Hongseong County () 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 ...

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 the capital of

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 ...

. The current governor is Lee Yong-log. The original name of the city is ''Hongju''.

Symbols

* The flag represents the Joyang Gate along with the west coastal line. * The region's flower is the ''

forsythia ''Forsythia'' , is a genus of flowering plants in the olive family Oleaceae. There are about 11 species, mostly native to Eastern Asia, but one native to Southeastern Europe. ''Forsythia'' – also one of the plant's common names – is named ...

'', which symbolizes the warmth and kindness in the hearts of the people of Hongseong. * The region's tree is the ''

zelkova ''Zelkova'' (from the Georgian language, Georgian ''dzelkva'', 'stone pillar') is a genus of six species of deciduous trees in the elm family Ulmaceae, native to southern Europe, and southwest and eastern Asia. They vary in size from shrubs (''Ze ...

'', which is known for providing a lot of shade. This symbolizes the loyalty and patriotism of the people of Hongseong. * The region's bird is the

magpie Magpies are birds of various species of the family Corvidae. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent c ...

, which is also the national bird of Korea. It symbolizes good luck, good news and hope.

Population

Historical figures

Historical figures born in Hongseong: * Ch'oe Yŏng (1316): General 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 ...

* Sŏng Sammun (1418): Notable scholar 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 ...

* Han Seong-jun (1875): Master of Korean dance during the Japanese Colonial Era * Han Yong-un (1879):

Buddhist 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 ...

reformer * Kim Jwa-jin (1889): anarcho-communist activist * Yoo Byung-jae (1988):

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

Cultural assets

In Hongseong, a large statue of Buddha is engraved on a protruding rock carved into the shape of a shrine. Overall, the headpiece is solid and integrity is shown on the face, but the statue is unbalanced from its loss of volume towards the bottom. Site attributed to Ch'oe Yŏng: * Gibongsa: in Noeunli, shrine that was reconstructed in 1995; site of a memorial service every fall to comfort General Yeong's soul Sites attributed to Sŏng Sammun: * Teacher Sŏng Sammun's Tomb: in Noeunli, where his mother's family lived and where he was born; previously a lecture hall closed in 1676 *Teacher Sŏng Sammun Memorial Stone: in Noeunli, preservation house for engraved Yuheobi memorial stone * Noeundan: in Noeunri, site of memorial service performed every October 10; holds Sŏng Sammun's ancestral tablets Sites attributed to Han Yong-un: * Birthplace of Manhae, Han Yongwun: a memorial in Gyeolseongmyeon * Manhaesa Shrine: in Hongbukmyeon, built to hold his portrait * Statue of Manhae, Han Yongwun: in Namjangli, built to set his work as an indication of national spirit * Manhae, Han Yongwun Culture Experience Hall: in Gyeolseongmyeon, built in 2007 in front of his birthplace to commemorate his spirit and philosophy Sites attributed to Kim Jwajin: * Birthplace of General Kim Jwajin: in Paekya Park in Galsanmyeon, where he was born and raised; restoration started in 1991 * Memorial stone to pay a tribute to the memory of General Kim Jwajin: in Galsanmyeon, describes his achievements; constructed in 1949 * Statue of General Kim Jwajin: in Goamli, articulates his achievement when he wiped out a Japanese army at 31 years of age * Baekyasa: in Galsanmyeon, shrine where service is held during the Baekya festival every October 25

Festivals

* Namdangli Cockle Festival: The coastal topographical features of the Hongseong area, particularly the Cheonsu Bay area, provide abundant egg cockles. Egg cockles taste unique and not easy to eat in city areas. Because of these reasons, the festival gradually became successful. However, an oil spill around Taean made it difficult to host this festival recently. Hongseong did not suffer direct damage from the oil spill. The county took place as the host on Jan 16 of 2008. * Naepo Festival: First begun in 2004, this festival honors the Naepo culture throughout Hongseong in the month of October. It represents the loyalty of the culture of Hongseong people. It includes many competitions and performances while commemorating General Ch'oe Yŏng and those who sacrificed their lives in the battle at Hongju Castle. * Festival of General Kim’s victory: This festival is held every October at General Kim Jwa-jin's birthplace and shrine to commemorate his victory in Cheongsanli. The spectacles include Bongsan Mask dancing,

pungmul ''Pungmul'' (; ) is a Traditional music of Korea#Folk music, Korean folk music tradition that includes drumming, dance, dancing, and singing. Most performances are outside, with dozens of players all in constant motion. ''Pungmul'' is rooted in th ...

performance, military school events,

makgeolli ''Makgeolli'' (), sometimes anglicized to makkoli (, ), is a Korean alcoholic drinks, Korean alcoholic drink. It is a milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine that has a slight viscosity, and tastes slightly sweet, tangy, bitter, and astr ...

tasting, and more.

References

External links

Official local government website
{{Authority control Counties of South Chungcheong Province