Daejeon

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Daejeon
Daejeon southern cityscape from Gyejoksan.jpg
Cityscape of the south side of Daejeon.
Korean name
Hangul 대전 광역시
Hanja 大田廣域市
Revised Romanization Daejeon gwang-yeoksi
McCune-Reischauer Taejŏn kwang-yŏkshi
Short name
Hangul 대전
Hanja 大田
Revised Romanization Daejeon
McCune-Reischauer Taejŏn
Statistics
Area 539.84 km² (208.43 sq mi)
Population 1,442,856 [1]
Population density 2,673 /km² (6,920 /sq mi)
Government Metropolitan City, Capital of South Chungcheong
Administrative divisions 5 wards (Gu)
Region Hoseo
Dialect Chungcheong
Location map
Map of South Korea highlighting the city.
Map of South Korea highlighting the city.

Daejeon (listen (help·info)) is a metropolitan city in the center of South Korea. It is the fifth largest city of South Korea, with a population of 1,442,856 at the end of 2005.[1] It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu highway, and Honam highway. Within the city limits lies Daedeok Science Town, an area with more than 200 research institutions.

Contents

[edit] History

National Government Complex, Daejeon.
National Government Complex, Daejeon.

The Daejeon area was historically known as Hanbat (한밭), a native Korean term for "large field", during the Joseon Dynasty. The term "Daejeon" simply means the same thing in Hanja.

Historically, Daejeon was a small village without many residents.[not specific enough to verify] However, in 1905, the Gyeongbu railway began operations from Seoul to Busan, opening a station at Daejeon. Soon after, in 1926, under rule of the Japanese government, the Honam railway was built between Daejeon and Mokpo, transforming the latter into a major transportation hub.[verification needed] Because of its geographical location and proximity to means of transportation, Daejeon grew quickly.

In 1932, the capital of Chungnam province moved from Gongju to Daejeon. After numerous changes were made to the city boundaries, among them one that effectively made the nearby town of Daedeok a part of the city in 1983, Daejeon became a metropolitan city in 1995.

In 1997, the Daejeon Government Complex was constructed in order to decentralize the population of South Korea from Seoul.[2] The population of Daejeon increased dramatically as a result.[3]

Today, Daejeon's population growth is the second highest in the country, after Seoul, resulting in a large number of new apartment complex projects and hi-tech industries in Yuseong-gu.[dubious – discuss]

[edit] Geography

Hiking path along Gapcheon.
Hiking path along Gapcheon.

Daejeon lies between latitudes N36°10'50" to N36°29'47" and longitudes E127°14'54" to E127°33'21" near the middle of South Korea. It is 167.3 km from Seoul, 294 km from Busan and 169 km from Gwangju. Sejong City, which is planned to be the new administrative capital of South Korea, will also be close by.[citation needed] The city is surrounded by several mountains, and Gyeryongsan National Park straddles the city border to the west. Three streams which eventually join with Geum River, called Gapcheon (갑천), Yudeungcheon (유등천), and Daejeoncheon (대전천), flow through the city from south to north.

Administrative divisions of Daejeon.
Administrative divisions of Daejeon.

[edit] Administrative divisions

Daejeon is divided into 5 wards ("Gu"):

[edit] Education

Information and Communications University.
Information and Communications University.
See also: Category:Universities and colleges in Daejeon

Being known as the Silicon Valley of Korea, Daejeon is home of various private and public Research Institutes, Centers and Science parks (i.e. R&D centers of Samsung, LG, Korea University of Science and Technology & others are located within Daedeok Science Town in Yuseong-gu.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is an institution of higher education focused on research in science and technology, and was ranked as the best Asian science and technology school by Asiaweek in 2000.[4] It is also home to the Information and Communications University, which specializes in research in information technology, and Daejeon Science High School, which is a selective high school focused on teaching science.[5]

Chungnam National University, a major national university established for the South Chungcheong province, and Pai Chai University, which is one of the oldest private universities in South Korea, are also located within the city.



Korean University of Science and Technology http://www.ust.ac.kr

KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) http://\ww.kaist.ac.kr

Information and Communication University http://www.icu.ac.kr

Chungnam National University http://www.cnu.ac.kr

Hannam University http://www.hannam.ac.kr

Daejeon University http://www.dju.ac.kr

Mokwon University http://www.mokwon.ac.kr

Baechae University http://www.pcu.ac.kr

Woosong University http://www.wsu.ac.kr

Woosong Technical College http://www.wst.ac.kr

Woosong Information College http://www.wsi.ac.kr

Solbridge International School of Business http://solbridge.wsu.ac.kr

Eulji University http://www.eu.ac.kr

Hanbat University http://www.hanbat.ac.kr

Armed Forces Nursing Academy http://www.afna.ac.kr

Korea Baptist Theological University and Seminary http://www.kbtus.ac.kr

Asia Life University http://www.alu.ac.kr

Daedeok College http://www.ddc.ac.kr

Daejeon Health Sciences College http://www.hit.ac.kr

Hyechon College http://www.hcc.ac.kr

Korea Polytech College #4 http://kpc4.ac.kr

[edit] Research and Development

Daejeon features twenty-three research institutes. Best known among them are the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), a leader in nuclear power, the Electronic and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) whose WiBro technology has been adopted as the international standard for 3G wireless communication, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), developer of the KOMPSTAT satellite program and the National Fusion Research Institute which just unveiled the KSTAR nuclear fusion reactor.


Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute http://www.etri.re.kr

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute http://www.kaeri.re.kr

National Nanofab Center http://www.nnfc.com/index.html

National Fusion Research Institute http://www.nfrc.re.kr

Korean Basic Science Research Institute http://www.kbsi.re.kr

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials http://www.kimm.re.kr

Korean Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology http://www.kribb.re.kr

Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology http://www.krict.re.kr

Korea Aerospace Research Institute http://www.kari.re.kr

Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science http://www.kriss.re.kr

Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information http://www.kisti.re.kr

Marine and Ocean Engineering Research Institute http://www.moeri.re.kr

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources http://www.kigam.re.kr

Korea Institute of Energy Research http://www.kier.re.kr

Agency for Defense Development http://add.re.kr

Korea Institute of Toxicology http://www.kitox.re.kr

Korean Institute of Oriental Medicine http://www.kiom.re.kr

Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute http://kao.re.kr

Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control http://www.kinac.re.kr

National Institute for Mathematical Sciences http://www.nims.re.kr

Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety http://www.kins.re.kr

National Security Research Institute http://www.nsri.re.kr

Institute of Information Technology Advancement http://www.iita.re.kr


[edit] Culture

Expo Science Park.
Expo Science Park.

In 1993, an international exposition (Expo '93) was held at Daejeon. Several landmarks such as the Hanbat Tower and the Expo Bridge were built at this time. After the exposition ended, the grounds were refurbished as Expo Science Park. Next to the park is the National Science Museum, which had moved to its current location in 1990.[6]

There are a lot of sight seeing locations in Daejeon. Most of the cultural centres and sight seeing places are located in Yuseong-gu district with the exception of Ppun park and Daejeon Zoo. The Daejeon Museum of Art, located in Dunsan Grand Park, is an art museum focused on the convergence of art and technology. Since it was established in 1998, numerous exhibitions on contemporary art have been held. Other cultural landmarks include the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, which recently began touring internationally as a cultural symbol of the city.

The Daejeon World Cup Stadium was constructed in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Several games have been held there, including the South Korea vs. Italy match in the second round. It is also the current home for the K-League football club Daejeon Citizen, and National League side Daejeon Hydro & Nuclear Power FC. Daejeon also hosts amateur football club Daejeon de la Cuba, which plays in the Super Sunday Football League.

The city is home to LPGA golfers Se Ri Pak and Jang Jeong, as well as the South Korean actor Kwon Sang-woo. Daejeon is also the hometown of former New York Mets left-handed reliever Dae-Sung Koo.

[edit] Transportation

Daejeon train station.
Daejeon train station.

Daejeon is a center of transportation in South Korea, where two major expressways, Gyeongbu highway and Honam highway, and two major railways, Gyeongbu railway and Honam railway, are joined. Travel time between Daejeon and Seoul using the high-speed railway system, otherwise known as KTX, is about fifty minutes. The nearest airport to Daejeon is Cheongju Airport, about a thirty-minute drive north of Daejeon.

[edit] Subway

A subway system with five lines is undergoing planning and construction in Daejeon. The first part of this system, Daejeon Subway Line 1 began operation on March 16, 2006, and entire line was operating as of April 17, 2007. It is notably different from the system used in Seoul in its smaller car width; lack of doors between cars; fewer number of cars, use of four cars to a train instead of ten; and free space under the seats.[7] The subway also uses round tokens instead of flat magnetic tickets as is the case with Seoul - the tokens are pressed into a sensor when passing the turnstiles, and inserted into a slot on the other side when getting out. The nature of the tokens allows them to be used for advertising as well.[8] Platform screen doors are installed in the subway stations.

[edit] Central business district

Daejeon has become the recipient of the country's effort to decentralize certain ministries of the national government. The middle of the city or the new central business district called Dunsan is where the effort has manifested itself. Newer apartment complexes, albeit structurally similar to that of the rest of the city, sprung up around the new government structures being constructed concurrently in just a few short years starting from the mid-1990s. Newer municipal buildings including the city's courts and the province's main parliamentary building soon followed. The result is a several square mile neighbourhood full of restaurants, standard Korean western-type bars and coffee shops. The area is a place for the workers of the new Daejeon to live close to their offices, most able to walk to work, and dine and shop in a new urban environment.[citation needed]

[edit] Sister cities

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Population, Households and Housing Units. Korean Statistical Information System. Korea National Statistical Office. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
  2. ^ Daejeon Government Complex. Government Buildings Management Service. Retrieved on 2007-02-22.
  3. ^ Oh, Changyeop. "Daejeon, Larger Population than Gwangju", Prometheus, 2006-03-22. Retrieved on 2007-02-22. (Korean) "이러한 대전의 인구증가 요인은 지난 1998년 정부 대전청사 이전과 철도시설공단, 행정중심복합도시 건설청 등이 자리를 잡은 것과 관련이 있다." 
  4. ^ "Asia's Best Universities 2000", Asiaweek, 2000-06-30. Retrieved on 2007-02-21. 
  5. ^ Daejeon Science High School (Korean). Retrieved on 2007-02-21. High schools in South Korea usually do not require special entrance exams.
  6. ^ History. National Science Museum of Korea. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
  7. ^ Riding Daejeon Subway (Korean). iris's talk on above 18 & computers & and society (2006-05-08). Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
  8. ^ Visiting Daejeon Subway (Korean). Korean Faction (2006-03-17). Retrieved on 2007-02-28. “뒷면에는 대전소재 배재대학교의 광고가 새겨져있었습니다.”

[edit] External links

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