 38th year of the festival. The festival gives tea enthusiasts the chance to pick tea leaves, make tea bowls or sample local cuisine infused with green tea flavoring.
Boseong Green Tea passed the strict quality inspection of the Russian Medical Biology Lab, and was officially recognized as a beverage suitable for an astronaut's special diet.
Transportation
National Road No. 2 goes through Boseong, and the
Gyeongjeon Line
The Gyeongjeon Line () is a railway line serving South Gyeongsang and South Jeolla Provinces in South Korea. It covers a total of 300.6 km, from Samnangjin Station in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, to Gwangju Songjeong Station in Gwangju, ...
transits several towns. There are mainly five stations including Boseong station, Dukryang Station, Yedang Station, Joseong Station and Beolgyo Station. Coastal region has well-connected transportation. However, inland of Boseong has a poor transportation because of mountains.
Notable people
*
Paik Hak-soon Director of Inter-Korean Relations and Center for North Korean Studies at the
Sejong Institute
Sejong Institute () is a non-profit, independent organization for public interest and a think tank in South Korea, dedicated to developing strategies and policies in areas of foreign and security affairs and Korean unification, regional issu ...
in Korea
*
Park Ra-yeon
Park Ra Yeon (; born 1951) is a South Korean poet.
Biography
Park Ra Yeon was born in Boseong County, Boseong, South Korea in 1951. She studied Korean literature at Korea National Open University and received her master's and doctoral degrees at ...
South Korean poet
*
Cheong Yang-seog South Korean politician
*
Baek Ji-heon, K-pop idol from the K-pop group
Fromis 9
Fromis 9 (; stylized in snake case) is a South Korean girl group. The group consists of five members: Song Ha-young, Park Ji-won, Lee Chae-young, Lee Na-gyung, and Baek Ji-heon. Originally a nine-piece group, Jang Gyu-ri departed the group in J ...
Twin towns – sister cities
Boseong is
twinned with:
*
Gangnam-gu
Gangnam District (; ) is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. The term ''Gangnam'' translates to "South of the Han River". Gangnam District is the third largest district in Seoul, with an area of . As of the 2024 census, Gangna ...
,
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 ...
*
Gangbuk-gu,
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 ...
*
Yeonje-gu,
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 ...
*
Buk-gu,
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 ...
*
Sujiatun,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
Gallery
File:Korea-Boseong-Green.tea-01.jpg , Green tea
Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves and buds of the '' Camellia sinensis'' that have not undergone the withering and oxidation process that creates oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China in the late 1st millenn ...
field
File:Korea-Boseong-Green.tea-06.jpg , Green tea field
File:Korea-Boseong-Green.tea-07.jpg , Green tea leaves
File:Korea-Boseong-Green.tea-09.jpg , Green tea field
References
External links
Boseong County government home pageThe Green Tea Plantations of Boseong
{{coord, 34, 46, N, 127, 05, E, display=title, region:KR_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
Counties of South Jeolla Province