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Gongju

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Overview

Gongju (Korean: 공주; Korean pronunciation: [koŋ.dʑu]) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea.

Facts

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia569 words

WBP editorial3

Beyond the Palace: Gongju’s Living Heritage

While most travellers associate Gongju with its ancient capitals, the city’s everyday rhythm reveals a different kind of cultural wealth. Local markets, especially the traditional market near the old bus terminal, buzz with vendors selling seasonal kimchi, hand‑rolled rice cakes and freshly pressed soybean oil. These stalls are family‑run, and a quick chat often yields stories of recipes handed down through generations. In the evenings, senior residents gather at neighbourhood parks to play janggi (Korean chess) under floodlights, a practice that offers an intimate glimpse of communal life. For visitors keen to understand how history informs present identity, spending an afternoon sipping barley tea at a modest teahouse while watching these rituals unfold is far more revealing than any museum exhibit.

A Rail‑Side Detour: Exploring the Baekje Trail

Gongju sits on a modest railway line that connects the larger hubs of Daejeon and Cheonan. Rather than merely using it as a transit point, consider alighting at the lesser‑known Gongju‑Songgok‑Jwaejeon stop and following the footpaths that trace the old Baekje kingdom’s frontier. The trail winds past stone pagodas and modest shrine sites, each marked by subtle stone markers that local hikers recognise but rarely feature in guidebooks. The walk takes roughly two hours and rewards you with a panoramic view of the city’s rolling rice paddies, framed by the distant silhouettes of the Gyeryong Mountains. This low‑tech excursion offers a quiet counter‑point to the city’s urban bustle and a chance to experience the landscape that shaped early Korean statecraft.

Seasonal Flavour: When Gongju Turns Green

Late spring and early summer transform Gongju’s surroundings into a tapestry of verdant fields and blossoming cherry trees, a time when the city’s agricultural calendar comes alive. Farmers’ cooperatives open their gates for short‑term visits, allowing tourists to join in the rice‑planting season, an activity that combines physical effort with meditative rhythm. The experience culminates in a communal dinner of freshly harvested barley and locally caught carp, prepared in modest, family‑run eateries that source directly from nearby farms. This seasonal immersion not only deepens appreciation for Korea’s agrarian roots but also provides a rare, unfiltered taste of the region’s culinary calendar that most tour itineraries overlook.

Introduction

City in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea For the asteroid, see 31179 Gongju. Municipal city in Hoseo, South KoreaGongju 공주Municipal cityKorean transcription(s) • Hangul공주 • Hanja公州 • Revised RomanizationGongju • McCune–ReischauerKongjuView of Gongju FlagEmblemLocation in South KoreaCoordinates: 36°27′N 127°7′E / 36.450°N 127.117°E / 36.450; 127.117CountrySouth KoreaRegionHoseoAdministrative divisions1 eup, 10 myeon, 6 dongArea • Total864.16 km2 (333.65 sq mi)Population (June 2025) • Total100,714 • Density124.2/km2 (322/sq mi) • DialectChungcheong Gongju (Korean: 공주; Korean pronunciation: [koŋ.dʑu]) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea.

History

[edit] Gongju around 1872 Young trees, Kongju, 1908–1922 Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun the previous capital of Hanseong (modern-day Seoul), which forced Baekje to find a new center of strength. In 538, King Seong moved the capital to Sabi (in modern-day Buyeo County). However, Gongju remained an important center until the kingdom's fall in 660. New capital[edit] On August 11, 2004, the South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan announced that the country's capital will be moved from Seoul to Gongju (approximately 120 km or 75 mi south of Seoul) and Yeongi commencing in 2007. A 72.91 km2 (18,020 acres) site was chosen for the project, which was scheduled to be completed by 2030. It was envisaged that government and administrative functions will move to the new capital, along with (possibly) the National Assembly and supreme court, although no sizable relocation was expected until the first phase of the project has been completed by 2012. [citation needed] The move was intended to reduce Seoul's overcrowding and economic dominance over the rest of South Korea; perhaps not coincidentally, it would have also moved the government and administration out of range of North Korean artillery fire. The projected cost of the project ranged from $45bn to as much as $94bn. [citation needed] The plan has aroused controversy, with opposition parties calling for a referendum to see whether it is endorsed by the population. Some civic groups have also launched a constitutional appeal, and on October 21, 2004, the Constitutional Court ruled that the special law for the relocation of the capital is unconstitutional since the relocation is a serious national matter requiring national referendum or revision of the constitution, thus effectively ending the dispute. Opinion polls showed that a slight majority of South Koreans are opposed to the move, both before and after the ruling. [citation needed] However, late in 2004, the government announced yet another plan that will allow Seoul to be a capital in name only by retaining the Executive Branch, all Legislature Branch, and Judiciary Branch in Seoul, while moving all other branches of government to Gongju. The question remains unresolved to date.

Climate

[edit] Gongju has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa), using the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm. It has a mountainous climate in which temperature is drastically different in the day and at night. Annual average temperature is 10.8 °C, and the highest temperature of the year is 35 °C and the lowest -17 °C. Annual average precipitation is 1,251mm, and Namdae Stream, a branch stream of Geum River, is flowing through Muju-eup.