History of Daegu
Encyclopedia
Throughout and before recorded history, Daegu
has served as a nexus of transportation, lying as it does at the junction of the Geumho and Nakdong rivers. During the Joseon Dynasty
, the city was the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the entire Gyeongsang region, a role largely taken over now by Busan
in South Gyeongsang.
(c. 1500-300 B.C.). In fact, some of the earliest evidence of Mumun settlement in Gyeongsang Province have been unearthed in Daegu at Siji-dong and Seobyeon-dong (YUM 1999a). The Dongcheon-dong site is a substantial village of the Middle Mumun (c. 850-550 B.C.) and contains the remains of many prehistoric pit-houses and agricultural fields. Megalithic burials (dolmens) have also been found in large numbers in Daegu (YICP 2002).
During the Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea period, Daegu was the site of a walled-town polity known in historical records as Dalgubeol. The first mention of Dalgubeol is dated to 261. We know nothing of its earlier history, and little of what came later, except that it was absorbed into the kingdom of Silla
no later than the fifth century.
in the late 7th century, with assistance from Tang
China. Shortly thereafter, the king of Silla considered moving the capital from Gyeongju
to Daegu, but was unable to do so. We know of this incident through only a single line in the Samguk Sagi
, but it is presumed that it indicates the entrenched resistance of the Gyeongju political elites to such a move.
In the late 1990s archaeologists excavated a large scale fortified Silla site in Dongcheon-dong, Buk-gu (FPCP 2000). The site at Locality 2 consists of the remains of 39 raised-floor buildings enclosed by a formidable ditch-and-palisade system. The excavators hypothesize that the fortified site was a permanent military encampment or barracks. Archaeologists also uncovered a large Silla village dating to the 6th to 7th centuries AD at Siji-dong (YUM 1999b).
The city was given its current name in 757.
Most relics of the Silla period are found on Palgongsan
around Donghwasa
temple in northern Daegu. Donghwasa itself dates from the Silla period, as does the pagoda of King Minae
.
. In 927, northern Daegu was the site of the Battle of Gong Mountain between the forces of Taebong
under Wang Geon and those of Hubaekje under Gyeon Hwon
. In this battle, the forces of Taebong were crushed and Wang Geon himself was saved only by the heroism of his general Shin Sung-gyeom
. However, it appears that the conduct of the Hubaekje forces at this time changed local sympathies to favor Wang Geon, who later became the king of Goryeo
.
Numerous place-names and local legends around Daegu still bear witness to the historic battle of 927. Among these are "Ansim
," which literally means "peace of mind," said to be the first place where Wang Geon dared to stop after escaping the battle, and "Banwol," or half-moon, where he is said to have stopped and admired the moon before returning to Taebong. A statue commemorating the battle now stands in northern Daegu, as does a memorial to Sin Sunggyeom.
was stored in Daegu, at the temple of Buinsa. However, this edition was destroyed when the temple was sacked in 1254, during the Mongol invasions of Korea
.
which ran between Seoul and Busan. It lay at the junction of this arterial road and the roads to Gyeongju and Jinju
.
In 1601, Daegu became the administrative capital of Gyeongsang
province, and the city has been the capital of North Gyeongsang province since that province's formation in 1896.
Daegu's first regular markets were established during the late Joseon period. The most famous of these, and the only one to still be operating, is the Yangnyeongsi herbal medicine market. This became a center of herbal trade in Joseon, and even attracted buyers from neighboring countries. Traders from Japan, who were not permitted to leave the Nakdong River
valley, hired messengers to visit the market on their behalf.
s, as part of the reforms pushed by the Japanese after the murder of Queen Min.
Beginning in the late 1890s, many Japanese merchants and workers came to Daegu, which lay on the newly-constructed Gyeongbu Line
railroad connecting Seoul and Busan.
