Uijeongbu

For the Joseon Dynasty state council of the same name, see State Council of Joseon.
Uijeongbu
의정부시
Municipal City
Korean transcription(s)
 • Hangul 의정부시
 • Hanja 議政府市
 • Revised Romanization Uijeongbu-si
 • McCune-Reischauer Ŭijŏngbu-shi

Emblem of Uijeongbu

Location in South Korea
Country  South Korea
Region Gyeonggi-do
Administrative divisions 15 dong
Area
 • Total 81.59 km2 (31.50 sq mi)
Population (2006)
 • Total 417,915
 • Density 4,436.8/km2 (11,491/sq mi)
 • Dialect Seoul

Coordinates: 37°44′35″N 127°02′04″E / 37.743164°N 127.03448°E

Uijeongbu (Korean pronunciation: [ɰidʑʌŋbu]) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.[1]

Overview

Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul, it lies inside a defile, with mountains on two sides, it commands a natural choke point across the main traditional invasion route from the North into Seoul. As such it has a continued military significance and it contains U.S. and Korean military bases, positioned for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established a headquarters post in Uijeongbu, with the main troops being deployed from Dongducheon city.

Despite being known for its military presence, the area has boomed into a satellite community of Seoul with shops, cinemas, restaurants and bars, PC bangs and DVD Bangs. In addition to U.S. personnel, it is popular with the English hagwon (a for-profit private institute, academy or cram school). There are several mountains such as Mt. Dobong (Dobongsan), Mt. Surak and Mt. Soyo. The mountains are popular recreational areas for hiking and are frequented by residents living in the Seoul Metropolitan area.

This city is also famous for its budae jjigae (lit. "army base stew"), made with hot dogs and SPAM. In the late 20th century, many wanted the dish to be referred as Uijeongbu jjigae to remove the military or war-time connotations it had associated with it. However, not many restaurants followed this guideline. Some restaurants have begun calling their product Uijeongbu budae jjigae. The city also contains what locals refer to as "buddaejjigae street", a street where there is a high concentration of army base stew restaurants.[2]

Transport

VAL network map

A VAL driver-less metro system, U Line, is an elevated line, 11.067 km long, covering 15 stations.[3] It had its grand opening on 26 June 2012 with normal passenger operations on 1 July 2012.[4]

Uijeongbu is also served by the Seoul Metropolitan Subway's Line 1 and Line 7. The six stations within the city boundaries are Nogyang, Ganeung, Uijeongbu, Hoeryong, Mangwolsa, and Jangam. It takes around 40 minutes to reach Uijeongbu from central Seoul by subway.

Extensive bus routes cover north-eastern Gyeonggi-do. There are three basic kinds: Ilban Bus, normal bus; Jwaseok Bus, larger and slightly more expensive; and Maeul Bus, "village bus", a smaller bus with fewer seats. An intercity bus station is available for longer distances. Airport limousine buses run frequently to both Incheon and Gimpo airports.

Land usage

Sister cities

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ŭijŏngbu". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Kim, Violet "Food map: Eat your way around Korea" CNN Go. 6 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-12
  3. ↑ http://www.transportation.siemens.com/en/data/pdf/ts_internet/ts_corp/presse/2006/29_korea_ujeongbu_e.pdf
  4. ↑ "Uijeongbu Light Rail Transit - Railway Technology". railway-technology.com. Retrieved 17 January 2015.

External links