Gangneung

Gangneung was the home of the Yemaek people in ancient times and became the land of Wiman Joseon in 129 BC. In 128 BC, Nam Ryeo, the army officer of Yaekam, punished Wujang of Wiman Korea and became the territory of the Han dynasty. In the 14th year of Goguryeo Muchheon (313), it entered Goguryeo territory. In 639, Silla occupied this place and ruled it as a 'Sogyeong' (). In 658, King Moo-yeong abolished the Sogyeong and made an arsenal to send the todok, because it was adjacent to Malgal. In 757, it was renamed Sungju and restored it in 776. It was renamed Myungju again during the Goryeo period, and it was under the jurisdiction the north of Chuncheon in the 14th year of Sungjong (995). It separated the Hamgyeong-do from the Gangeung and called it Gangneung-do, but it has always been the center of administration and military. At the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty, it called to Hwadangdo and Wonchundo and rename Gangneung by the name of Gangwon Province in the 5th year of King Sejong (1423). Some areas have been incorporated into Yangyang since 1945, and Gangneung City was established in 1995 as the areas of Gangneung and Myeongju merged. On 18 September 1996 a North Korean submarine ran aground near Gangneung in an attempted infiltration mission, spurring a 49-day manhunt for the escaped passengers. For more details, refer to the 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident. == Symbols of Gangneung ==

The flag of the city shows a red sun in the centre and blue wave in front, on a white background. The sun represents the sunrise, the wave the sea. The flower of the city is the crepe myrtle, the tree of the city is the pine tree, its bird the swan. The animal of Gangneung is the tiger. == Geography ==

Gangneung is located to the east of the Taebaek Mountains, which is the considered the 'waist' of the Korean peninsula. To the east is Sea of Japan, and to the west are the inner side of Hongcheon County, the Pyeongchang County's Jinbu-myeon and the Daegwallyeong-myeon respectively. The southern side is connected to Donghae and the Jeongseon County's critical side. The north side is adjacent to Yangyang County Hyunbuk-myeon and Hyunnam-myeon. The total area of Gangneung is about as of the end of 2015, which accounts for 6.2% of Gangwon State's . 80.4% of the area of Gangneung, , is forestland. Climate Gangneung experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with cool to cold winters and hot, humid summers. Since Gangneung is a coastal city, it has generally milder winters and relatively cooler summers than the rest of Korea. It is bordered by mountains to the west and the sea to the east. {{Weather box {{cite web {{cite web == Administrative divisions ==

The district includes one town (eup), seven townships (myeon), 13 neighborhoods (dong). == Nature and tourism ==

Beaches There are 20 beaches such as Anmok Beach, Gyeongpo Beach and Gangmun Beach. Jeongdongjin Beach is a popular place to visit in the New Year because the first sunrise is important in Korean culture. The TV series Sandglass was taken on the beach. Jeongdong-Simgok Badabuchae Trail is a 2.86km trail where visitors can observe the coastal terrace formed 23 million years ago. Gyeongpo Lake Gyeongpo Lake is the second largest lagoon in the east coast. Its size has shrunk due to continuous development since the early 20th century. It is a habitat for ducks, cormorants and egrets and migratory birds such as swans are also spotted here. == Culture ==

Heritage There are a total of 136 cultural properties in Gangneung. Among them, there are 40 state-designated heritages and 60 province-designated heritages. • Main Gate of Imyeonggwan is the front gate of an official inn built in the Goryeo period. It is the only national treasure in Gangneung. • Ojukheon is the birthplace of Shin Saimdang and Yi I. It was designated as treasure No. 165 because it is one of the oldest buildings in Korea. • Gyeongpodae is a pavilion located north of Gyeongpo lake. Built in the Goryeo dynasty, it was designated as treasure No. 2046. • Gulsansa was founded by Beomil in 851. The site of the temple was designated as historic site No. 448. • Imdangdong Catholic Church, which was constructed in 1955, was designated as registered cultural heritage No. 457. Festivals Gangneung Danoje is the oldest festival in South Korea and the biggest in the east coast. It was designated as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 1967 and Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005. It is a combination of several commemoration rites and traditional plays, with the highlight being the traditional Gwanno Mask Dance. There are several modern festivals in the region. The International Junior Art Festival, which began in 2002, showcases performances of international youth and provides a program on Korean culture. Gyeongpo Rock Festival offers indie bands a stage for their performances. Gangneung Coffee Festival, which began in 2009, is an annual coffee-tasting festival in which a variety of coffee vendors showcase their drinks. Food Gangneung is famous for Chodang dubu, ongsimi, mulhoe, jangkalguksu, tea ceremony and hangwa. Chodang dubu, local food of Chodang village, uses seawater instead of bittern. Anmok Coffee Street, which started to form in the 1990s, is where Gangneung Coffee Festival is held. Park I-choo, CEO of Bohemian Park I-Choo Coffee, is thought to have contributed greatly to the formation of the street. Museums There are 10 museums in Gangneung. Gangneung City Museum exhibits relics that show the history and culture of Gangneung. Daegwallyeong Museum exhibits traditional art. Hwanhui Cup Museum (Fantapia M) is South Korea's first cup museum. == Transportation ==

