Hadong County

Hadong 하동군
County
Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul	하동군
• Hanja	河東郡
• Revised Romanization	Hadong-gun
• McCune-Reischauer	Hadong-kun
Emblem of Hadong
Location in South Korea
Country	South Korea
Region	Yeongnam
Administrative divisions	1 eup, 12 myeon
Area
• Total	675.53 km2 (260.82 sq mi)
Population  (2003)
• Total	58,010
• Density	85.9/km2 (222/sq mi)
• Dialect	Gyeongsang

Hadong County (Hadong-gun) is  county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is on the far west side of the Province, and borders South Jeolla Province. The County office is located at Hadeong-eup.

History

The county of Hadong was called 'Dasachon' (county of much sand) when it was a part of the Jin state; later becoming a part of 'Nangnoguk', one of 12 statelets of the Byeonhan confederacy. According to the History of the Three Kingdoms, it was called Handasa-gun and was changed into 'Hadong-gun' in 757 during the reign of King Gyeongdeok. In the Goryeo Dynasty, it was known as Hadong-hyeon. In 1414, during the reign of the Joseon Dynasty King Taejong, it became 'Hanamhyeon' with 'Namhaehyeon'. It was raised to the status of 'Hadongdohobu' in 1740, in the 30th year of King Sukjong's reign. During the Korean War the region was the site of a North Korean attack on US Army forces, the Hadong Ambush.

• 1702: Ackyang-hyeon added to Hadong-gun
• April 1, 1914: Seo-myeon and Geumyang-myeon, Gonyang-gun added.
• January 1, 1915: Part of Seomjin-ri, Daap-myeon, Gwangyang-gun, Jeolla South Province added to Hadong-gun.
• 1916: Naehoengbo-myeon renamed to Choengcheon-myeon.
• 1918: Dong-myeon renamed to Jingyo-myeon.
• 1933: Deokyang-myeon renamed to Hadong-myeon.
• October 1, 1938: Hadong-myeon elevated to Hadong-eup.

Green tea

Nestled between the Seomjin river and Jiri mountain, Hadong is known for its stunning scenery. It also boasts a reputation for its peaceful, friendly, and rural atmosphere. Hadong is famous for its green tea, and holds a yearly green tea festival during May and June. Hadong's popularity as a tourist destination continues to rise each year, and the local government plays a role in attracting visitors. This included sponsoring a tourism advertisement that aired on CNN in 2007.

Development

While much of Korea has experienced an explosion of industrial development, Hadong remains a destination for those who wish to escape the bustle of city living. However, a lack of activity in the industrial sector has left the government with little incentive to expanding the sometimes inadequate existing road infrastructure. A petition for the allocation of funds for new road construction was signed by a number of Hadong residents.

South Korean president Lee Myeong bak has recently announced plans for the construction of a Gyeongsangnam-do leisure resort palace in Hadong.

Hadong Wild Tea Culture

Hadong is the place where the pure Seomjin River is flowing with the elegant natural scenery of Mt. Jiri National Park and Hanryeo sea area.

It has taken place within county area with the green tea scent of thousand years alive is a culture tour festival.

Notable People

• Jeong Ki-ryong
• Lee Byeong-ju
• Jeong Ho-seung
• Kang Man-soo
• Jeong Gong-chae, the notable Korean poet

Schools

• • High schools

• • Middle schools
• Agyang Middle School

Twin towns – sister cities

Hadong is twinned with:

• Anyang, South Korea
• Gwangyang, South Korea
• Geoje, South Korea
• Seongdong-gu, South Korea
• Haeundae-gu, South Korea
• Zhangqiu, China
• Ya'an, China
• Zhangjiajie, China

See also

• List of Korea-related topics

External links

• County government website