View source for Gunpo

{{Short description|City in Gyeonggi, South Korea}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
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| name                    = Gunpo
| native_name = {{lang|ko|군포시}}
| translit_lang1          = Korean
| settlement_type         = [[Cities of South Korea|Municipal City]]
| translit_lang1_type1 = [[Hangul]]
| translit_lang1_info1 = {{lang|ko|군포시}}
| translit_lang1_type2 = [[Hanja]]
| translit_lang1_info2 = {{lang|ko|{{linktext|軍|浦|市}}}}
| translit_lang1_type3    = {{nowrap|Revised Romanization}}
| translit_lang1_info3    = Gunpo-si
| translit_lang1_type4    = {{nowrap|McCune–Reischauer}}
| translit_lang1_info4    = Kunp'o-si
| image_skyline           = Gunpo_montage.jpg
| image_alt               =
| image_caption           = Clockwise from top: City logo on a hillside near [[Surisan Station]], [[cherry blossom]]s in Geumjeong-dong, Banwol Reservoir, apartment complex in Bugok-dong, Royal Azaleas Hill, downtown [[Sanbon]].
| image_flag              = File:Flag of Gunpo.svg
| flag_alt                = Flag
| image_seal            =
| seal_alt                =
| image_shield            =
| shield_alt              =
| nickname                = Lucky Penny Shop
| motto                   = My Gunpo City
| anthem           = a Surprise for Gunpo?
| map_alt                =
| map_caption             = Location in South Korea
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| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = South Korea
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of Korea|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Gyeonggi Province]] ([[Seoul Capital Area|Sudogwon]])
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| seat                    =
| parts_type              = [[Administrative divisions of South Korea|Administrative divisions]]
| parts                   = 11 ''dong''<br /> 0 ''myeon''<br /> 0 ''eup''<ref name="Gunpo history 2">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/about/history/about_history_02.jsp|title=About Gunpo: History, page 2|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-05-01|archive-date=10 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610074230/http://english.gunpo21.net/about/history/about_history_02.jsp|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| image_blank_emblem      = O2 Gunpo.jpg
| blank_emblem_type       = Emblem of Gunpo
| government_footnotes    =
| leader_party            =
| leader_title            = Mayor
| leader_name             = Ha Eun-ho<br />({{Korean|hangul=하은호|labels=no}})
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gunpo.go.kr/www/contents.do?key=3944|title=Past Mayors/Vice Mayors |date=2024 |website=Gunpo City web site}}</ref>
| unit_pref               = Metric
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| area_footnotes          =
| area_urban_footnotes    = <!--<ref></ref> -->
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| area_total_km2          = 36.38
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| population_blank1_title = Dialect
| population_blank1       = [[Seoul dialect|Seoul]]
| population_total        = 257,498
| population_as_of        = September 2024<ref>{{cite web |url=https://jumin.mois.go.kr/|title=Population statistics |date=2024|website=Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety}}</ref>
| population_density_km2  = 7874.79
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| website                 = [http://english.gunpo21.net/index.jsp gunpo21.net]
| footnotes               =
}}
'''Gunpo''' ({{Korean|hangul=군포}}; {{IPA|ko|kun.pʰo}}), formerly [[Romanization of Korean|romanized]] as '''Kunp'o''', is a city in [[Gyeonggi Province]], South Korea. It is south of [[Seoul]] and in the [[Seoul National Capital Area]]. It borders [[Anyang, Gyeonggi|Anyang]] to the north, [[Uiwang]] to the east, and [[Ansan]] to the south and west, and is connected to its neighbors and to Seoul by lines [[Seoul Subway Line 1|1]] and [[Seoul Subway Line 4|4]] of the [[Seoul Metropolitan Subway]]. Gunpo is also home to three stops on the [[Gyeongbu Line]], a national railway that links it to the rest of the country. Although 73.2% of the city is greenspace, owing largely to [[Surisan]] and various smaller mountains, Gunpo is home to over 286,000 residents in several urban areas. The city's downtown core is [[Sanbon]] New Town, a commercial hub which centers on a pedestrian "street of culture" that Gunpo has designated as one of its eight scenic locations.
Gunpo was promoted from [[Eup (administrative division)|town]] to [[Administrative divisions of South Korea#Si .28City.29|city]] in 1989 due to the rapid urban and industrial growth of [[Seoul]], and large-scale housing projects were immediately begun. [[Hansei University]], a [[Christianity|Christian]] institute of post-secondary learning, is in the city, as are forty-four other public schools and a number of [[Hagwon|private academies]]. With eighty-three percent of its citizens holding public library memberships, Gunpo touts itself as a book-reading city, and it also promotes itself as being environmentally friendly and in harmony with nature.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} Its residents include [[Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Ladies' singles|2010 Olympic figure skating gold medalist]] [[Yuna Kim]], who grew up in Gunpo after moving there at the age of six. Sightseeing locations around the city include the Banwol reservoir and the Royal Azaleas Hill, and [[Surisan]] is a hiking destination.
