In the Three Kingdoms period, Gumi was part of the territory of the Silla Kingdom. The first Silla temple, Dori Temple, was constructed here. More recently, the town was the birthplace of the South Korean presidentPark Chung-Hee. Not coincidentally, it was during his administration that the South Korean government selected Gumi as a site for major industrial development. His birth home is a museum today. 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.
Administrative divisions
The city center of Gumi is divided into 19 dong, or neighborhood units. The hinterland is divided into 6 myeon, or rural areas, and 2 eup, or large villages: Seonsan-eup and Goa-eup.
Gumi was the homeground of the KB Insurance Stars volleyball team until July 2017, when the club relocated to Uijeongbu. The team played at the Park Chung-hee Gymnasium.
Geumo Mountain
Geumo Mountain Provincial Park is a popular hiking destination. The peak at 976 m above sea level is one of the eight famous spots in the Yeongman area and is the location of the start of the nature preservation campaign in Korea. The park has an amusement area called Geumo Land and the Geumo reservoir. There are several interesting sites on the mountain that include: Doesan Cave named after the Buddhist monk Doesan who attained a state of nirvana in the cave. He was a master of the theory of "divination based on topography" in the later Shilla dynasty. Daehye Waterfall is 27 m high and is especially beautiful during the rainy season when there is a lot of water flowing over it. It can be completely dry during periods without rain and is frozen in winter. The HaeUn Buddhist Temple is also near the top of the cable car route. The Doesan Cave, Daehye Waterfall and HaeUn Buddhist Temple are easily reached by taking the cable car from the entrance of the park and then hiking a short distance. The YakSa Temple is an active Buddhist temple and is said to have been created to commemorate Saint Ulsang's attainment of nirvana. It is sited near the top of the mountain and can be reached both from the peak and by a trail from the bottom. It has a unique bell that sits on a separate spike of rock connected by a suspension bridge. The Ma Ae Cliff Buddha is carved into the corner of a cliff face and is thought to have been created during the Goryeo dynasty. The YakSa Temple and the Ma Ae cliff Buddha statue are both near the summit of Geumo Mountain and require about one to two hours of hiking to reach them.
Industrial accident
On September 27, 2012 workers at the Hube Global plant in Gumi were unloading hydrofluoric acid 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 16 million USD.
