Wonju (; ) is the most populous city in the state of Gangwon, South Korea, with a population of 364,860 as of 2023. The city is located approximately east of Seoul.
History
During the time of Great Joseon, Wonju was the capital of the historic Gangwon Province, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea.
Korean War
Wonju was the site of the first ever massacres conducted by the Republic of Korea Army against suspected communists that occurred on 30 June 1950. On 2 July of the same year, the Korean People's Army attacked Wonju before capturing it on 7 July.
Throughout the Korean War, Wonju was the site of three crucial battles.
Geography
Wonju sits at the southwestern corner of Gangwon Province, bordering Gyeonggi Province to the west and North Chungcheong Province to the south. Within Gangwon, Wonju borders Yeongwol County to the east and Hoengseong County to the north. Unlike much of Gangwon Province, Wonju is not a mountainous area, but rather a basin along the wide plain created by the Seom River.
Administrative divisions
Wonju is divided into 1 eup (town), 8 myeon (townships), and 16 dong (neighborhoods).
Transportation
Education
There is one international school: Wonju Chinese Primary School ().
According to data released by Wonju City Hall in 2015, the number of kindergartens located in Wonju was 71.
There are 48 elementary and 22 middle schools.
In the case of high schools, there are 15 general high schools, 2 special purpose high schools, and 3 specialized high schools, a total of 20.
Culture
A Rail Park has been built on the disused rail tracks connecting the stations of Pandae and Ganhyeon, for a total of . The total ride journey is about 40 minutes, offering scenic views of the surrounding mountains while cycling.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wonju is based in Wonju.
Museums
- Mureung Museum
- Yonsei University Wonju Museum
- Museum yetchaek towns
- Wonju City Museum
- Chiak Folk Museum
- Myeongjusa Chiaksan and Engraving Museum
- Toji Literature park
- Toji Cultural Center
- Hanji museum
- On Museum of the Arts
- Museum San
Libraries
Source:
- Wonju City Library
- Taejang Library
- Jungcheon Philosophical Library
- Wonju Education and Culture Center
- Munmak Library
Climate
The climate of Wonju is a hot-Summer, monsoon-influenced Humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa, Trewartha: Dcao).
Sports
Wonju is home city of the Wonju DB Promy, playing in the Korean Basketball League. Their home arena is Wonju Gymnasium, which is located in Myeongnyun il-dong, Wonju. The team has won the Championship three times (2002âÂÂ03, 2004âÂÂ05, and 2007âÂÂ08).
Sister cities
- Roanoke, Virginia, United States
- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Yantai, Shandong, China
- Hefei, Anhui, China
- Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan
- Belfast, Northern Ireland
Notable people from Wonju
- Kim Seon-dong (), South Korean politician and Secretary-General of the United Future Party (UFP)
- Jee Yong-ju (), South Korean amateur boxer
- Kim Jae-woong (), South Korean football midfielder
- Kim Ji-woong (), South Korean actor and singer
- Jang Mi-ran (), South Korean weightlifter
- Yoon Jin-hee (), South Korean weightlifter
- Heechul (Real Name: Kim Hee-chul, ), singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actor, speaker, MC and K-pop idol, member of K-pop boy group Super Junior, member of the project groups Universe Cowards
- Kim Do-yeon (), actress and former member of disbanded K-pop girl group project I.O.I, K-pop girl group Weki Meki's lead vocalist and visual
- Yoon Ji-sung, South Korean singer and actor, former member of disbanded K-pop boy group project Wanna One
- Sojung (Real Name: Lee So-jung, ), singer, dancer, model and K-pop idol, member of K-pop girlgroup Ladies' Code
- Joo Won Ahn (), South Korean ballet dancer
- Ahn Young-mi (), South Korean comedian and member of K-pop girl group Celeb Five
- Choi Kyu-hah (), South Korean politician and former President of South Korea
- Chai-Sik Chung (), Korean-American social ethicist and sociologist of religion
- Ham Deok-ju (), South Korean professional baseball pitcher (Doosan Bears, Korea Baseball Organization)
- Han Dong-jin (), South Korean footballer (Jeju United FC, K League 2)
- Shin Yu-na (), member of K-pop girl group ITZY
- Park Sungho (), member of K-pop boy group BoyNextDoor
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links