Jeolla
Encyclopedia
Jeolla was a province in southwestern Korea
, one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty
. It consisted of the modern South Korea
n provinces of North Jeolla
, South Jeolla
and the Special City
of Gwangju
as well as Jeju Island
. The provincial capital was Jeonju
, the current capital of Northern Jeolla. The entire inland region was formerly called Honam
"South of the Lake".
During the Samhan
era of Korean history, the area of Jeolla was controlled by the Mahan confederacy
. Fifteen of the 45 Korean tribes had their bases in this region. When Baekje
overtook Mahan by the 5th century, the Three Kingdoms
era began and the region became part of southern Baekje. Jungbang was the center of the province during this period.
conquered Baekje with the help of the Tang Dynasty
in 660.Iit became a territory of Unified Silla
during the 16th year of the reign of King Munmu
. Silla reorganized this territory into 9 "ju" and 5 "gyeong" , 3 of the ju belonging to the former Baekje. The northern territory of former Baekje, Ung (Ungju; ), corresponds to modern day South Chungcheong
.
The middle area consisted of Wansan
(Wansan-ju; 완산주; 完山州) and Namwon
(Namwon-gyeong; ), which correspond to modern day North Jeolla. Wansan was later renamed Jeonju. The southern area consisted of Mujin (Mujin-ju), which was renamed Mu (Mu-ju; ) in 757, the 16th year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok
. Mu consisted of one gun and 43 hyeon, and corresponds to modern day South Jeolla.
of the Goryeo
Dynasty, the country was reorganized into 12 "mok". Jeonju became Jeonju-mok (전주목; 全州牧), while Muju was split into Naju
(Naju-mok) and Seungju (Seungju-mok). In 995, King Seongjong again reorganized the country, this time into 10 "do" (도; 道; province) . Jeonju-mok was renamed Gangnam-do (province south of the river) while Naju and Seugnju were reunited and renamed Haeyang-do (ocean province).
In 1018, during the 9th year of the reign of King Hyeonjong
, the country was again reorganized in 5 "do", and provinces of Gangnam and Haeyang were merged to form the province of Jeollaju. (Jeollaju-do; 전라주도; 全羅州道). The name derived from the names of the principal cities of Jeonju
(전주; 全州) and Naju
(나주; 羅州). The "n" (ㄴ) in "Naju" was originally an "r" (ㄹ), so the "n" in "Jeonju" and the "r" in "Naju" are assimilated into "l"s (ㄹ) due to a phonetic rule in the Korean
of South Korea known as the "initial law" (두음법칙).
This was the first time the area currently known as Jeolla was united under one administrative division, and it would remain this way for nearly eight centuries.
, the territories were, once again, reorganized into 8 "do". This is the era of the historic eight provinces of Korea
. Jeollaju-do was variously known as Gwangnam, Jeongwang, and Jeonnam, but the original name persisted, and was eventually shortened to simply Jeolla (전라도; 全羅道; Jeolla-do).
The Donghak Peasant Rebellion of 1894-95 began in Jeolla province, which was a peasant revolt fueled by the fervor of a coming local "messiah" and protests over Seoul's high taxes on rice and Japanese invasion.
On May 26, 1895, Emperor Gojong replaced the 8 do "province" system with a 23 bu "district" system and Jeolla was replaced by the districts of Jeonju
(Jeonju-bu; 전주부; 全州府) in the northwest, Naju
(Naju-bu; 나주부; 羅州府) in the southwest, Namwon
(Namwon-bu; 남원부; 南原府) in the east, and Jeju
(Jeju-bu; 제주부; 濟州府) on Jeju Island.
On August 4, 1896, King Gojong issued Royal Order 36, repealing the district system and restoring the province system. Jeolla, along with Chungcheong
, Gyeongsang
, Hamgyeong and Pyeongan, was divided north-south into Jeollabuk-do
(전라북도, North Jeolla province, nicknamed 전북, Jeonbuk) and Jeollanam-do
(전라남도, South Jeolla province, nicknamed 전남, Jeonnam), bringing the total to 13 provinces. Jeonbuk consisted of the Jeonju and northern Namwon districts, while Jeonnam consisted of the southern Namwon districts, Naju district, and Jeju island. Jeonju was retained as the capital of Jeonbuk, with Gwangju
being made the capital of Jeonnam. The capital of Jeonnam was later changed to Namak
in 2005, with Gwangju being designating a Special City
.
did not become a separate province until August 1, 1946, when it was removed from the "island" system under Jeonnam and designating as Jeju Special Autonomous Province (제주특별자치도).
Province, on the east by Gyeongsang
Province, on the south by the East China Sea
, and on the west by the Yellow Sea
.
The region is bordered on the east by the Sobaek Mountains
and is drained by the Yeongsan, Seomjin and Mangyeong River. The largest city in the region is Gwangju
. Apart from Jeonju and Naju, other cities of note include Iksan
(formerly Iri
), Gunsan
, Mokpo
, Namwon, Suncheon
, and Yeosu
.
