Cheongju (; ) is the capital and largest

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

. The 'Cheong' in the name of Chungcheong Province is the Cheong of Cheongju.

History

Cheongju has been an important provincial town since ancient times. In the Cheongju Mountains, particularly in the area where Sangdang Sanseong is located, ruins dating from the Old Stone Age to the Bronze Age have been discovered. Settlements associated with the Paleolithic Age have also been found in Cheongju, such as the Durubong Cave Site. After the unification of the kingdoms by Silla in 676, various parts of Korea, including Cheongju, began to adopt Buddhism. This was influenced by the Silla culture's connection with the Silk Road, which facilitated the spread of Buddhism from Nepal across Northern China to the Korean Peninsula. During the Goryeo era, particularly during the reign of Gwangjong, several monuments related to Buddhism were created. Among them is Cheol Danggan, built in the year 962 in the center of the city near the remains of Yongdu Temple. Cheol Danggan is a flagpole used to hang the Dang flag, which is raised to pay tribute to Buddha. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1962 by the South Korean government. In the Joseon period, the Cheongju region began to adopt Confucianism as its main religion. Throughout the history of Cheongju, various temples were established during different periods in the history of the Korean peninsula. Examples include the Buddhist Yonghwasa Temple, dating back to the Goryeo period, and the Bulguksa Temple, established in the 8th century during the Silla Dynasty period. Cheongju temples were also significant in the advancement of Korean printing, including book printing. One of the important documents printed in Cheongju was done so at Heungdeok Temple during the Goryeo Dynasty, specifically in the year 1377. One of the first schools established in North Chungcheong Province was founded in Cheongju during 1896. During 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 period, several tombs were built around the city, in addition to Joseon Dynasty period forts such as Sangdangsanseong, which served to connect the northern and southern provinces after the Japanese invasion of 1592. In 1593, the Battle of Cheongju took place between Japanese forces and the Joseon kingdom that then ruled the Korean peninsula during the

Hideyoshi's Invasions of Korea The Imjin War () was a series of two Japanese invasions of Korea: an initial invasion in 1592 also individually called the "Imjin War", a brief truce in 1596, and a second invasion in 1597 called the Chŏngyu War (). The conflict ended in 159 ...

, in which more than 8,000 Korean warrior monks participated. The government of the province relocated here from

Chungju Chungju () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Uamsan is a mountain located within the outskirts of the city. The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Al ...

in 1908. The opening of the Chungbuk-line in 1926 sparked regional development. In 1946, Cheongju and Cheongwon-gun were separated, and in 1949, Cheongju was made a city. Afterwards, it went through the separation of administrative dong and their transfer to Cheongwon-gun, with 2 branch offices (East and West) established in July 1989 that were upgraded to Sangdang District and Heungdeok District in January. Cheongju experienced one of the largest population growths in Korea, having almost quadrupled its population from 147,000 in 1970 to 582,158 in 2000.

Geography

Geum River The Geum River is a major river of South Korea that originates in Jangsu-eup, North Jeolla Province. It flows northward through North Jeolla and North Chungcheong Provinces and then changes direction in the vicinity of Greater Daejeon and fl ...

goes through the center of Cheongju. Additionally, the tributaries of Musim and Miho flow together in the northern part of the city. To the east and west, there are the mountains of Wuam and Bumo. Musimcheon River also goes through the middle of Cheongju.

Climate

Cheongju is a temperate zone, so there are four seasons. The climate is a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dwa''), but can be considered a borderline

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

: ''Cwa'') using the isotherm.

Administrative districts

From 1 July 2014, Cheongju and

Cheongwon County Cheongwon County () was a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It was dissolved on July 1, 2014 and consolidated to Cheongju. Government The Korea Food and Drug Administration (later Ministry of Food and Drug Safety), and K ...

unified, and administrative districts were changed to the following: *

Heungdeok District Heungdeok District () is a non-autonomous district of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Heungdeok District was re-established from a part of Heungdeok District and a part of Cheongwon County Cheongwon County () was a county ...

() West Osong-eup, Gangnae-myeon, Oksan-myeon, Uncheon-dong, Sinbong-dong, Bokdae1-dong, Bokdae2-dong, Gakyeong-dong, Bongmyeong1-dong, Bongmyeong2-dong, Songjeong-dong, Gangseo1-dong, Gangseo2-dong, Ochang-eup *

Seowon District Seowon District () is a non-autonomous district of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Seowon District was established from a part of Heungdeok District and a part of Cheongwon County in July 2014.Sangdang District Sangdang District () is a non-autonomous district in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Sangdang District was re-established from a part of Sangdang District and a part of Cheongwon County, Cheongwon-gun in July 2014. The newly cr ...

() East Nangseong-myeon, Miwon-myeon, Gaduk-myeon, Namil-myeon, Mooni-myeon, Joongang-dong, Seongan-dong, Top-dong, Deasung-dong, Yeongun-dong, Geumcheon-dong, Yongam-dong, Myeongam-dong, Sinsung-dong, Yongam1-dong, Yongam2-dong *

Cheongwon District Cheongwon District () is a non-autonomous district of Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Cheongwon District was established from a part of Sangdang District and a part of Cheongwon County in July 2014.Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and the

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS; ), formerly known as the Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA; ), is a government agency responsible for promoting public health by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of foods, pharmaceuticals, medi ...

are located in the Osong Health Technology Administration Complex.

