Namyangju (Korean: 남양주; Korean pronunciation:[na.mjaŋ.dʑu]) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri, and to the north is Pocheon. Namyangju was originally a southern part of Yangju-gun, but was separated into Namyangju-gun in April 1980. In 1995, Migeum-si and Namyangju-gun were merged to form an urban and rural complex. The city hall is located in Geumgok-dong and Dasan-dong, and the administrative districts are 6-eup, 3-myeon, and 7-dong.
History
Namyangju historical character: Jeong Yak-yong, also Jeong Yag-yong or Dasan[茶山] (1762–1836), was a leading Korean Confucian philosopher during the Joseon Dynasty. He is widely regarded as the greatest of the Silhak thinkers, who advocated that the formalist Neo-Confucian philosophy of Joseon return to practical concerns. Jeong Yag-yong and his brothers were also among the earliest Korean converts to Roman Catholicism. Jeong was born, and also ended his days, in modern-day Namyangju, Gyeonggi province
1980 April 1 Namyangju County was made with Guri-eup, Migeum-eup, Jinjeob-myeon, Jingeon-myeon, Hwado-myeon, Sudong-myeon, Wabu-myeon, and Byeolnae-myeon (2 eup, 6 myeon)
1980 December 1 Wabu-myeon became Wabu-eup (3 eup, 5 myeon)
1983 February 15 Jingeon-myeon Yangji-ri, Onam-ri, Palheon-ri were absorbed by Jinjeob-myeon
1986 January 1 Guri-eup became the city Guri (2 eup, 5 myeon)
1986 April 1 Wabu-eup Joan branch office became Joan-myeon (2 eup, 6 myeon)
1989 January 1 Migeum-eup became Miguem City (1 eup, 6 myeon)
1989 April 1 Jinjeob-myeon became Jinjeob-eup (2 eup, 5 myeon)
1989 April 1 Toegyewon branch office became Toegyewon-myeon (2 eup, 6 myeon)
1991 December 1 Hwado-myeon became Hwado-eup (3 eup, 5 myeon)
1992 April 1 In Jinjeob-eup, Onam branch office opened.
1995 January 1 Migeum City and Namyangju County were merged. (3 eup, 5 myeon, 6 dong)
1995 May 6 Onam branch office became Onam-myeon (3 eup, 6 myeon, 6 dong)
2001 September 12 Jingeon-myeon became Jingeon-eup (4 eup, 5 myeon, 6 dong)
2001 September 12 Onam-myeon became Onam-eup (5 eup, 4 myeon, 6 dong)
2005 June 1 In Byeolnae-myeon, Cheonghak branch office opened.
2006 January 20 Pungyang branch office opened; It has jurisdiction over Onam-eup, Jinjeob-eup, Toegyewon-myeon, Byeolnae-myeon
2006 November 20 In Hwado-eup, Dongbu branch office opened.
2008 October 7 The population reached 500,000 (the 13th city in South Korea to do so).
2009 December 14 Cheonghak branch office closed.
2011 September Namyangju Organic Museum opened, world's first museum of organic agriculture.[3]
Namyangju is rapidly developing a reputation as a regional centre of excellence for organic farming. The Namyangju Organic Museum, the world's first museum dedicated to the history and development of organic agriculture, opened in September 2011. It is located west of Seoul and on the shores of the River Han. The museum caters for young and old, it includes a timeline of organic farming developments, and there are exhibits of traditional Korean farming practices tied to the 24 seasonal divisions of the year. The museum's opening coincided with Namyangju hosting the 17th IFOAM Organic World Congress.[3]
Products
Sweet pears grown in Namyangju are exported to the United States, Japan, and Canada. Organic vegetables are cultivated with ecofriendly methods.
Gorosoei is a special product made in the Namyangju area. It is medicinal water which has abundant minerals.
The term "Gorosoei" comes from "Gollisu" meaning "water for bones." The sap is extracted at Sudong-Myeon, Mountain Jugeum in Mount Chungnyeong Natural Recreation Forest, Mount Cheonma in Palhyeon and Onam township.[7]
