Kwanbuk
Kwanbuk
관북 · | |
---|---|
Etymology: "North of the Ridge" | |
Country | North Korea South Korea (claimed) |
Dialects | Hamgyŏng, Ryukchin (문화어) |
Kwanbuk | |
Chosŏn'gŭl | 관북 |
---|---|
Hancha | |
Revised Romanization | Gwanbuk |
McCune–Reischauer | Kwanbuk |
Kwanbuk, or Gwanbuk (Korean: 관북), is a region of Korea now comprising the northeast provinces of Ryanggang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, and the Rajin-Sonbong Special Economic Zone. It borders the Kwansŏ region to the west and the Kwandong region to the east, and faces the Sea of Japan to the east.
Its name, Kwanbuk, means "North of the Ridge". The ridge in question is the Machon mountain range (Hanja:
Kwanbuk can further be divided into another subregion, Kwannam (
In modern times, the name has fallen out of use in most parts of Korea.
History
[edit]Koryŏ
[edit]In the latter half of the 11th Century during the reign of Sŏnjong of Koryŏ, the administrative divisions of medieval Korea were being reorganized. During that time, the area that is now Gyeonggi Province was called Gwannae-do (
Chosŏn and Korean Empire periods (1392-1910)
[edit]The Chosŏn Dynasty (1392–1897), and later the Korean Empire (1897–1910), ruled the entirety of the Korean Peninsula for nearly five and a half centuries. During the latter half of the Koryo Dynasty, Kwanbuk was administered as Tonggye (
Under the rule of the Choson monarchs, Koreans from the northern provinces, Pyŏngan and Hamgyŏng, faced extreme discrimination, such as being subject to heavier taxation, compared to the rest of the country, as well as being prohibited from taking the civil service examination (과거 kwagŏ).[citation needed] In 1895, King Gojong divided the original Eight Provinces into twenty-three districts. Hamgyong Province was divided into three districts, or bu (
Japanese occupation (1910-1945)
[edit]Korea was annexed into the Empire of Japan in 1910, with its internal borders being rearranged once again. North Hamgyong and South Hamgyong provinces were rearranged into Kankyōhoku-dō and Kankyōnan-dō, with Seishin (Chongjin) and Kankō (Hamhung) as their respective provincial capitals.
Due to their proximity to Manchukuo, the northern provinces (North and South Heian and North and South Kankyō) the region was heavily industrialized.
Contemporary period (1945-present)
[edit]Following the Japanese surrender in September 1945, Korea regained its independence after thirty-five years under Japanese rule. The People's Republic of Korea, a provisional government, was founded shortly thereafter. The provisional republic remained a sovereign, independent state for several days, until the United States and Soviet Union devised a plan to temporary partition Korea into two occupied zones, then reunify the peninsula once it was determined that the Koreans were fit to govern themselves.
Korea was divided at thirty-eight degrees north (38th parallel), which divided Korea roughly in half. The entirety of the Korean northeast fell under the jurisdiction of the Soviet Civil Administration, the zone of Korea north of the 38th parallel. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was established in 1948, and made changes to its internal borders shortly thereafter, such as demarcation of several counties in South Hamgyong Province to be conjoined with a majority of North Pyŏngan, to create Chagang Province. Ryanggang Province, known as Yanggang-do (양강도) in South Korea, was created in 1954 by demarcating the northernmost land from South Hamgyong and northwestern part of North Hamgyong.
Administrative divisions
[edit]Today, the Kwanbuk region comprises three do (
Administrative divisions according to the DPRK
[edit]Province | Hancha | Chosŏn'gŭl | RR | McCune-Reischauer | Abbreviation | Capital |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Hamgyong | 咸鏡 |
함경북도 | Hamgyeongbuk-do | Hamgyŏngbuk-do | Hambuk (咸北/함북) | Chŏngjin |
South Hamgyong | 咸鏡 |
함경남도 | Hamgyeongnam-do | Hamgyŏngnam-do | Hamnam (咸南/함남) | Hamhŭng |
Ryanggang | 량강도 | Ryanggang-do | Ryanggang-do | N/A | Hyesan |
Special City | Hancha | Chosŏn'gŭl | RR | McCune-Reischauer | Population |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rason | 라선봉특별시 | Raseon-teukbyeolsi | Rasŏn-t'ŭkpyŏlsi | 205,000 (2019) |
Special Economic Zone | Hancha | Chosŏn'gŭl | RR | McCune-Reischauer |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rason | 라진선봉경제특구 | Rajinseonbong-gyeongjeteukgu | Rajinsŏnbong-kyŏngjetŭkku |
Administrative divisions according to the ROK
[edit]The Republic of Korea (South Korea) has a government body meant to govern the traditional provinces in northern Korea, excluding Kangwŏn, the Committee for the Five Northern Korean Provinces. The committee recognizes the provinces of North Pyongan, South Pyongan, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, and Hwanghae as they were between 1896 and 1945, and does not recognize changes made to these provinces by the North Korean government. The committee serves a ceremonial purpose.
Map | Province | Capital | Governor |
---|---|---|---|
North Hamgyeong | Cheongjin | Lee Hoon | |
South Hamgyeong | Hamheung | Son Yang-young |
Culture
[edit]The northern regions of Korea have many cultural differences from the rest of Korea. North Korea as a whole still holds traditional Korean culture and values in high esteem, while South Korea, due to its open borders and global popularity, is undergoing globalization.
There are two dialects of Korean native to the region: the Northeast Dialect (
List of cultural elements and phenomenons originating from Kwanbuk
[edit]- Raengmyŏn (
冷 面 /랭면), known as Naengmyeon (냉면) in South Korea, is a cold noodle dish originating from Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province - Gat Kimchi (갓김치), a variety of kimchi native to parts of North Pyongan and North and South Hamgyong
References
[edit]- ^ 김, 만정, "마천령 (
摩 天 嶺 )", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-06-16 - ^ 오, 홍석, "관북지방 (
關 北 地方 )", Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean), Academy of Korean Studies, retrieved 2024-06-16 - ^ 155 Books of the Sejong Annals, Jiji Hamgil-do, Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (in Korean), retrieved 2024-05-31
- ^ Kim Hwansoo (2013). "'The Mystery of the Century:' Lay Buddhist Monk Villages (Chaegasŭngch'on) Near Korea's Northernmost Border, 1600s–1960" (PDF). Seoul Journal of Korean Studies. 26 (2): 297–299. doi:10.1353/seo.2013.0019. S2CID 201783375. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2016.