In 1905, the old fortress wall was surreptitiously destroyed. Only one portion of this, the First Yeongnam Gate, remains, standing now in Dalseong Park
. The rest of the fortress wall is remembered only through the names of the streets Dongseongno and Bukseongno, "east fortress street" and "north fortress street," which now run where the wall once stood.
was established in the city. As the demise of the Korean Empire
approached in 1907, local citizens led by Seo Sang-don organized the National Debt Repayment Movement
. This movement spread nationwide, although it was unsuccessful in its attempt to repay the country's debt through individual donations. Resistance activities continued after the 1910 annexation, notably during the March 1st movement
of 1919. At that time, four major demonstrations took place in Daegu, involving an estimated 23,000 people.
The women of Daegu were active in the independence struggle, as they were elsewhere in the country. The Patriotic Women's Educational Society, or aeguk buin gyoyukhoe (애국부인교육회), was based in the city. Women also took a leading role in the National Debt Repayment Movement, including the kisaeng Aengmu
.
Many schools and colleges were established in Daegu, both by private organizations and by the Japanese government. These included the government-run Daegu Normal School, later Daegu Teachers' College, which became the Teachers' College of Kyungpook National University
after 1945.
, Daegu was a hotbed of unrest. In October 1946, the Daegu uprising took place, one of the most serious incidents of unrest during US military rule, where police attempts to control rioters on October 1 caused the death of three student demonstrators and injuries to many others, sparking a mass counter-attack killing 38 policemen. It was also the site of major demonstrations on February 28, 1960, prior to the fraudulent presidential election of that year.
Daegu and all of North Gyeongsang saw heavy guerrilla activity in the late 1940s, as thousands of refugees arrived from the fighting in Jeolla. In November 1948, a unit in Daegu joined the mutiny which had begun in Yeosu
the previous month.
During the Korean War
, much heavy fighting occurred nearby along the Nakdong River
. Daegu sat inside the Pusan Perimeter, however, and therefore remained in South Korean hands throughout the war. As in many other areas during the Korean War, political killings of dissenters were widespread.
In the second half of the twentieth century, the city underwent explosive growth, and the population has increased more than tenfold since the end of the Korean War. The city was heavily politically favored during the long military dictatorship of Park Chung-hee
, when it and the surrounding area served as his political base. Conservative political movements remain powerful in Daegu today.
In the 1980s
, Daegu became a separately administered provincial-level Directly Governed City
(Jikhalsi), and was redesignated as a Metropolitan City
(Gwangyeoksi) in 1995.
On February 18, 2003, a mentally ill man set fire to a train of the Daegu Metropolitan Subway
stopped at Jungangno station. The resulting blaze killed nearly 200 persons, making the Daegu subway fire
one of the worst disasters in South Korea since the end of the Korean War.
Today, Daegu is the 3rd largest metropolitan area
in Korea with respect to both population and commerce.
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
has served as a nexus of transportation, lying as it does at the junction of the Geumho and Nakdong rivers. During the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, the city was the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the entire Gyeongsang region, a role largely taken over now by Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
in South Gyeongsang.
Prehistory and Early history
Archaeological investigations in the Greater Daegu area have revealed a large number of settlements and burials of the prehistoric Mumun Pottery PeriodMumun pottery period
The Mumun pottery period is an archaeological era in Korean prehistory that dates to approximately 1500-300 BC This period is named after the Korean name for undecorated or plain cooking and storage vessels that form a large part of the pottery assemblage over the entire length of the period, but...
(c. 1500-300 B.C.). In fact, some of the earliest evidence of Mumun settlement in Gyeongsang Province have been unearthed in Daegu at Siji-dong and Seobyeon-dong (YUM 1999a). The Dongcheon-dong site is a substantial village of the Middle Mumun (c. 850-550 B.C.) and contains the remains of many prehistoric pit-houses and agricultural fields. Megalithic burials (dolmens) have also been found in large numbers in Daegu (YICP 2002).
