South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam region,

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 southernmost province in mainland

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. South Jeolla borders the provinces of

North Jeolla North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of South Chungcheong to the north, North Gyeo ...

to the north,

South Gyeongsang South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heri ...

to the northeast, and Jeju to the southwest in the

Korea Strait The Korea Strait is a strait, sea passage in East Asia between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It connects the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by Tsushima Island into two par ...

Suncheon Suncheon (; ) is the largest city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, with a population of 280,719 as of 2022. It is located in the southeast of the province and is a scenic agricultural and industrial city, known for tourist attractions, suc ...

is the largest city in the province, closely followed by

Yeosu Yeosu, formerly romanized as Yosu, is a coastal city located on the southern shore of South Korea. With a population of 268,823, Yeosu is the second largest city in South Jeolla Province. In 1998, the Old Yeosu City, Yeocheon City and Yeocheon C ...

. Other major cities include

Mokpo Mokpo (; ) is the List of cities in South Korea, third largest and most densely populated city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, located at the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula, close to Yudal mountain. Mokpo has frequent high-speed ...

, Gwangyang and Naju. Jeolla-do, including both

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and South Jeolla, was the first province out of the Eight Provinces system to have its 1000th year anniversary in 2018, as the name 'Jeolla-do' was established in 1018, during Hyeonjong of Goryeo's 9th year in power.

History

Proto Three Kingdoms period

During the Samhan period, South Jeolla belonged to Mahan ()

Three Kingdoms period

In the Three Kingdoms period, it belonged to Gujihakseong () of the southern five regions of Baekje (), with Mujinju () as its center.

Unified Silla, North and South period

During the Unified Silla period, with the establishment of nine provinces and five subordinate regions, the area remained under Mujinju. In the 16th year of King Gyeongdeok's reign (757), Mujinju was renamed to Muju () and came to oversee 15 counties (군; 郡) and 43 prefectures (군; 縣).

Goryeo dynasty

In the 2nd year of King Seongjong of Goryeo (983), when the national administrative divisions were reorganized into twelve mok (목), Naju-mok and Seungju-mok were established. In the 14th year of King Seongjong's reign (995), with the implementation of the province (도) system, the nation was divided into ten provinces(도), and the region was called Haeyangdo (). In the 9th year of King Hyeonjong's reign, Haeyangdo was merged with Gangnamdo, and the name Jeollado (全羅道) was officially adopted.

Joseon dynasty

During the Joseon Dynasty, the country was divided into eight provinces, and names such as Gwangnamdo (光南道), Jeongwangdo (全光道), and Jeonnamdo (全南道) were occasionally used. However, the name Jeollado was predominantly maintained. On May 26, 1895 (the 32nd year of King Gojong's reign), with the implementation of the 23-bu system, Jeollado was subdivided into Jeonju-bu (全州府), Namwon-bu (南原府), Naju-bu (羅州府), and Jeju-bu (濟州府). Currently, seven cities and counties, including Suncheon and Damyang, belong to Namwon-bu, and Yeonggwang and Jangseong is part of Jeonju-bu, and the remaining sixteen cities and counties belong to Naju-bu. On August 4, 1896 (the 33rd year of King Gojong's reign), Decree No. 36 abolished the 23-bu system. During the reorganization process, the existing eight provinces were divided into thirteen provinces by splitting five provinces (Jeollado, Chungcheongdo, Gyeongsangdo, etc.) into northern and southern regions. As a result, Jeollado was split into north and south, with the southern part being renamed Jeollanam-do (전라남도),or South Jeolla Province, as it is known today, encompassing 1 moks(목/牧) and 32 counties (군/gun).

Geography

The province is part of the

Honam Honam (; literally "south of the lake") is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, Jeju Province and Jeonbuk State. The name "Jeonla-do" is used i ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

, and is bounded on the west by the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...

, on the north by

Jeollabuk-do North Jeolla Province, officially Jeonbuk State (), is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, Special Self-governing Province of South Korea in the Honam region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeonbuk borders the provinces of Sout ...