Cultural properties

*Sangdangsanseong (Sangdang Mountain Fortress) lies on the slopes of Mt. Uam within the city limits. The fortress is mainly a wall that stretches over in circumference. The present walls date to the 1716 restoration of the site. Within the walls lies a small tourist village that has several restaurants. *Cheongju National Museum also lies near Mt. Uam, and houses several exhibits of cultural artifacts from the nearby area. * Heungdeoksa Temple Site is the home to the Early Printing Museum, and is to be the site of the printing of

Jikji ''Jikji'' () is the abbreviated title of a Korean Buddhism, Korean Buddhist document whose title can be translated to "Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests' Zen#Seon in Korea, Zen Teachings". Printed during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1377, it is the ...

, the oldest existent book printed using movable metal type. The museum itself contains exhibits related to the art of printing through the ages. *Yongdusaji Cheoldanggan (The Iron Flagpole of the Yongdu Temple Site) is designated Korean National Treasure number 41, and is located near Lotte Department Store in downtown Cheongju. Made of twenty iron cylinders, the flagpole stands tall, and was formerly used to hang flags to honour the Buddha. *National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art – Cheongju (MMCA Cheongju) which is scheduled to open in December 2018, will be the first museum in Korea to open its conservation center to the general public. Notably, MMCA Cheongju is being constructed within a renovated tobacco factory, which once played a major role in Korea's modern industry. The new building has been especially designed to use energy more efficiently and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As such, the new museum will be a high-profile example of a project combining elements of urban revitalization and historical preservation. *Chojeonghaenggung (Chojeong Temporary Palace) is a temporary palace where

King Sejong Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangu ...

stayed for treatment of an eye disease. It is said that King Sejong completed the creation of Hangul here. This place was destroyed during the Joseon Dynasty, and restoration work began in December 2017, and construction was completed in December 2019. It opened in June 2020. Also, Chojeong Mineral Water produced near here is quite famous carbonated water. It is known that King Sejong also tried to treat an eye disease with carbonated water produced in Chojeong. Chojeonghaenggung is located in Naesu-eup, Cheongwon District.

Transport

Cheongju International Airport Cheongju International Airport is an international airport in Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, South Korea. It also serves the cities of Daejeon and Sejong. In 2024, 4,579,221 passengers used the airport. It also houses the 17th fighter wing of the R ...

provides scheduled flights within Korea and to other parts of Asia. The main train station is located at Ogeunjang approximately north of the city hall. This station is on the

Chungbuk Line The Chungbuk Line () is a railway line serving North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The line connects Jochiwon on the Gyeongbu Line to Bongyang on the Jungang Line, serving the major cities of Cheongju and Chungju ''en route.'' Cheong ...

. Cheongju Bus Terminal provides almost all of the bus lines to bus terminals located in other cities. Ticketing time is between 4:00 am and 11:40 pm. Cheongju Express Bus Terminal provides some bus lines for Seoul (Gangnam, Sangbong, South Seoul, East Seoul, Busan, East Deagu, Gwangju). In 2023, the Cheongju tunnel flooded during the annual monsoon which trapped 15 vehicles and resulted in at least 7 deaths and 11 reported missing.

Education

Cheongju is the site of several tertiary institutions, including: * Cheongju National University of Education * Cheongju University *

Chungbuk National University Chungbuk National University (CBNU) is one of ten Flagship Korean National Universities. It takes its name, ''Chungbuk'', from the common abbreviated form of the province's Korean name ''Chungcheongbuk-do''. Colleges and schools See also * ...

* Chung Cheong University *

Korea Air Force Academy Republic of Korea Air Force Academy (ROKAFA, ) is a Republic of Korea Air Force institution for the undergraduate education and military training of officers. It is located at Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea. The current superintendent of the ...

* Korea National University of Education * Seowon University

Festival

The Cheongju International Craft Biennale is usually held in September or October. There is also the Osong Cosmetic and Beauty Expo.

Twin towns – sister cities

Notable people from Cheongju

* Cho Sung-dal, footballer. * Choi Eun-sil, basketball player. * Choi Ji-hyun,

short track speed skater Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice skating, ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the s ...

. *

Choi Soon-ho Choi Soon-ho (; born 10 January 1962) is a South Korean football manager and former player. International career Choi was named in South Korean squad for the 1980 AFC Asian Cup. He scored seven goals including two goals against Kuwait, an ...

, football manager and former professional football player. *

Han Hyo-joo Han Hyo-joo (; born Han Ji-yeong, February 22, 1987) is a South Korean actress. She gained wide recognition with the back-to-back successes of '' Brilliant Legacy'' (2009) and ''Dong Yi'' (2010), both of which were massive hits with high viewe ...

, actress. * Hwang Eun-bi (''known as

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). * Im Jin-ah (''known as

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). * Ji Chang-min (''known as Q''), singer and dancer (

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). *

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, singer and actress (

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). * Kim Ji-woo (''known as

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''), singer (

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). * Kim Jung-eun (''known as Kim Lip''), singer-songwriter (

). * Kim Joo-young (''known as

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''), singer-songwriter. * Kim So-yeon (''known as

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C. S. Lee Charlie Seunghee Lee (; born December 30, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing forensics analyst Vince Masuka on the Showtime drama series ''Dexter''. Early life Lee was born in Cheongju, South Korea. Acting be ...

, actor and comedian. *

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). * Moon Sua, singer (

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). * Moon Sang Min, actor. * Na Young-seok, television producer. *

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). *

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, Actress from nearby

Jeungpyeong County Jeungpyeong County () is a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Location Jeungpyeong is in the centrally located in Chungcheongbuk-do. It is located East of Jincheon, West of Goesan, south of Eumseong, north of Cheongwon. Symbols ...

but attended high school in

Sangdang District Sangdang District () is a non-autonomous district in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Sangdang District was re-established from a part of Sangdang District and a part of Cheongwon County, Cheongwon-gun in July 2014. The newly cr ...

References

External links

*
City government home page
{{Authority control Cities in North Chungcheong Province