During the Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea period, Daegu was the site of a walled-town polity known in historical records as Dalgubeol. The first mention of Dalgubeol is dated to 261. We know nothing of its earlier history, and little of what came later, except that it was absorbed into the kingdom of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
no later than the fifth century.
Silla
Silla defeated the other Three Kingdoms of KoreaThree Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
in the late 7th century, with assistance from Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
China. Shortly thereafter, the king of Silla considered moving the capital from Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
to Daegu, but was unable to do so. We know of this incident through only a single line in the Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
, but it is presumed that it indicates the entrenched resistance of the Gyeongju political elites to such a move.
In the late 1990s archaeologists excavated a large scale fortified Silla site in Dongcheon-dong, Buk-gu (FPCP 2000). The site at Locality 2 consists of the remains of 39 raised-floor buildings enclosed by a formidable ditch-and-palisade system. The excavators hypothesize that the fortified site was a permanent military encampment or barracks. Archaeologists also uncovered a large Silla village dating to the 6th to 7th centuries AD at Siji-dong (YUM 1999b).
The city was given its current name in 757.
Most relics of the Silla period are found on Palgongsan
Palgongsan
Palgongsan, also Palgong Mountain, is a mountain in southeastern South Korea, lying on an outlier of the Taebaek range. It stands on the border between Daegu metropolitan city and North Gyeongsang province...
around Donghwasa
Donghwasa
Donghwasa, also Donghwa Temple, is a Buddhist temple of the Jogye Order in northern Daegu, South Korea. The temple is located on the slopes of Palgongsan, within the boundaries of Dohak-dong, Dong-gu, near Daegu's northern border. It is the seat of the 9th region of the Jogye Order. The name...
temple in northern Daegu. Donghwasa itself dates from the Silla period, as does the pagoda of King Minae
Minae of Silla
Minae of Silla was the 44th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was a great-grandson of King Wonseong, and the son of Daeachan Kim Chung-gong. His mother was a Pak, Lady Gwibo. He married the daughter of Gakgan Kim Yeong-gong.Being of true bone rank, Minae rose to the rank of sangdaedeung...
.
Later Three Kingdoms
During the Later Three Kingdoms period, 890-935, Daegu was initially aligned with HubaekjeHubaekje
Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...
. In 927, northern Daegu was the site of the Battle of Gong Mountain between the forces of Taebong
Taebong
Taebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period.-History:...
under Wang Geon and those of Hubaekje under Gyeon Hwon
Gyeon Hwon
Gyeon Hwon was the king and founder of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" . He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan...
. In this battle, the forces of Taebong were crushed and Wang Geon himself was saved only by the heroism of his general Shin Sung-gyeom
Shin Sung-gyeom
Shin Sung-gyeom was a Korean general during the turbulent Later Three Kingdoms period in the early 10th century. Born in Gwanghaeju , he became a general in the kingdom of Taebong...
. However, it appears that the conduct of the Hubaekje forces at this time changed local sympathies to favor Wang Geon, who later became the king of Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
.
Numerous place-names and local legends around Daegu still bear witness to the historic battle of 927. Among these are "Ansim
Ansim Station
Ansim Station is a station of Daegu Subway Line 1 at Dong-gu in Daegu, South Korea.This is the terminus of Daegu Subway Line 1.The name of the station comes from the King of Goryeo, who was victorious in battles with Hubaekje, and felt relieved when he went to the location now occupied by the...
," which literally means "peace of mind," said to be the first place where Wang Geon dared to stop after escaping the battle, and "Banwol," or half-moon, where he is said to have stopped and admired the moon before returning to Taebong. A statue commemorating the battle now stands in northern Daegu, as does a memorial to Sin Sunggyeom.
Goryeo
The first edition of the Tripitaka KoreanaTripitaka Koreana
The Tripitaka Koreana or Palman Daejanggyeong is a Korean collection of the Tripitaka , carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century...
was stored in Daegu, at the temple of Buinsa. However, this edition was destroyed when the temple was sacked in 1254, during the Mongol invasions of Korea
Mongol invasions of Korea
The Mongol invasions of Korea consisted of a series of campaigns by the Mongol Empire against Korea, then known as Goryeo, from 1231 to 1270...
