Hoengseong County

Hoengseong

횡성군
Hoengseong 횡성군
County
Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul	횡성군
• Hanja	橫城郡
• Revised Romanization	Hoengseong-gun
• McCune-Reischauer	Hoengsŏng-gun
	Hoengseong County Office
	Flag
	Location in South Korea
Country	South Korea
Region	Gwandong
Administrative divisions	1 eup, 8 myeon
Area
• Total	997.82 km2 (385.26 sq mi)
Population (September 2024)
• Total	46,238
• Density	47/km2 (120/sq mi)
• Dialect	Gangwon

Hoengseong County is a county located in southwestern Gangwon Province, South Korea, bordering Pyeongchang-gun to the east, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do to the west, Hongcheon-gun to the north, and Wonju-si and Yeongwol-gun to the south.

The roots of Codonopsis lanceolata (Korean: deodeok), a bonnet bellflower species, play an important role in local agriculture, as does Hanwoo beef, a specialty product.

The Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, a notable boarding school, is located in the county, an autonomous private high school that recruits students nationwide.

It may be confused with Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do because its name is similar.

Symbols

Tree : Zelkova
Flower : Peony
Bird : Heron

History

During the Goguryeo period (A.D. 413–475), it was called Hoengcheon-hyeon (橫川縣) or Eosamae (於斯買).[8] During the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla (AD 551), it was changed to Hwangcheonhyeon (潢川縣) and became the Yeonghyeon of Sakju (now Chuncheon). In the Goryeo Dynasty, it was changed to Hoengcheon again and subordinated to Sakju as before. Afterwards, it was made as a sub-hyeon of Wonju. In 1413 (13th year of King Taejong), Hyeongam was placed during the Joseon Dynasty, and Hoengcheon and Hongcheon were renamed Hoengseong in 1414 to avoid confusion due to the similar pronunciation.

Climate

Hoengseong has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa) with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. The climate reflects the location of the mountainous inland area of southwest. There is a wide seasonal difference in temperature. The highest temperature ever recorded in Hoengseong-gun was 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) on August 7, 1990 and the lowest was −29.8 °C (−21.6 °F) on December 31, 1927, and it was one of the five coldest temperatures ever recorded in Korea.^[2]

Population

Hongseong's decline of population is the biggest matter among the county's residents and officers. The staggering decline has forced the educational system to close small schools (less than ten students per school) to close. Hoengseong county has established incentives for enrolling in the schools.^[3]

Korean beef

Han-u, or Korean beef, from Hoengseong is widely sold and famous in South Korea. The clean environment of the region makes it possible to rear high-quality Korean beef. The muscles of the cattle are built up through labour in the fields.^[4] Beef sets are delivered to department stores in Seoul and other metropolitan cities. Nowadays, improvements to transportation infrastructure have helped reduce the cost.^[5] The county began a strategic marketing campaign in 1995 to brand itself as the origin of the highest quality beef in Korea.^[4]

Recreational Areas

The Hoengseong area features large forested areas thanks to its location. More than four forest resorts are still in operation.

Forests are not completely natural, man-made forests are blended into existing natural forests. All kinds of wildlife, including roe deer, wild pigs, and rabbits, inhabit the forests.^[6]

Wind farms

Schemes for building wind farms started in 2005 and allowed investors to complete the construction of a first complex in January 2008.

Hoengseong did install wind power plants after 2009. Construction was planned and executed by Japanese developer Eurus Energy and POSCO, installing about 20 plants around windy area. Total plant locations were divided between the counties of Hoengseong (9) and Pyeongchang (11), respectively.^[7]

Sister cities

Linhai, Zhejiang, China
Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan^[8]
Seocho-gu, Seoul

Famous people

Famous people born in Hoengseong County include Kim Heechul of Super Junior, and Lee Hyung-Taik.

References

^ "Population statistics". Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety. 2024.
^ Climate of Hoengseong official page
^ http://www.kwnews.co.kr/view.asp?aid=208012300117&s=501 (kor)
^ ^a ^b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-11-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Department Store, Point on contents and price both. 백화점 '실속형' 선물세트 인기 Seoul Economy 2008.01.23
^ Official page "Hoengseong-gun". Archived from the original on 2004-12-08. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
^ Wind plants went live in March 2009 태기산 풍력발전단지 3월께 착공 http://www.kwnews.co.kr/view.asp?aid=208012000012&s=501
^ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.