Origins The earliest recorded name of the area was Jechapa-ui (齊次巴衣), which appears in the
Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) under the
Goguryeo section. Jecha (齊次) is derived from Jegye (齊戒), meaning ritual or sacrifice, while Pa-ui (巴衣) is an ancient word meaning “rock.” Together, the name means “rock for offering rituals.” During the Hanseong
Baekje period, the Baekje king conducted rituals inside a cave at Heogabawi Rock, praying to the land gods for prosperity. This led to the name Jechapa-ui being used for the area.
Three Kingdoms Period During the
Three Kingdoms period, the Gangseo region was occupied by both
Baekje and
Goguryeo. It consisted of five prefectures: Geompo-hyeon (黔浦縣), Jechapa-ui-pyeonghoepa (齊次巴衣平淮把), Dongjahol (童子忽), and Suihol-hyeon (首爾忽縣).
Unified Silla Period In 757, during the
Unified Silla period, King Gyeongdeok renamed Geompo to Gimpo-hyeon (金浦縣), making it a subordinate prefecture of Jangje-gun (長堤郡).
Goryo Dynasty In 1018, under
King Hyeonjong of Goryeo, the region became part of Yanggwang-do (楊廣道) and was placed under Sujoo (樹州, present-day
Bucheon). In 1391, during King Gongyang’s reign, Gyeonggi Province was divided into left and right regions, with all prefectures except Yangcheon-hyeon (陽川縣) incorporated into Gyeonggi Right Province.
Joseon Dynasty In 1414, under
King Taejong, Gimpo and Yangcheon were merged into Geumyang-hyeon (衿陽縣). However, in October of that year, the two regions were separated again, with Gimpo incorporated into Bupyeong-bu (富平府). In 1416, Gimpo regained its status as an independent prefecture. In 1632, during King Injo’s reign, Gimpo was elevated to county (gun) status.
19th and 20th centuries By 1895, during
King Gojong’s 32nd year, Korea was reorganized into 23 districts (bu), and Gimpo, Tongjin (通津), and Yangcheon became separate counties. The present-day Gangseo District was historically part of Gimpo County and the northernmost section of present-day
Bucheon. == Geography ==