.
Joseon
Always an important transportation center, in the Joseon Dynasty Daegu lay on the Great Yeongnam RoadGreat Yeongnam Road
The Great Yeongnam Road, or Yeongnamdaero, was one of the principal roads of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910. It ran between Hanseong and Dongnae . More generally, it served to connect the Gyeongsang province to the capital. It takes its name from Yeongnam, an alternate name for the...
which ran between Seoul and Busan. It lay at the junction of this arterial road and the roads to Gyeongju and Jinju
Jinju
Jinju is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first and second Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War...
.
In 1601, Daegu became the administrative capital of Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongsang was located in the southeast of Korea....
province, and the city has been the capital of North Gyeongsang province since that province's formation in 1896.
Daegu's first regular markets were established during the late Joseon period. The most famous of these, and the only one to still be operating, is the Yangnyeongsi herbal medicine market. This became a center of herbal trade in Joseon, and even attracted buyers from neighboring countries. Traders from Japan, who were not permitted to leave the Nakdong River
Nakdong River
The Nakdong River is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan.-Geography:...
valley, hired messengers to visit the market on their behalf.
Korean Empire
Korea began to open to the world in the late 19th century. In 1895, Daegu became the site of one of the country's first modern post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
s, as part of the reforms pushed by the Japanese after the murder of Queen Min.
Beginning in the late 1890s, many Japanese merchants and workers came to Daegu, which lay on the newly-constructed Gyeongbu Line
Gyeongbu Line
The Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest. It was constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. The Gyeongbu Line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in South Korea...
railroad connecting Seoul and Busan.
In 1905, the old fortress wall was surreptitiously destroyed. Only one portion of this, the First Yeongnam Gate, remains, standing now in Dalseong Park
Dalseong Park
Dalseong Park is a park located in Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea. The park includes Gwanpungnu Pavilion, a local history hall, a zoo, and some monuments.-History:...
. The rest of the fortress wall is remembered only through the names of the streets Dongseongno and Bukseongno, "east fortress street" and "north fortress street," which now run where the wall once stood.
Japanese rule
The Korean independence movements were active in Daegu. These began as early as 1898, when a branch of the Independence ClubIndependence Club
The Independence Club was founded through the initiative of Philip Jaisohn on July 2, 1896, by the Korean Ministry of Foreign affairs.-See also:*Tongnip Sinmun *People's joint association*Seo Jae-pil...
was established in the city. As the demise of the Korean Empire
Korean Empire
The Greater Korean Empire was an empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries...
approached in 1907, local citizens led by Seo Sang-don organized the National Debt Repayment Movement
National Debt Repayment Movement
The National Debt Repayment Movement was a movement by the people of the Korean Empire to repay their country's debt through collecting individual donations. It was started by Seo Sang-dong of Daegu on 30 January, 1907. At that time the national debt was 13 million won...
. This movement spread nationwide, although it was unsuccessful in its attempt to repay the country's debt through individual donations. Resistance activities continued after the 1910 annexation, notably during the March 1st movement
March 1st Movement
The March 1st Movement, or Samil Movement, was one of the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during the occupation of the Korean Empire by Japan. The name refers to an event that occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning "Three-One Movement" or "March First...
of 1919. At that time, four major demonstrations took place in Daegu, involving an estimated 23,000 people.
The women of Daegu were active in the independence struggle, as they were elsewhere in the country. The Patriotic Women's Educational Society, or aeguk buin gyoyukhoe (애국부인교육회), was based in the city. Women also took a leading role in the National Debt Repayment Movement, including the kisaeng Aengmu
Aengmu
Aengmu was the working name of a famed kisaeng of Daegu in the early 20th century. The name literally means "parrot." She was a leading donor to the National Debt Repayment Movement...
