In the area of
Buyeo County, the river bears the name Baengma-gang river, which means White Horse River. Numerous legends associate the ancient kingdom of
Baekje with the Baengma. The Baengma River is the subject of a well-known song of the
sin minyo tradition,
Kkumkkuneun Baengma-gang (꿈꾸는 백마강, "Dreaming Baengma-gang"). The Geumgang River and its tributaries were a means of cultural contact from prehistoric times (see
Mumun Pottery Period) and into the
Three Kingdoms of Korea through their ancient function as a transportation route that begins on the west coast and penetrates deep in the interior of the Peninsula. Bronze Culture flourished in this area from c. 850 B.C.-A.D. 100 (see
Liaoning bronze dagger culture). Archaeological evidence suggests that some of the first complex societies in southern Korea briefly flourished in the valleys formed by tributaries of this river. , connecting Buyeo County to the east and west The Geumgang River Basin contained the chiefdoms of
Mahan, and a former centres of the early kingdom of
Baekje such as
Ungjin (AD 475–525) and
Sabi (AD 525–660) are located along the Baengma portion of the river. The river's Korean name ("Silk River") is a
homonym of the word for "diamond" () and should not be confused with
Kŭmgang Mountain (금강산; 金剛山; "Diamond Mountain") in North Korea. ==Economy==