Daejeon

Daejeon ( listen (help·info); Korean pronunciation: [tɛdʑʌn]) is located in the center of South Korea. It is the fifth largest city in South Korea, with a population of 1,442,856 at the end of 2005. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the city limits lies Daedeok Science Town, an area with more than 200 research institutions. The Daejeon area was historically known as Hanba... more

Daejeon ( listen (help·info); Korean pronunciation: [tɛdʑʌn]) is located in the center of South Korea. It is the fifth largest city in South Korea, with a population of 1,442,856 at the end of 2005. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the city limits lies Daedeok Science Town, an area with more than 200 research institutions. The Daejeon area was historically known as Hanbat (한밭), a native Korean term for "large field", during the Joseon Dynasty. The term "Daejeon" simply means the same thing in Hanja. Historically, Daejeon was a small village without many residents. However, in 1905, the Gyeongbu railway began operations from Seoul to Busan, opening a station at Daejeon. Soon after, in 1926, under rule of the Japanese government, the Honam railway was built between Daejeon and Mokpo, transforming the latter into a major transportation hub. Because of its geographical location and proximity to means of... less