.
Many schools and colleges were established in Daegu, both by private organizations and by the Japanese government. These included the government-run Daegu Normal School, later Daegu Teachers' College, which became the Teachers' College of Kyungpook National University
Kyungpook National University
Kyungpook National University , abbreviated as Kyungdae, is a leading national university in Daegu, South Korea. The university is one of 10 Flagship Korean National Universities. It is one of the three best recognized and oldest national universities with Seoul National University and Pusan...
after 1945.
South Korea
The end of Japanese rule in 1945 brought years of turbulent change to Daegu. Under the USAMGIK provisional military government and the subsequent First RepublicFirst Republic of South Korea
The First Republic of South Korea was South Korea's first independent government, ruling the country from 1948 to 1960. It succeeded USAMGIK, the United States military government, which ruled the area from 1945 to 1948. The First Republic was established on August 15, 1948, with Syngman Rhee as...
, Daegu was a hotbed of unrest. In October 1946, the Daegu uprising took place, one of the most serious incidents of unrest during US military rule, where police attempts to control rioters on October 1 caused the death of three student demonstrators and injuries to many others, sparking a mass counter-attack killing 38 policemen. It was also the site of major demonstrations on February 28, 1960, prior to the fraudulent presidential election of that year.
Daegu and all of North Gyeongsang saw heavy guerrilla activity in the late 1940s, as thousands of refugees arrived from the fighting in Jeolla. In November 1948, a unit in Daegu joined the mutiny which had begun in Yeosu
Yeosu
Yeosu is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Old Yeosu City, which was founded in 1949, Yeocheon City, founded in 1986, and Yeocheon County were merged into a new city in 1998....
the previous month.
During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, much heavy fighting occurred nearby along the Nakdong River
Nakdong River
The Nakdong River is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan.-Geography:...
. Daegu sat inside the Pusan Perimeter, however, and therefore remained in South Korean hands throughout the war. As in many other areas during the Korean War, political killings of dissenters were widespread.
In the second half of the twentieth century, the city underwent explosive growth, and the population has increased more than tenfold since the end of the Korean War. The city was heavily politically favored during the long military dictatorship of Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
, when it and the surrounding area served as his political base. Conservative political movements remain powerful in Daegu today.
In the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, Daegu became a separately administered provincial-level Directly Governed City
Special cities of Korea
In both North and South Korea, a special city, a metropolitan city, or a directly governed city is a city that has a status equivalent to that of a province...
(Jikhalsi), and was redesignated as a Metropolitan City
Special cities of Korea
In both North and South Korea, a special city, a metropolitan city, or a directly governed city is a city that has a status equivalent to that of a province...
(Gwangyeoksi) in 1995.
On February 18, 2003, a mentally ill man set fire to a train of the Daegu Metropolitan Subway
Daegu Metropolitan Subway
-Lines:-Line 1:Line 1 was the site of the Daegu subway fire of 2003, when an arsonist set fire to a train in rush hour and killed nearly 200 people.-AGT Line:The transport department has approved plans to build an Automated Guideway Transit line.-Fare:...
stopped at Jungangno station. The resulting blaze killed nearly 200 persons, making the Daegu subway fire
Daegu subway fire
The Daegu subway fire was a mass murder suicide attack on February 18, 2003 which killed at least 198 Koreans and injured at least 147. An arsonist set fire to a train stopped at the Jungangno Station of the Daegu Metropolitan Subway in Daegu, South Korea...
one of the worst disasters in South Korea since the end of the Korean War.
Today, Daegu is the 3rd largest metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
in Korea with respect to both population and commerce.
See also
- History of South KoreaHistory of South KoreaThe history of South Korea formally begins with the establishment of South Korea on 15 August 1948, although Syngman Rhee had declared the establishment in Seoul on 13 August....
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- DaeguDaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
- List of Korea-related topics