Jeonju

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Jeonju

Jeonju Gaeksa

Korean name

Hangul	전주시
Hanja	全州市
Revised Romanization	Jeonju-si
McCune-Reischauer	Chŏnju-si

Statistics

Area	206.25 km² (79.63 sq mi)
Population (2005)	645,108
Population density	3,127.8 /km² (8,101 /sq mi)
Administrative divisions	2 gu, 40 dong

Location map

Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.

1 History
2 Culture
3 People and everyday life
4 Administrative districts
5 Sister cities
6 Gallery
7 See also
8 Further reading
9 References

[edit] History

Located in the fertile Honam plain, famous for strawberries and exceptional produce, Jeonju has been an important regional center in the province for centuries. Once, the city was capital of Hubaekje, which was founded by Gyeon Hwon. The city was regarded as the spiritual capital of the Joseon Dynasty because the Yi royal family originated there.

The town was occupied by the Donghak peasants' rebellion in 1894. Jeonju was given metropolitan status in 1935, and the city was founded in 1949.

[edit] Culture

Jeonju bibimbap, a traditional local food, is well-known across South Korea. There are also several very popular vegetarian restaurants serving Jeonju style food and pine wine.
The National Jeonju Museum exhibits ancient relics from the Baekje days.
There are extensive royal museums, temples, a castle fortress on a hillside, and a well-known paper museum, as well as an annual paper fashion show highlighting both the latest style and traditional Korean clothing made of paper.
The Jeonju International Film Festival draws about 50,000 visitors annually.

[edit] People and everyday life

Jeonbuk FC

Education is a major industry in the city, but it does not have the manufacturing or heavy industries found in other Korean cities. Given its rural location, the local mountains and parks are popular for outdoor recreation. There are also various historical sites in the area. The city also has a zoo, a large park, and the Samsung Sound and Culture Hall, a large, modern concert complex.