In Gangneung, Donghae Expressway connects Incheon to Gangneung and Yeongdong Expressway connects Yangyang County and Donghae. The national highway is National Route 7 (part of Asian Highway Route 6) and it connects Goseong County to Busan. It takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to Seoul by road. The Yeongdong Line passes Yeongju to Gangneung. Before 2006, Saemaeul-ho stopped at Jeongdongjin station and Gangneung station and it took 5.5 hours at Cheongnyangni station, but now only Mugunghwa-ho is stopped, it takes 6 hours to drive. In 2017, Gyeonggang Line was opened and Gangneung station was designated as an essential-stop station. The time between Gangneung station and Cheongnyangni station has been reduced from the existing 6 hours to the minimum of 114 minutes after KTX operation. It was operated by Gangneung Airport for air traffic, but passed the passenger transportation right to Yangyang International Airport in 2002 and closed its service as an airport. Roads Yeongdong Expressway passed city west to east, Donghae Expressway passed through the city from south to north. National Route 6, 7, 35, 59 passed through city. Trains KTX-Sancheon is essential stop Jinbu and Gangneung station. On 2018 Winter Olympics period, increased frequency of KTX. Buses Local transit operators connect communities in the city divided three regions. This is managed by Gangneung City Office and the operation is carried out by each transportation company. Gangneung Intercity Bus Terminal operates the intercity bus and operates six Express Bus line in the Gangneung Express Bus Terminal, the largest terminal in Gangwon State. Taxi A total of 589 units in Gangneung are operating taxi licenses. The basic fare of Gangneung taxi is 2,800 won for 2 km. After that, 100 won will be charged for 152m from 2 km to 6 km, and 200 won will be charged for 152m after 6 km. but Jumunjin area, Gangdong-meon, Okgye area are designated as exceptional areas to 45% extra charge. Sea transport Gangneung Port Passenger Terminal of Gangneung Harbor handles the Gangneung-Ulneung passenger ship. == Sports ==

Football Gangneung is the home of the K3 League football club FC Gangneung and is one of the two cities where K League football team Gangwon FC plays its home matches. Since 1976, Gangneung Jeil High School and Gangneung Junior high school soccer team rivalry Derby, which is held every day in the Dano Festival, have become popular. The Daemyung Killer Whales were active in Asia League Ice Hockey from 2016 to 2020. 2018 Winter Olympics The city 'Gangneung Coastal Cluster' was the venue for the indoor sports of the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Pyeongchang. All these facilities, except for the Gangneung Curling Centre, were built for the Olympics. • Gangneung Olympic Park • Gangneung Hockey Centre – Ice Hockey (Olympics and Paralympics) • Gangneung Curling Centre – Curling (Olympics and Paralympics) • Gangneung Oval – Speed skating • Gangneung Ice Arena – Short track speed skating and Figure skating • Kwandong Hockey Centre - Ice Hockey (Olympics) The city also hosted an Olympic Village for the athletes and a media village. == Image gallery ==

File:Korea-Gangneung-House of Heo family-01.jpg|The birth house of Heo Nanseolheon, a famous Korean poet of the 17th century. File:Korea-Gangneung-Ojukheon-01.jpg|The birthplace of Yi I. File:Korea-Gangneung-Seongyojang-01.jpg|Seongyojang, a country house built and owned by a prominent yangban family in Gangneung. Built in the 19th century. File:Korea-Gangneung-Seongyojang-02.jpg|A closer view at Seongyojang. == Sister cities ==

• Chichibu, Saitama, Japan, since February 16, 1983 • Öskemen, East Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, since 2011 • Mangshi, Yunnan, China, since November 21, 2012 • Indang, Cavite, Philippines, since 2013 • Loudoun County, United States, Friendship City since 2014 • Algemesí, Spain, since 2015 == Notable people ==

• Choi Kyu-Ha, former president of South Korea • Edward Young-min Kwon, celebrity chef • Yeon Woo-jin, actor • JR (NU'EST), idol • Yezi (Fiestar), idol • Kim Seo-hyung, actress • Jeon Yeo-bin, actress • Sin Saimdang, a Korean artist, writer, calligraphist, and poet. • Kim Bo-sung, a South Korean actor • Yi I, a Korean philosopher and writer • Choi Han-bit, model, actress, singer and idol • Cha Hyung-won, living national treasure == See also ==