Dong District, Daejeon

Dong District (Korean: 동구;RR: Dong-gu) is a district inDaejeon, South Korea. Dong-gu consists of a total of 16 dongs, including Yongun-dong, Hyo-dong, and Sannae-dong.^[2]

Dong 동구
Autonomous District
Korean transcription(s)
• Hanja	東區
• Revised Romanization	Dong-gu
• McCune–Reischauer	Tong-gu

Flag

Country	South Korea
Region	Hoseo
Provincial level	Daejeon
Administrative divisions	16 administrativedong
Government
• Mayor	Park Hee-jo(박희조)
Area
• Total	136.61 km² (52.75 sq mi)
Population (2024^[1])
• Total	218,640
• Density	1,600/km² (4,100/sq mi)
• Dialect	Chungcheong
Website	Dong District Office

To the east, the district bordersOkcheon,Daedeok District, andJung District. To the south, it bordersGeumsan,South Chungcheong Province, and to the north, it bordersCheongwon and northern Okcheon.^[3]

History

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Since many relics from thePaleolithic andNeolithic Ages have been discovered in the surrounding areas of Dong District, such as Gujeok-dong, Dunsan-dong, and Guseong-dong, it is assumed that people lived in the district area before theBronze Age.^[4]

During theThree Kingdoms Period , the area belonged toBaekje's Usul-gun (우술군; 雨述郡), during theUnified Silla Period, to Bipung-gun (비풍군; 比豊郡), and during theGoryeo Period, it belonged to Hoedeok-gun (회덕군) and Jinjam-hyeon (진잠현), which were part ofGongju-mok (공주목). During theJoseon Dynasty, most of the area, except for the area near Sannae under the jurisdiction of Gongju-mok and the area near Secheon under the jurisdiction of Cheongmu-mok (청무목), came under the jurisdiction of Hoedeok-hyeon due to the reorganization of the local government system in 1413.^[4]

In the 1940s and 1950s, Daejeon began to develop with the city center formed around the Daejeoncheon River andDaejeon Station. It developed into a commercial city and a transportation city by taking advantage of its location as a transportation hub, and the Dong District area emerged as an important area of the city.^[4]

Economy

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Dong District (Dong-gu) is often regarded as the most underdeveloped area in Daejeon. However, it wasn’t always this way—Dong-gu once served as the central hub of the city. Its decline began in the 1990s, when the western areas of Daejeon, such as Seo-gu and Yuseong-gu, underwent significant development. The construction of the Dunsan New Town, along with the relocation of the Daejeon Government Complex and other key government offices, public institutions, businesses, and shops to this area, led to the gradual decline of Dong-gu, which had previously been the city’s original downtown.

Geography

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Dong District has a topography of high east-low west. To the west of the district, Daejeoncheon forms the border with thebarea, and Daedongcheon, which flows through the central and northern regions, flows into Daejeoncheon. The geology of this district is mostly a deeply weathered granite distribution area.Farmland is decreasing every year due to the increase in industrial facilities, and the cultivated area is about 9.2% of the total area of the district.^[4]

In summer, it is hot and humid due to the influence of the air current blowing from theNorth Pacific Ocean, and in winter, it is cold and dry due to the influence of the air current blowing from theSiberia. Summer precipitation accounts for 55% of the total annual precipitation, and winter precipitation is very low.^[4]

Tourism

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Sikjangsan

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Main article:Sikjangsan

Sikjangsan Mountain (Korean: 식장산) is 596.7m above sea level and has an 11.2 km walking trail. There are traditional temples such as Gujeolsa Temple and Gosansa Temple. The city designated Secheon Park, which contains many ruins of Sikjangsan Mountain, as a natural habitat conservation forest.^[5]

Daecheongho Lake

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Main article:Daecheong Dam

Daecheongho Lake (Korean: 대청호) is an artificial lake created by damming theGeumgang with Daecheong Dam and is the third largest lake in South Korea. In particular, there aremigratory birds andegrets due to the clean natural environment. Daecheong Lake's Hoeinseon Cherry Blossom Road is a 26.6 km long cherry blossom road. It is one of the beautiful cherry blossom roads selected by theKorea National Arboretum.^[6]

Jungang Market

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Daejeon Jungang Market (Korean: 대전 중앙시장), located nearDaejeon Station, was the largest traditional market in thecentral region. There are themed streets within the market, examples of which include Bookstore Street, Fish Market Street, Tableware Wholesale Street, Accessory Street, Home Interior Street, and Food Street.^[7]