North Kyongsang Province
(2000 pop. 2.8 million). North Kyongsang Province (Kyongsang pukto) is located in South Korea in the southeastern region of the Korean Peninsula. It contains the major urban center of Taegu, with a population of 2.5 million, and the important cultural area of Kyongju, the capital of the Shilla kingdom (57 BCE–935 CE). It is bordered by the Sobaek Mountains to the north and west, South Kyongsang Province to the south, and the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east. Due to the rugged topography of the surrounding mountains, subareas within the region share cultural traits, such as a dialect and customs, which are quite different from those of outlying regions. Both Kyongsang provinces are also known as Yongnam ("south of the mountain passes"), attesting to the historical importance that mountains have played in fostering regional characteristics.
North Kyongsang Province has a large industrial agglomeration, due mainly to heavy investments in the region by the South Korean government since the 1960s. Steel, shipbuilding, automobile, and petrochemical factories are concentrated along the southeast coast beginning in P'ohang and extending into South Kyongsang Province. The northwestern part of the province also has two major clusters of industries around Taegu and Kumi, which specialize in textiles and electronics.
North Kyongsang Province boasts two Buddhist sites, Pulguk Monastery and the Sokkuram Grotto, both constructed between 751 and 775 CE, which have been named as cultural sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It also preserves a regional version of the mask dance at Hahoe Village, near Andong, called the Hahoe Pyolsin kut, which was performed during village festivals on the second day of the first moon according to the lunar calendar.
Further Reading
Eckert, Carter J., et al. (1990) Korea Old and New: A History. Seoul: Ilchokak.
Korean Overseas Culture and Information Service. (1999) A Handbook of Korea. 10th ed. Seoul: Korean Overseas Culture and Information Service.
Lee, Ki-baik. (1984) A New History of Korea. Trans. by Edward W. Wagner. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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