, as well as for a related genre of instrumental music called sanjo
.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea 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...
. It consisted of the modern 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...
n provinces of North Jeolla
Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
, South Jeolla
Jeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
and the Special 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...
of Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
as well as Jeju Island
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
. The provincial capital was Jeonju
Jeonju
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.- History :...
, the current capital of Northern Jeolla. The entire inland region was formerly called Honam
Honam
Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to North and South Jeolla Provinces....
"South of the Lake".
Samhan and Samguk
Samhan
The Samhan period of Korean history comprises confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan in central and southern Korean peninsula, during the final century BCE and the early centuries CE....
era of Korean history, the area of Jeolla was controlled by the Mahan confederacy
Mahan confederacy
Mahan was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Arising out of the confluence of Gojoseon migration and the Jin state federation, Mahan was one of the Samhan , along...
. Fifteen of the 45 Korean tribes had their bases in this region. When Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
overtook Mahan by the 5th century, the Three Kingdoms
Three 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...
era began and the region became part of southern Baekje. Jungbang was the center of the province during this period.
Unified Silla
When SillaSilla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
conquered Baekje with the help of the Tang Dynasty
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...
in 660.Iit became a territory of Unified Silla
Unified Silla
Unified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
during the 16th year of the reign of King Munmu
Munmu of Silla
Munmu of Silla was the thirtieth king of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He is usually considered to have been the first ruler of the Unified Silla period. Munmu was the son of King Muyeol and Munmyeong, who was the younger sister of Kim Yu-shin...
. Silla reorganized this territory into 9 "ju" and 5 "gyeong" , 3 of the ju belonging to the former Baekje. The northern territory of former Baekje, Ung (Ungju; ), corresponds to modern day South Chungcheong
Chungcheongnam-do
Chungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea...
.
The middle area consisted of Wansan
Jeonju
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.- History :...
(Wansan-ju; 완산주; 完山州) and Namwon
Namwon
Namwon is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 45 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is three hours away from Seoul....
(Namwon-gyeong; ), which correspond to modern day North Jeolla. Wansan was later renamed Jeonju. The southern area consisted of Mujin (Mujin-ju), which was renamed Mu (Mu-ju; ) in 757, the 16th year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok
Gyeongdeok of Silla
King Gyeongdeok of Silla was the 35th ruler who reigned from 742 to 765 over the kingdom of Silla. He is perhaps best known today for his efforts to encourage Buddhism....
. Mu consisted of one gun and 43 hyeon, and corresponds to modern day South Jeolla.
Goryeo Dynasty
In 983, during the second year of the reign of King SeongjongSeongjong of Goryeo
Seongjong of Goryeo was the sixth monarch of the medieval Korean kingdom Goryeo. He was the second son of Daejong, and a grandson of Emperor Taejo. He ascended the throne after Gyeongjong stepped down....
of the 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...
Dynasty, the country was reorganized into 12 "mok". Jeonju became Jeonju-mok (전주목; 全州牧), while Muju was split into Naju
Naju
Naju is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea.The capital of South Jeolla was located at Naju until it was moved to Gwangju in 1895. The name Jeolla actually originates from the first character of Jeonju and the first character of Naju . Dongshin University is situated in Naju...
(Naju-mok) and Seungju (Seungju-mok). In 995, King Seongjong again reorganized the country, this time into 10 "do" (도; 道; province) . Jeonju-mok was renamed Gangnam-do (province south of the river) while Naju and Seugnju were reunited and renamed Haeyang-do (ocean province).
In 1018, during the 9th year of the reign of King Hyeonjong
Hyeonjong of Goryeo
Hyeonjong of Goryeo was the 8th ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was a grandson of Emperor Taejo. He was appointed by the military leader Gang Jo, whom the previous Emperor Mokjong had called upon to destroy a plot by Kim Chi-yang.In 1010, The Khitan attacked again during an internal...
, the country was again reorganized in 5 "do", and provinces of Gangnam and Haeyang were merged to form the province of Jeollaju. (Jeollaju-do; 전라주도; 全羅州道). The name derived from the names of the principal cities of Jeonju
Jeonju
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.- History :...
(전주; 全州) and Naju
Naju
Naju is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea.The capital of South Jeolla was located at Naju until it was moved to Gwangju in 1895. The name Jeolla actually originates from the first character of Jeonju and the first character of Naju . Dongshin University is situated in Naju...
(나주; 羅州). The "n" (ㄴ) in "Naju" was originally an "r" (ㄹ), so the "n" in "Jeonju" and the "r" in "Naju" are assimilated into "l"s (ㄹ) due to a phonetic rule in the Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
of South Korea known as the "initial law" (두음법칙).
This was the first time the area currently known as Jeolla was united under one administrative division, and it would remain this way for nearly eight centuries.
Joseon Dynasty
In 1413, during 13th year of the right of TaejongTaejong of Joseon
King Taejong was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great.-Founding of Joseon:...
