Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For centuries the northwestern province of Gyeonggi-do has been bound to the city it
completely encircles, Seoul, in terms of geography, economy, and spirituality—indeed, the
province's name can be roughly translated as “the area surrounding the capital.” But it
would be a mistake to view it as nothing more than an extension of South Korea's main
metropolis. For one thing, it bumps up against several other important places, like the eerily
tranquil Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to the north that divides the two Koreas, and the trade
routes of the Yellow Sea to the west. And it houses a number of vital assets of its own,
including the country's main international airport, several bustling ports, a major central
government administrative center, United Nations-recognized heritage sites—the list goes
on. Relatively small in area, it packs in sleepy national parks and fishing villages as well as
humming industrial complexes. Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in the country,
and its newer cities are among South Korea's richest and fastest-growing, testament to the
high level of quality of life on offer.
Although it has been a strategically important region since the Joseon Dynasty,
Gyeonggi-do only really came into its own in the 1960s, when the completion of highways
to Seoul made even its outer reaches viable production and housing bases for the capital.
Previously largely agricultural, it has quickly taken on a more high-tech character and is
now a center for the production of goods like microchips and hybrid car batteries.
