Eight Provinces of Korea


During most of the Joseon Dynasty,[Gangwon (historical province)|] Korea was divided into eight provinces. The eight provinces' boundaries remained unchanged for about 480 years from 1413 to 1895, and formed a geographic paradigm that is still reflected today in the Korean Peninsula's administrative divisions, dialects, and regional distinctions. The names of all eight provinces are still preserved today, in one form or another. These eight historical provinces form both North and South Korea, and are not to be confused with the current eight provinces that make up South Korea.

History

Provinces before 1895

In 1413, the northeastern boundary of Korea was extended to the Tumen River. The country was reorganized into eight provinces: Chungcheong,
Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongsang, Jeolla, P'unghae, P'yŏngan, and Yŏnggil.

Districts of 1895-96

For almost 500 years, the eight-province system remained virtually unchanged. In 1895, the five-century-old provincial system was abolished. On May 26 of that year—as part of the Gabo Reform—the country was redivided into 23 districts, each named for the city or county that was its capital.
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The new system of districts did not last long, however, as one year later, on August 4, 1896, the former eight provinces were restored, with five of them, being divided into north and south halves, to form a total of 13 provinces. This structure remained unchanged through the entire lifetime of the Korean Empire and the Japanese Colonial Period. Since the end of World War II and the division of Korea in 1945, special cities and administrative regions and a handful of new provinces have been added in both the South and North.

Cultural significance

The boundaries between the eight provinces for the most part followed rivers, mountain chains, and other natural boundaries, and consequently corresponded closely to dialect and cultural divisions. Because of this natural fit between the provincial boundaries and the "real world," most of the provincial boundaries and names have survived in one form or another down to today, and most Koreans are keenly aware of the regional and dialect distinctions that still exist.
For example, a regional rivalry exists between Gyeongsang and Jeolla residents, sites of the ancient kingdoms of Silla and Baekje respectively, due to historic social, economic, and political differences, some of which have continued into the present day in more muted form. Most of the traditional provinces also had alternative regional names which are still used today, at least in speech, if not on paper.

Modern-day usage

The term Paldo is itself often used as a shorthand to denote Korea as a whole, or to describe the traditional folk culture of Korea's regions. Thus, one sometimes finds such expressions as:
Cf. the four Provinces of Ireland—where reference to the ancient provinces is used to talk of the entire island of Ireland.

Names

With the exception of Gyeonggi, each province took its name from the initial Hanja of two of its principal cities. The origin of each province's name is detailed in the table below.

Table of provinces

The table below lists the eight provinces in romanized spelling, Hangul and Hanja; the origin of their names; their capitals, dialects, and regional names; and the 13 provinces that replaced them in 1896.
ProvinceHangulHanjaName OriginCapitalRegional NameDialectPost-1896 ProvincesPresent Provincial divisions
Chungcheong충청도忠淸道Chungju + CheongjuGongjuHoseo Chungcheong Dialect
  • North Chungcheong Province
  • South Chungcheong Province
  • Daejeon Metropolitan City
  • Sejong Metropolitan Autonomous City
    • Gangwon강원도江原道Gangneung + WonjuWonjuGwandong
    		Gangwon Dialect
  • Gangwon
  • Gangwon Province
    • ----
    Gyeonggi경기도京畿道Hanseong
    		Gijeon Seoul Dialect
  • Gyeonggi
  • Gyeonggi Province
  • Seoul Special City
  • Incheon Metropolitan City
    • ----
    Gyeongsang경상도慶尙道Gyeongju + SangjuDaeguYeongnamGyeongsang Dialect
  • North Gyeongsang
  • South Gyeongsang
  • North Gyeongsang Province
  • South Gyeongsang Province
  • Busan Metropolitan City
  • Daegu Metropolitan City
  • Ulsan Metropolitan City
    • Hamgyŏng함경도咸鏡道Hamhŭng + KyŏngsŏngHamhŭngDongbuk
    Kwanbuk, Kwannam )    		Hamgyŏng Dialect
  • North Hamgyŏng
  • South Hamgyŏng
  • North Hamgyong Province
  • South Hamgyong Province
  • Ryanggang Province
  • Rasŏn Special City
  • Kangwŏn Province
    • Hwanghae황해도黃海道Hwangju + HaejuHaejuHaesŏHwanghae Dialect
  • Hwanghae
  • North Hwanghae Province
  • South Hwanghae Province
    • ----
    Jeolla전라도全羅道Jeonju + Naju JeonjuHonamJeolla Dialect;
    Jeju Dialect
  • North Jeolla
  • South Jeolla
  • Jeju
  • North Jeolla Province
  • South Jeolla Province
  • Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
  • Gwangju Metropolitan City
    • P'yŏngan평안도平安道P'yŏngyang + AnjuP'yŏngyangKwansŏP'yŏngan Dialect
  • North P'yŏngan
  • South P'yŏngan
  • North P'yŏngan
  • South P'yŏngan
  • Chagang Province
  • Ryanggang Province
  • P'yŏngyang Direct-Administered City
  • Namp'o Special City