Anyang 안양시
Specific city
Korean transcription(s)
• Hangul	안양시
• Hanja	安養市
• Revised Romanization	Anyang-si
• McCune–Reischauer	Anyang-si
Anyang city from Suri mountain.
Flag Emblem of Anyang
Location in South Korea
Country	South Korea
Region	Gyeonggi Province (Sudogwon)
First mention	415
City status	1967
Administrative divisions	2 gu (Manan Gu & Dongan Gu), 31 dong
Area
• Total	58.46 km2 (22.57 sq mi)
Elevation	47 m (154 ft)
Population  (31 October 2016)
• Total	595,644
• Density	10,188.92/km2 (26,389.2/sq mi)
• Dialect	Seoul
• Households	224,501
Postal code	13900 to 14199
Area code	(+82) 31
Website	anyang.go.kr

Anyang (Korean pronunciation: [a.njaŋ]) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population of approximately 600,000, it is the 20th largest city in South Korea. It is a satellite city of Seoul and located approximately 21 km (13 mi) south of Seoul, and 19 km (12 mi) north of Suwon. It is connected to Seoul via the Seoul Subway Line 1 and Line 4. The City motto of Anyang is "Livable city, Proud citizens". City symbols are a grape mascot named 'Podong-i', Forsythia (flower), Ginkgo (tree), and eagles.^[1]

Geography

Anyang is divided into two-halves for administrative purposes: the Manan district to the west and Dongan district to the east. The Manan district is an old and original downtown area centered on Anyang Station. It is dominated by a shopping area with outdoor markets, known as "ilbeonga" (first street). The Dongan district is a new, wealthy suburb of Pyeongchon. The tallest building in Anyang is the Acro Tower, which was completed in April 2007. It is a twin-tower office building in the Dongan district, across the street from Anyang City Hall. Anyang is a convenient transportation center between Seoul and other major cities across the country.

Anyang spans 58.46 square kilometres (22.57 sq mi). Forest and fields constitute 30.15 km² (11.64 sq mi), urban development constitutes 11.51 km² (4.44 sq mi), dry fields constitute 1.8 km² (0.69 sq mi), rice paddies constitutes 1.25 km² (0.48 sq mi), and other land use constitutes 13.76 km² (5.31 sq mi).^[2] Anyang is surrounded by mountains on all four sides. These mountains are Gwanak Mountain and Samsung Mountain to the north, Suri Mountain to the southwest, and Cheongye Mountain and Morak Mountain to the other sides. There are eight streams and rivers in Anyang, with a length of 34 kilometres (21 mi).

The main river is Anyang River (one of the four main tributaries of the Han River in Seoul), which is 32.2 km (20.0 mi) long. It has a basin area of 275 km² (106 sq mi), fed by 21 tributaries. The center of the overall elliptical basin topography is low and flat. The river runs through the center of Anyang city and is a common place for people to walk, jog, or ride bikes.^[3] The river flows through seven cities in Gyeonggi Province. This, however, has caused major issues with pollution. River banks are often covered with parking lots or athletic fields, combined with poor sewerage systems in the upper reaches of the river. As a result, the Anyang Stream Watershed Management Committee for Water Quality Improvement had been established to address some of these issues.^[3] Between 1974 and 1977, Samduck paper and Samyoung hardboard factories poured industrial waste into the Suam and Samseong Rivers (two of the tributaries of Anyang River), causing the rivers to become toxic. This pollution was serious, and local residents dug pools to collect the industrial waste, producing a large, damp paper slab at the base of the pools. Local elder women citizens cut out the paper slabs into blocks that were sold back to Samduck; the remaining residues from the drying process were kept and used as fire fuel by the residents during winter. The "owner of Samduck recently donated his factory ground to the city as a gesture of compensation to the citizens of Anyang".^[4] In November 2008, the site reopened as a city park.

Climate

Anyang has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dwa), but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) using the −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm. Anyang has very cold and dry in winter and hot and humid in summer. However, Anyang is cooler than Seoul in summer. The average annual temperature is 12.3 °C, while the average rainfall is 1,344 mm. Around two-thirds of Anyang's rainfall occurs during monsoon season between June and August.^[5]

History

The name Anyang originates from Anyang mall which was established by Wang Geon, the First Emperor of the Goryeo dynasty. In the fourth year of Hyōgong, king of Silla (900), Wang Geon, a general of Gung Ye, was passing through Samsung Mountain to quell the rebellion in the Gumju (Siheung) and Gwaju (Gwacheon) areas. During their travels, the troops met an old Buddhist priest named Neungjung, and while listening to the priest, Wang Geon had the idea of building a temple at the location. Anyang itself is a Buddhist term signifying a heavenly land where unimaginable joy and freedom overflow.^{[citation needed]}

As with most towns and cities in South Korea, Anyang has experienced tremendous urban growth during the past few decades. Anyang was severely battered by warfare during the Korean War.^[7] Ten years after it ended, the area's population was still largely rural and its landscape agricultural. It was well known for its grape growing. Anyang was given city status in 1973 and has grown to become the 15th most populated city in the country. It is also becoming a commuter city for many workers in Seoul because of its close proximity.^{[citation needed]}

Modern history

• 1963: A ferry sank near Seoul drowning 37 children and 12 adults, the majority of whom were school children from Anyang who were returning from a picnic.^[8]
• 1964: Three people were killed and 100 injured in an explosion of artillery duds in an Anyang workshop.
• 1973: Anyang is granted city status.
• 1977: A flood devastates the Seoul region killing 335, including 148 in Anyang and adjacent areas. Anyang Technical College opens.
• 1988: On March 25, 22 female workers died after a fire broke out at the Green Hill Textile Company.^{[9][10][11][12]}
• 1991: Police forced their way into Anyang Prison Hospital to retrieve the body of Labour Leader Park Chang-soo who they believed had committed suicide by leaping from a window. It took nine hours to get past the 1,500 protesters who were protecting the body in the belief that he had been murdered and that the police were trying to consist a cover-up.^[13]
• 1995: Former South Korean president Chun Doo-hwan was placed in Anyang Prison as he was to be indicted on charges stemming from a 1979 mutiny.^[14]
• 1997: Chun Doo-hwan is freed from Anyang Prison.
• 2001: Anyang City officials tell Komachi Japan they will not accept seventeen Komachi exchange students due to distorted content of Japanese text books on the Korean War.
• 2007: In September, 23 Korean hostages, held captive by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, are freed and upon their arrival are taken to Sam Anyang Hospital.^[15] Hye-jin Lee, 11, and her friend Ye-seul Woo, 8, went missing on Christmas Day in Anyang. Lee's body was found on a mountain in Suwon 77 days after the children went missing.^[16]
• 2013: The 12th Anyang Citizens Festival was held in Pyeongchon Central Park. This festival celebrated Anyang's 40th anniversary as a city.^[17]

Demographics

Like most cities in South Korea, the population is made up almost entirely of ethnic Koreans. In 2007, there were 624,197 South Koreans resident in Anyang (311,702 males and 312,495 females), and 6,491 non-South Koreans (3,148 males and 3,343 females). Non-South Koreans were Chinese (4,706), Vietnamese (315), Americans (283), Filipinos (168), Japanese (147), British (21), and others including Israelis (771).

Administration

Administrative divisions Anyang has 2 administrative wards:

• Manan-gu (made up of three areas) - households: 100,900
• Dongan-gu (made up of four areas) - households: 125,600

Subdivisions

The city is divided into 31 further subsidiary districts ('dong') subdivisions of cities and counties in South Korea.