8.2 Gyeongsangnam-do
Geography of Korea: VIII. Gyeongsang-do > 2. Gyeongsangnam-do
2. Gyeongsangnam-do
When it was created in 1896 from the splitting of Gyeongsang-do into northern and southern provinces, Gyeongsangnam-do’s capital was Jinju but was moved to Busan in 1925. In 1983 the provincial seat was moved to Changwon, the first instance of a transfer of a provincial capital since the foundation of the Republic of Korea in 1948. In 1948, the province’s Busan, Masan, and Jinju were all designated cities. Busan was elevated to the status of jikhalsi, a municipality directly under the administration of the central government, and in 1995 to its current status as Busan Metropolitan City. Ulsan was named a city in 1962 and in 1997 became administratively separated from the province when it was named Ulsan Metropolitan City.
The population of Gyeongsangnam-do is 3.33 million (about 6.5 percent of the national population; this does not include Busan and Ulsan, which as metropolitan cities are administratively separate from the province), making it the country’s second most populous province. But when one combines the population of the province with that of Busan (3.5 million) and Ulsan (1.16 million), the Gyeongsangnam-do region actually has a population of some 7.99 million (or 16 percent of the national total), making it the second most populous region after the capital region. The province’s total land area is 10,537 sq. km., making it the fourth largest province, while its population density averages 316 persons/sq. km., the third most densely populated province after Gyeonggi-do and Jeju-do.
The entire Gyeongsangnam-do region forms part of the Gyeongsang Basin and its geological makeup is similar to that of Gyeongsangbuk-do. Peaks such as Mt. Namdeokyu (1508m), Mt. Baegun (1279m), and Mt. Jiri (1915m) form part of the Sobaeksanmaek Range, while peaks like Mt Sudo (1317m), Mt. Gaya (1430m), are located along the border with Gyeongsangbuk-do, and peaks like Mt. Unmun (1188m) and Mt. Jaeyak (1108m) are situated in the province’s northeast and form part of the border with Gyeongsangbuk-do there. Though the Taebaeksanmaek Range extends as far as Mt. Geumseong (892m) in Busan, its ridgeline in Gyeongsangnam-do is not very pronounced. The main passes between the Yeongnam (i.e., Gyeongsang) and neighboring Honam (i.e., Jeolla) regions are Yuksimnyeong (734m) sitting between Hamyang and Jinan and Pallyangchi (513m), which sits between Hamyang and Namwon.
The Nakdong River originates in Taebaek and flows through Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do with its major tributaries including the Hwang, Nam, and Miryang Rivers. The alluvial plains of the Nakdong and its tributaries, as well as the mouth of the Nakdong, form the primary plains of Gyeongsangnam-do. The Nam River constitutes about 15 percent of the Nakdong River system’s total area and has a very large discharge. In areas abutting the coastal region peaks never reach more than 500–700 meters in altitude. The coast is the highly irregular ria formation and the off coast island of Geoje-do (375 sq. km.) is actually the country’s second largest island after Jeju, while the province’s Namhae-do island (301 sq. km.) is the fifth largest island in South Korea, following Jindo (375 sq. km.) in Jeollanam-do and the island of Ganghwa (303 sq. km.).
Due to maritime influences, the annual mean temperature in this region is a relatively high 12–14˚ (53.6–57.2˚F). The January mean temperatures for Busan and Tongyeong are 2.2˚C (35.9˚F) and 2.3˚C (36.1˚F), respectively, while the rest of the coastal region for January has mean temperatures that are still above freezing. Thus the province’s western coastal region constitutes a warm temperate forest zone with such species as camellia, magnolia, and the trifoliate orange tree. Though temperatures are relatively high here, precipitation levels are also high. In the province’s Namhae county and Geoje-do Island annual rainfall can exceed 1700mm, making them, along with southern Jeju Island, the country’s wettest regions.
The percentage of cultivated land in Gyeongsangnam-do (around 18%) is lower than the national average. The province has two times more wet fields under cultivation relative to dry fields. In terms of cultivated areas by crop type, rice is the largest followed by barley. Besides these crops, there is also a thriving industry of vegetable and flower cultivation aimed at the large markets of nearby Busan, Ulsan, and Daegu. If considered as a part of Gyeongsangnam-do (though administratively it is not), Busan is home to the region’s most developed fisheries industry. Gyeongsangnam-do accounts for about half of the accumulated catch of the country’s general fishing industry, with major species being mackerel, anchovy, sardine, flounder, Spanish mackerel, croaker, Japanese amberjack, and filefish. The province has the second largest number of fishing ports after Jeollanam-do, with major representative ports being Busan’s Dadaepo, Ulsan’s Bangeojin, Geoje-do Island’s Oepo, Goseong’s Maekjeonpo, and Namhae’s Mulgeon. As far as mineral resources, an important one is kaolin. With deposits found primarily in the province’s western region, kaolin is a key ingredient in the ceramics industries of places like Jinju and Miryang.
In terms of regional industry, the 1960s saw the development of a petrochemical industrial complex in Ulsan, following which industry continued to develop in the coastal region of the province. The so-called Southeastern Coastal Industrial Zone is a belt stretching from Pohang, along the coast of Gyeongsangnam-do as far as the area of Gwangyang-Yeocheon in Jeollanam-do and with the city of Busan as its core. Key industries of this manufacturing belt include machinery, textiles, and shipbuilding in Busan, petrochemicals, automobiles, and shipbuilding in Ulsan, machinery in Changwon, textiles and machinery in Masan, shipbuilding in Geoje, and fisheries and processing in Tongyeong and Sacheon.
Gyeongsangnam-do has 8 designated cities (Changwon, Jinju, Tongyeong, Sacheon, Gimhae, Miryang, Geoje, and Yangsan) and 10 counties (Uiryeong, Haman, Changnyeong, Goseong, Namhae, Hadong, Sacheong, Hamyang, Geochang, and Hapcheon). In 2010 the urban conglomerate of Masan-Changwon-Jinhae cities, which was referred to collectively as “Machangjin,” was combined into the city of Changwon. In terms of population, the largest city is the now combined city of Changwon with a populace of more than 1.1 million, followed by Gimhae (530,000) and Jinju (340,000). The least populated unit is Uiryeong county with only 14,000, while the most populated county is Haman (70,000).
With its location along the Seoul-Busan route, the region of Gyeongsangnam-do saw development very early. Because the laying of railroads and construction of highways was key to such development, the region’s transportation infrastructure is quite excellent. During the summer holidays Busan’s Haeundae Beach can see upwards of a million visitors a day.
Busan is second only to Seoul in terms of attracting international visitors. Some well-known attractions in Busan include Mt. Yongdu Park, Nampodong, Jagalchi fish market, Yeong Island, Haundae Beach, Busan Museum, Beomeo Temple, and Geumjeong Mountain Fortress. The areas around the city’s Pusan National University and Kyungsung University and Haeundae Beach, as well as the commercial neighborhoods of Gwanganri and Seomyeon, are known for their constant activity and as areas that never sleep. The province’s southern coastal region also has its share of visitor attractions, including Geoje-do Island’s former Korean War P.O.W. camp, Gohyeon-ri, Jangseungpo, Tongyeong, Haegeumgang, Oedo Island, Namhae Island, Jinju’s Chokseongnu Pavilion in western Gyeongsangnam-do, Mt. Jiri National Park (the country’s first national park to be designated in the twenty-first century) along with its Ssanggye Temple and Dullegil Trail.