, the territories were, once again, reorganized into 8 "do". This is the era of the historic eight provinces of Korea
Eight Provinces (Korea)
During most of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces . The eight provinces' boundaries remained unchanged for almost five centuries from 1413 to 1895, and formed a geographic paradigm that is still reflected today in the Korean Peninsula's administrative divisions, dialects,...
. Jeollaju-do was variously known as Gwangnam, Jeongwang, and Jeonnam, but the original name persisted, and was eventually shortened to simply Jeolla (전라도; 全羅道; Jeolla-do).
The Donghak Peasant Rebellion of 1894-95 began in Jeolla province, which was a peasant revolt fueled by the fervor of a coming local "messiah" and protests over Seoul's high taxes on rice and Japanese invasion.
On May 26, 1895, Emperor Gojong replaced the 8 do "province" system with a 23 bu "district" system and Jeolla was replaced by the districts of Jeonju
Jeonju
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.- History :...
(Jeonju-bu; 전주부; 全州府) in the northwest, Naju
Naju
Naju is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea.The capital of South Jeolla was located at Naju until it was moved to Gwangju in 1895. The name Jeolla actually originates from the first character of Jeonju and the first character of Naju . Dongshin University is situated in Naju...
(Naju-bu; 나주부; 羅州府) in the southwest, Namwon
Namwon
Namwon is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 45 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is three hours away from Seoul....
(Namwon-bu; 남원부; 南原府) in the east, and Jeju
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
(Jeju-bu; 제주부; 濟州府) on Jeju Island.
On August 4, 1896, King Gojong issued Royal Order 36, repealing the district system and restoring the province system. Jeolla, along with Chungcheong
Chungcheong
Chungcheong was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea...
, Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongsang was located in the southeast of Korea....
, Hamgyeong and Pyeongan, was divided north-south into Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
(전라북도, North Jeolla province, nicknamed 전북, Jeonbuk) and Jeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
(전라남도, South Jeolla province, nicknamed 전남, Jeonnam), bringing the total to 13 provinces. Jeonbuk consisted of the Jeonju and northern Namwon districts, while Jeonnam consisted of the southern Namwon districts, Naju district, and Jeju island. Jeonju was retained as the capital of Jeonbuk, with Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
being made the capital of Jeonnam. The capital of Jeonnam was later changed to Namak
Namak
Namak is a village in Samhyang-myeon, which is part of Muan County in South Jeolla province of South Korea. Namak became the home of the South Jeolla provincial government following its move from the city of Gwangju in 2005....
in 2005, with Gwangju being designating a Special 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...
.
Modern History
JejuJeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
did not become a separate province until August 1, 1946, when it was removed from the "island" system under Jeonnam and designating as Jeju Special Autonomous Province (제주특별자치도).
Geography
Jeolla Province was bounded on the north by ChungcheongChungcheong
Chungcheong was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea...
Province, on the east by Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Gyeongsang was located in the southeast of Korea....
Province, on the south by the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
, and on the west by the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
.
The region is bordered on the east by the Sobaek Mountains
Sobaek Mountains
The Sobaek Mountains are a mountain range cutting across the southern Korean peninsula. They split off from the Taebaek Mountains and trend southwest across the center of the peninsula. They are traditionally considered to reach their southwestern limit at Jirisan, which is also the highest peak...
and is drained by the Yeongsan, Seomjin and Mangyeong River. The largest city in the region is Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
. Apart from Jeonju and Naju, other cities of note include Iksan
Iksan
Iksan is a city and major railway junction in North Jeolla Province, South Korea.The city center and railway junction was formerly called "Iri" , but merged with Iksan County in 1995....
(formerly Iri
IRI
IRI may refer to:* International Reference Ionosphere a common scientific project of URSI and COSPAR* International Roughness Index, a dimensionless quantity used for measuring road roughness, proposed as a world standard by the World Bank...
), Gunsan
Gunsan
Gunsan is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is located on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. Gunsan is served by frequent railway service on the Gunsan Line from Iksan. It is also connected to the Seohaean Expressway.Kunsan Air Base...
, Mokpo
Mokpo
Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea...
, Namwon, Suncheon
Suncheon, South Korea
Suncheon is a city in Jeollanam-do, South Korea. Located in the province of Jeollanam-do,It is a scenic agricultural and industrial city of around 250,000 people near Suncheon Bay. It is located in the southeastern corner of Jeollanam-do, just over an hour south-east of Gwangju...
, and 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....
.
Culture
Jeolla is famous for its traditional music, particularly the genre of musical theater which originated there called pansoriPansori
Pansori is a genre of Korean traditional music. It is a vocal and percussional music performed by one sorikkun and one gosu . The term pansori is derived from pan , and sori .- Overview :...
, as well as for a related genre of instrumental music called sanjo
Sanjo (music)
Sanjo, literally meaning 'scattered melodies' and is a style of traditional Korean music, involving an instrumental solo accompanied by drumming on the janggu, an hourglass-shaped drum...
.