Province, on the south by Jeju Strait, and on the east by

Gyeongsangnam-do South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that ...

. There are almost 2,000

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

s along the coastline, about three quarters of which are uninhabited. The coastline is about long. Some of the marine products, in particular

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...

and seaweed cultivation, are leading in South Korea. The province is only partially mountainous. The plains along the rivers Seomjin, Yeongsan and Tamjin are suitable for large-scale grain agriculture. There is abundant rainfall in the area, which helps agriculture. The province is also home to the warmest weather on the peninsula. This helps to produce large amounts of agricultural produce, mainly

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

pulse In medicine, the pulse refers to the rhythmic pulsations (expansion and contraction) of an artery in response to the cardiac cycle (heartbeat). The pulse may be felt ( palpated) in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surfac ...

s and

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es.

Vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

and

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

s are also grown in the province.

Environment

A small amount of

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

and

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

is mined in the province, but industries have also been developed in the area. The amount of harmful heavy metals in the province is one-thirtieth of the environmental standard requirement, boasting clean air.

Demographics

*Source
SOUTH KOREA: South Jeolla Province – Further information about the population structure
br />(CITY POPULATION)

Administrative divisions

Jeollanam-do is divided into 5 cities (''si'') and 17 counties (''gun''). Listed below is the name of each entity in English,

hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

, and

hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

Sister cities and provinces

* State of Arizona, United States *

State of Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, United States *

Gyeongsan Gyeongsan (; ) is a satellite city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Its western border abuts the metropolitan city of Daegu, and much of Gyeongsan lies within the Daegu metropolitan area. Numerous universities are located in Gyeongsan, ...

, South Korea *

Ipswich, Queensland Ipswich () is an urban centre within the City of Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated on the Bremer River (Queensland), Bremer River, it is approximately 40 km (25 mi) west of the Brisbane central business district. Ipswich is ...

, Australia *

Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu (abbreviated BRVT) was formerly a province of Vietnam. It was located on the coast of the country's Southeast region. It bordered Đồng Nai to the north, Bình Thuận to the northeast and Ho Chi Minh City metropolit ...

, Vietnam * State of Oregon, United States *

Sichuan Province Sichuan is a Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capita ...

, China *

Alcochete Alcochete () is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,569, in an area of 128.36 km². The municipality is composed of three parishes and is located in Setúbal District. Alcochete is known for its bullfighting tradition ...

, Portugal

Religion

According to the census of 2005, of the people of South Jeolla 30.5% follow

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

(21.8%

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and 8.7%

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

) and 16.1% follow

Buddhism 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 ...

. 53.4% of the population is mostly not religious or follow

Muism Korean shamanism, also known as () is a religion from Korea. Religious studies, Scholars of religion classify it as a folk religion and sometimes regard it as one facet of a broader Korean vernacular religion distinct from Buddhism, Taoism, Dao ...

and other indigenous religions.

Education

National universities with graduate schools

* Chonnam National University -

Campus * Mokpo National Maritime University –

* Mokpo National University -

Muan County Muan County () is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. In 2005, Muan County became the capital of South Jeolla following the transfer of the provincial office from its previous location in Gwangju to the village of Namak in Muan. M ...

Yeongam County Yeongam () is a city and county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Bordered with Mokpo and Naju to the north, Jangheung County to the east, and Haenam and Gangjin to the south, Yeongam County comprises two '' eups'' and nine '' myeons'', po ...

* Sunchon National University –

Private universities with graduate schools

* Dongshin University – Naju * Gwangju Catholic University – Naju *

Mokpo Catholic University Mokpo Catholic University () is a Catholic university located in Mokpo, 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 border ...

–

* Sehan University -

Campus * Youngsan Won Buddhist University –

Yeonggwang County Yeonggwang County (''Yeonggwang-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Speciality Yeonggwang is a large producer of a fish, the Larimichthys polyactis, small yellow croaker which are so ...

* Chodang University –

* Hanlyo University – Gwangyang

Public institutes of higher education

* Jeonnam Provincial College –

Damyang County Damyang County (''Damyang-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Tourism in South Korea, Tourism is a major local industry. Notable local products include bamboo goods and strawberries. ...

