Hyeongsan River
Encyclopedia
The Hyeongsan River is a river
in southeastern South Korea
. It flows from Doseo-myeon, Ulju-gun in Ulsan
to the Sea of Japan
(East Sea)
, covering a distance of about 62 km. The Hyeongsan watershed
covers roughly 1,167 km² (Jo 1987:35).
The Hyeongsan flows north from near the northern border of Greater Ulsan
into Gyeongju
city, where it enters the Gyeongju Basin
and is joined by the Bukcheon stream, a major tributary. It continues north into Pohang
city, and in Angang-eup of Pohang it is joined by the Gigyecheon flowing from the north and turns abruptly eastward. From there runs east and slightly north until it meets the Sea of Japan at Pohang Harbor. The estuary
of the Hyeongsan has been covered by the massive industrial
development around the port of Pohang, including the POSCO
steel mill
.
civilization which arose within its valley, centered at Gyeongju
.
Middle Jeulmun Pottery Period
potsherds have been unearthed in the Hyeongsan Basin. Several significant Mumun settlements arose along the river after 1100 B.C., notably Wolsan-ri and Hwangseong-dong (FPCP 2005; GNRICH 2003).
, as it has for thousands of years. Although very little boat traffic is found on the river, the river valley still provides an important transportation corridor. Highways connecting Ulsan, Gyeongju and Pohang follow the river's course, as does the Donghae Nambu Line
passenger railway from Gyeongju to Pohang.
The sprawling industrial facilities of Pohang Iron and Steel (POSCO) and INI Steel are located in Pohang just south of the mouth of the Hyeongsan. The eastern bank of the river in the suburbs north of the old city of Gyeongju are the home to many industrial facilities.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in southeastern South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It flows from Doseo-myeon, Ulju-gun in Ulsan
Ulsan
Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...
to the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
(East Sea)
Sea of Japan naming dispute
The international name for the body of water which is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia, and South Korea is disputed. The Japanese government supports the use of the name "Sea of Japan", while South Korea supports the name "East Sea", and North Korea supports the name "East Sea of Korea"...
, covering a distance of about 62 km. The Hyeongsan watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
covers roughly 1,167 km² (Jo 1987:35).
The Hyeongsan flows north from near the northern border of Greater Ulsan
Ulsan
Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...
into 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...
city, where it enters the Gyeongju Basin
Gyeongju Basin
The Gyeongju Basin is a landform in Gyeongju city, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea. It forms part of the watershed of the Hyeongsan River, which flows north through the basin where it is joined by the Bukcheon, Namcheon, Daecheon, and Sogyeon-cheon streams.The basin is surrounded by low...
and is joined by the Bukcheon stream, a major tributary. It continues north into Pohang
Pohang
Pohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River...
city, and in Angang-eup of Pohang it is joined by the Gigyecheon flowing from the north and turns abruptly eastward. From there runs east and slightly north until it meets the Sea of Japan at Pohang Harbor. The estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the Hyeongsan has been covered by the massive industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
development around the port of Pohang, including the POSCO
POSCO
POSCO is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It is the world's third-largest steelmaker by market value and the most profitable Asia-based steelmaker....
steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
.
History
The Hyeongsan is primarily notable for the SillaSilla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
civilization which arose within its valley, centered at 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...
.
Middle Jeulmun Pottery Period
Jeulmun pottery period
The Jeulmun Pottery Period is an archaeological era in Korean prehistory that dates to approximately 8000-1500 BC.. It is named after the decorated pottery vessels that form a large part of the pottery assemblage consistently over the above period, especially 4000-2000 BC. Jeulmun means...
potsherds have been unearthed in the Hyeongsan Basin. Several significant Mumun settlements arose along the river after 1100 B.C., notably Wolsan-ri and Hwangseong-dong (FPCP 2005; GNRICH 2003).
Economy
Today the Hyeongsan continues to play a role in local transportTransport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
, as it has for thousands of years. Although very little boat traffic is found on the river, the river valley still provides an important transportation corridor. Highways connecting Ulsan, Gyeongju and Pohang follow the river's course, as does the Donghae Nambu Line
Donghae Nambu Line
The Donghae Nambu Line is a railway line connecting Busan to Pohang in South Korea.The line runs along South Korea's east coast.-History:...
passenger railway from Gyeongju to Pohang.
The sprawling industrial facilities of Pohang Iron and Steel (POSCO) and INI Steel are located in Pohang just south of the mouth of the Hyeongsan. The eastern bank of the river in the suburbs north of the old city of Gyeongju are the home to many industrial facilities.
See also
- Rivers of Asia
- Rivers of KoreaRivers of KoreaThe Korean peninsula is mainly mountainous along its east coast, so most of its river water flows west, emptying into the Yellow Sea. Some of these rivers flow through lakes en route to the coast, but these are all artificial reservoirs, as there are no natural lakes on the Korean mainland...
- List of Korea-related topics
- Geography of South KoreaGeography of South KoreaSouth Korea is located in East Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula jutting out from the far east of the Asian land mass. The only country with a land border to South Korea is North Korea, lying to the north with of border running along the DMZ. South Korea is mostly surrounded by...