The Geumgang River is located in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. It is a major river 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 Daejeon () is South Korea's fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of 1.5 million as of 2019. Located in the central-west region of South Korea alongside forested hills and the Geum River, the city is known both for its technology an ...

and flows southwest through South Chungcheong Province before emptying into the Yellow Sea near Gunsan city. The river is long, making it the third longest in South Korea. The area of the Geum River Basin is . The upper part of the river flows slowly through part of the Noryeongsanmaek Mountains and is marked by extensive stream meandering. On the other hand, river curves on middle and lower parts of the river are more gradual and there is comparatively less stream meandering. Tributary streams of the Geumgang include the Gap-cheon, Yugu-cheon, Miho-cheon, Unsan-cheon, Seokseong-cheon, and Nonsan-cheon. Several small alluvial plains including the Honam and Nonsan Plain have been formed by the flow of the Geumgang and its tributaries.

History and Culture

In the area of Buyeo County, the river bears the name Baengma-gang river, which means White Horse River. Numerous legends associate the ancient kingdom of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo of Baekje, Onjo, the third son of Gogurye ...

with the Baengma. The Baengma River is the subject of a well-known song of the ''

sin minyo In a religion, religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, ...

'' tradition, ''Kkumkkuneun Baengma-gang'' (꿈꾸는 백마강, "Dreaming Baengma-gang"). The Geumgang River and its tributaries were a means of cultural contact from prehistoric times (see Mumun Pottery Period) and into the Three Kingdoms of Korea through their ancient function as a transportation route that begins on the west coast and penetrates deep in the interior of the Peninsula. Bronze Culture flourished in this area from c. 850 B.C.-A.D. 100 (see Liaoning bronze dagger culture). Archaeological evidence suggests that some of the very first complex societies in southern Korea briefly flourished in the valleys formed by tributaries of this river. The Geumgang River Basin contained the chiefdoms of

Mahan Mahan or Mahaan may refer to: * Mahan (name) * Mahan confederacy, chiefdoms in ancient Korea * Mahan, Iran, a city in Kerman Province * Mahan District, an administrative subdivision of Kerman Province * Mahan Rural District, an administrative subdi ...

, and a former centres of the early kingdom of

such as Ungjin (AD 475–525) and Sabi (AD 525–660) are located along the Baengma portion of the river. The river's Korean name ("Silk River") is a

homonym In linguistics, homonyms are words which are homographs (words that share the same spelling, regardless of pronunciation), or homophones (equivocal words, that share the same pronunciation, regardless of spelling), or both. Using this definition, ...

of the word for "diamond" (금강; 金剛) and should not be confused with Kŭmgang Mountain (금강산; 金剛山; "Diamond Mountain") in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

Economy

Dams have been built on the Middle and Upper Geumgang to facilitate water for agriculture and industry. They include the

Daecheong Dam The Daecheong Dam is a combination concrete gravity (made of concrete) and embankment dam (made of earth) on the Geum River, north of Daejeon in South Korea. The multi-purpose dam provides benefits of flood control, water supply and hydroelectric ...

and the Yongdam Dam. The city of Greater Daejeon and the farms and industries of South Chungcheong Province rely heavily on the Geum River and its tributaries. The alluvial plains formed by the Geumgang and its tributaries are the locations of significant agricultural production in Korea.

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