Ongjin
옹진군
Korean transcription(s)
  Hanja
  Revised RomanizationOngjin-gun
  McCune-ReischauerOngjin-kun
Janggyeong Beach on Yeongheung Island
Janggyeong Beach on Yeongheung Island
Flag of Ongjin
Official logo of Ongjin
Divisions of Ongjin are numbered
Divisions of Ongjin are numbered
CountrySouth Korea
RegionSudogwon
Provincial levelIncheon
Administrative divisions7 myeon
Area
  Total172.48 km2 (66.59 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
  Total20,456
  Density120/km2 (310/sq mi)
  Dialect
Seoul
WebsiteOngjin County Office
Islanders of the Sir James Hall Group, engraving c. 1817

Ongjin County (Korean: 옹진군) is a county in Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea. It consists of a group of islands in the Yellow Sea (West Sea).

Four of the islands, Yeonpyeong Island, Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Socheong Islands, are very near the Northern Limit Line. They are close to the Ongjin Peninsula of South Hwanghae Province in North Korea, at a considerable distance from the nearest part of the South Korean mainland. These islands are popular destinations for tourism. In historical contexts these three islands and their smaller neighbors are sometimes known as the Sir James Hall Group after Sir James Hall, whose son Basil Hall was an early Western visitor to Korea.[1]

History

Once a part of the Lolang district of the Han Empire before the 4th century, this area was known as Ongcheon during the Three Kingdoms period. It was bestowed with the name in use today - Ongjin - during the reign of King Taejo of Goryeo, the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty. Then in 1018, during the 9th year of King Hyeonjong's reign over Goryeo, the county was established as one of the major administrative divisions in the heartland of the kingdom.[2]

Administration

Administrative divisions

The Ongjin County seat is located outside of the county itself, in Nam-gu, Incheon. There is also an Ongjin County in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. This chain of islands was originally a part of South Hwanghae province before the Partition of Korea in 1948.

Administrative divisions

Ongjin County is divided into seven townships ("myeon").

Tourism

It is difficult to reach Ongjin County because of its proximity to North Korea and its distance from South Korean areas.

The coast and islands feature many gravel beaches, some of which (such as Guridong beach and Gulubdo beach) feature fantastic eroded stone outcroppings. There are also large mudflats, which are a popular tourist destination.

Interesting facts

The survivalist television series Squid Game created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix was filmed on Seongapdo island (part of Jawol-myeon) in 2020-2021.[3]

See also

References

  1. "History of United States Naval Operations, Korea". United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 2006-11-03.
  2. Official page of Ongjin County(eng)
  3. Kang hye ryang (2021-10-02). "여기가 거기라고?! 전 세계가 열광하는 '오징어 게임' 국내 촬영지 탑 5". smartlifetv.

37°12′50″N 126°10′42″E / 37.21389°N 126.17833°E / 37.21389; 126.17833

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