Jangheung County Jangheung County () is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Slow city In 2007 Jangheung was designated as a slow city. It was the first slow city designation in Asia. Spot for filming ''Festival'' (1996) was filmed in Jangheung cou ...

Private institutes of higher education

* Chunnam Techno University –

Gokseong County Gokseong County () is a county in Jeollanam-do, South Korea and the least densely populated subdivision of the province. Attractions * Taeansa Temple * Neungpa Tower * Seomjin River * Dongli mountain valley * Gok-song Haneulnari Village (a farmi ...

* Dong-A College –

* Hanyeong College –

* Koguryeo College - Naju * Kwangyang Health College – Gwangyang * Mokpo Science University –

* Suncheon First College –

* Suncheon Cheongam College –

Governor

* 31st: Heo Kyung-man (July 1, 1995 – July 1, 1998) – 1st term * 32nd: Heo Kyung-man (July 1, 1998 – July 1, 2002) – 2nd term * 33rd: Park Tae-young (July 1, 2002 – April 29, 2004) – 1st term * 34th: Park Jun-young (June 6, 2004 – July 1, 2006) – 1st term * 35th: Park Jun-young (July 1, 2006 – July 1, 2010) – 2nd term * 36th: Park Jun-young (July 1, 2010 – July 1, 2014) – 3rd term * 37th: Lee Nak-yeon (July 1, 2014 – May 12, 2018) * 38th: Kim Yung-rok (July 1, 2018 – )

Economy

Gwangyang Steel Mill, one of the world's largest single steel producer with an annual capacity of 21 million tons, is located in Gwangyang City. In addition, Yeosu National Industrial Complex, the nation's largest

petrochemical Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems) are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable s ...

industrial complex, is located in Yeosu City. In February 2025, South Korea announced plans for a $35 billion

Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

data center with a 3GW capacity to be built in the South Jeolla province. An agreement with the province will ensure the

data center A data center is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. Since IT operations are crucial for busines ...

has access to energy, water, and other essential resources.

Transportation

Rail

* KTX Honam Line:

Seoul station Seoul Station () is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Services KTX Seoul Station is the terminus of m ...

to GwangjuSongjeong station * KTX Honam Line:

to Mokpo station

Roads

* Expressway No.10 * Expressway No.15

Airports

Muan International Airport Muan International Airport is an international airport in Muan County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Construction of the airport began in 1997, and the airport opened on 9 November 2007. The airport serves the province of South Jeolla, esp ...

Yeosu Airport Yeosu Airport is an airport in Yeosu, 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 K ...

* Gwangju Airport *Source
Investment Attractiveness
br/>(Jeolla Namdo)

Tourism

– Jinnamgwan Hall, Hyangiram, Yi Sun Shin Square *

– Songgwangsa Temple,

Seonamsa Temple Seonamsa () is a Korean Buddhism, Korean Buddhist temple on the eastern slope at the west end of Jogyesan Provincial Park, within the northern Seungjumyeon District of the city of Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. It belongs to the Tae ...

, Nagan Eupseong Folk Village *

– Mokpo Modern History Museum, Gatbawi Rock, Yudal Mountain *

Haenam Haenam (''Haenam-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The capital of Haenam-gun is Haenam-eup (Haenam town). The economy of the county is based mainly on agriculture, with rice and Kore ...

– Ttanggut (End of the Land) Village, Mihwangsa Temple * Gurye – Hwaeomsa Temple * Damyang – Damyang Juknokwon, Metasequoia-lined Road, Soswaewon Garden * Boseong – Boseong Green Tea Field Daehan Dawon * Dochodo – Seonggaksa File:Yeosu, Jeollanamdo, South Korea - Art Gallery, October 2021.jpg, Art Gallery in

File:Tafoni and Sandstone, Gatbawi Mokpo South Korea 08.jpg, Mokpo, Gatbawi File:Chueotang, Gangjin, Jeollanam-do.jpg, Chueotang

References

Sources

External links

* * {{Authority control Provinces of South Korea