In the
Three Kingdoms period, Gumi was part of the territory of the
Silla Kingdom. The first Silla temple,
Dorisa, was constructed here by Monk Ado who is also the one that made
Jikjisa. The city is the birthplace of the 1962–1979 South Korean president Park Chung Hee. It was during his administration that the South Korean government selected Gumi as a site for major industrial development. Gumi developed rapidly during the 1960s, growing from a small
rural town into a large city thanks to huge infusions of development money from the government. It was selected for development for some practical reasons such as its easy access to transportation infrastructure, and its location in the industrialized
Yeongnam region.
Industrial accident On September 27, 2012, workers at the Hube Global plant in Gumi were unloading
hydrofluoric acid (HF) from a tanker when an explosion occurred causing about 8 tonnes of the acid to leak into the surrounding area. The leak caused 5 deaths initially and prompted more than 3000 people to seek medical attention at local hospitals. Local rice and grape crops were ruined because the acid caused them to wither. Approximately 3,200
livestock were exposed. The acid, which can etch glass and is used in the electronics industry, caused damage to at least 1,000 vehicles. Total damage costs as of October 10, 2012 were about US$16 million. ==Administrative divisions==