Gijang County

Gijang

기장군
Gijang 기장군
County
Korean transcription(s)
• Hanja	機張郡
• Revised Romanization	Gijang-gun
• McCune-Reischauer	Kijang-gun
	Haedong Yonggung Temple
	Flag Coat of arms
Country	South Korea
Region	Yeongnam
Provincial level	Busan
Administrative divisions	3 eup, 2 myeon
Area
• Total	217.9 km2 (84.1 sq mi)
Population (September 2024)
• Total	176,388
• Density	810/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
• Dialect	Gyeongsang
Website	www.gijang.go.kr

Gijang County is a gun, or county, located between Haeundae-gu and Ulsan in northern Busan, South Korea.

History

Gijang first appears under its current name in the annals of the year 757, during the Unified Silla period. At that time it was made the hyeon of Gijang, part of Dongnae-gun. The Samguk Sagi records that it was known as Gaphwayanggok (甲火良谷) previously.

Historical landmarks in the county include the Buddhist temple of Jangansa, said to have been first built by Wonhyo in the 7th century.

Geography and demographics

Gijang is the most rural of Busan's districts, and consists mostly of vacant and agricultural land. Approximately 156.7 of its 217.9 square kilometers are empty and forested, mostly hilly land. The county's population has risen steadily since 1990, when it stood at 56,847. There is a fishing village set along the coastline.

Economy

Due to its location along the coast of the East Sea, Gijang is known as a center for the production of various kinds of seafood. These include anchovies and brown seaweed (miyeok).

Education

Gijang is also the current residence of the new Busan International Foreign School, which the Ministry of Education recently^[when?] spent 46.9 billion won.^{[citation needed]}

One elementary school, Daebyun Elementary School, was nicknamed the "poop school" since "Daebyun" meant feces. Its name originated from the village Daebyun-ri, which derived from the Daedonggobyunpo Port. The school opened in 1963, and in August 2017 it had 76 students. That month the school announced it was changing its name effective 2018.^[2]

Tourism

Other points of interest in the Gijang area include Toam Pottery Park and Ilgwang Beach, as well as the cliffside Haedong Yonggungsa temple. The fishing village is popular for its fresh seafood and sashimi.

It contains Orangdae Park.^[3]^[4]

Daejeon Port

Daejeon Port, located 4.1 km north of Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, accounts for 60% of the national anchovy catches and is called an anchovy port.

Around April, when the anchovy season comes, the sight of fishermen armed with raincoats, hats, boots, and rubber gloves opening their nets in a certain rhythm is truly spectacular. At the entrance of Daejeon Port, you can see Daejeon Port at a glance, enter the port, and slowly turn around Daejeon Port. There is a Suhyup building at the end and a small coastal road leads to the end of the road.