Gijang County
Template:Infobox Korean settlement Gijang-gun is a gun, or county, located between Haeundae-gu and Ulsan in northern Busan, South Korea. The current magistrate is Oh GyuSeok.
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. The 14th-century Gijang fortress wall has been preserved, as has a Japanese fortress dating from Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea in the 1590s.
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.
Economy
Due to its location along the coast of the Sea of Japan (East Sea), Gijang is known as a center for the production of various kinds of seafood. These include anchovies and brown seaweed (miyeok).
Tourism
Apart from the culture-historical and Buddhist sites mentioned above, other points of interest in Gijang include Toam Pottery Park and Ilgwang Beach.
Administrative divisions
Gijang is divided into five parts:
- eup (larger towns):
- myeon (rural townships):
References
- "Gijang-gun Statistical Yearbook 2005 (online version)". Retrieved 2006-08-13. [dead link]