==History==
===Early history===
During the [[Three Kingdoms of Korea|Three Kingdoms]] era of the [[Korean Peninsula]], the land that is now Gunpo was under the control of the [[Goguryeo]] dynasty, and it fell within Yulmok-[[Administrative divisions of South Korea#Gun .28County.29|gun]] (county) as of 475 CE. The area became Yuljin-gun under [[Unified Silla]] in the year 757, and in 940 it was renamed Gwaju-gun by the ruling [[Goryeo]] dynasty. The year 1413 saw the [[Joseon]] dynasty dub the area [[Gwacheon]]-[[hyeon]].<ref name="Gunpo history 1">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/about/history/about_history_01.jsp|title=About Gunpo: History|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-05-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708050512/http://english.gunpo21.net/about/history/about_history_01.jsp|archive-date=8 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
In May 1895, the area containing present-day Gunpo became known as Nam-[[Myeon (administrative division)|myeon]], a division of Gwacheon-gun, but on 1 March 1914, a revision deemed that Nam-myeon now fell within [[Siheung County|Siheung-gun]]. Throughout the remainder of [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japan's annexation of Korea]] and the first several decades of South Korea, no changes were made to the designation of Nam-myeon or to its administrative districts, but a [[President of South Korea|presidential]] decree had the area promoted on 1 May 1979, to Gunpo-[[Eup (administrative division)|eup]] (town), which yet remained within Siheung-gun.<ref name="Gunpo history 1" />
[[Gunpo Station]], a railway stop on South Korea's nation-spanning [[Gyeongbu Line]], was first opened in 1905, and it was joined by nearby [[Geumjeong Station]] in 1988. Geumjeong's opening also saw [[Seoul Metropolitan Subway|Seoul Subway]] Lines [[Seoul Subway Line 1|1]] and [[Seoul Subway Line 4|4]] expand into the town—both Geumjeong and Gunpo Stations serve as metro stops on Seoul Subway Line 1, and Geumjeong is also a transfer station to Line 4.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
===Promotion to city===
[[File:Sanbonfountain.jpg|thumb|left|175px|Sanbon New Town's fountain on a summer night]]
In 1989,<ref name="Gunpo history 1" /> the rapid industrial growth and urbanization of [[Seoul]] prompted the construction of five new cities in the [[Seoul Capital Area]]: Gunpo, [[Anyang, Gyeonggi|Anyang]], [[Seongnam]], [[Bucheon]], and [[Goyang]].<ref name="Gunpo introduction">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/about/introduction/about_introduction_01.jsp|title=About Gunpo: Introduction|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-05-15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509233607/http://english.gunpo21.net/about/introduction/about_introduction_01.jsp|archive-date=9 May 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The move was based on a national law which was intended to promote efficient regional management in the face of an increasing demand for administration. Siheung-gun was thus disbanded, and Gunpo-eup was promoted to Gunpo-[[Administrative divisions of South Korea#Si .28City.29|si]] (city).<ref name="Gunpo history 1" /> Five legal [[Dong (administrative division)|dongs]] (neighbourhoods) fell under Gunpo's jurisdiction, although some were further sub-divided into numerous administrative dongs—for example, Sanbon-dong was split into Sanbon 1-dong and Sanbon 2-dong.<ref name="Gunpo history 2" /> At 20.70&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, Gunpo maintained the smallest area of any city in South Korea.<ref name="Gunpo introduction" />
A large-scale housing complex zone was established in February 1989 when Gunpo City designated the entirety of Sanbon-dong, Geumjeong-dong, and Dang-dong as an anticipated residential land district.<ref name="Gunpo introduction" /> In December 1992, Gunpo City Hall relocated from Dang-dong to Geumjong-dong,<ref name="Gunpo history 2" /> and [[Sanbon Station]], on Seoul Subway Line 4, was also opened in 1992.
By 1994, there were ten administrative dongs in Gunpo but only five legal dongs.<ref name="Gunpo history 2" /> However, on 24 December of that year,<ref name="Gunpo introduction" /> four [[Ri (administrative division)|ris]] (villages) from neighbouring Banwol-myeon and Hwaseong-gun were incorporated into Gunpo due to the partial adjustment of administrative districts,<ref name="Gunpo history 2" /> and Gunpo's area grew to 36.38&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="Gunpo introduction" /> The city currently has nine legal dongs, or eleven administrative ones.<ref name="Gunpo history 2" /> The acquisition of Daeyami-ri from Banwol-myeon brought [[Daeyami Station]], on Seoul Subway Line 4, into Gunpo's city limits.
The development of [[Sanbon]] New Town was completed in 1995, and the area grew to become Gunpo's central hub.<ref name="Gunpo introduction" /> Sanbon's layout was devised by Kim Jinae, a famed Korean architect who also designed Seoul's [[Insa-dong]]<ref name="Kim Jinae">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jejunews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=571806|script-title=ko:김진애 건축가 겸 국회의원 제주대문화광장 특강|access-date=2014-09-26|work=Jeju News|date=13 April 2010|author=조정현|language=ko}}</ref> and who was named one of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''{{'s}} 100 leaders of the 21st century.<ref name="Kim Jinae" /><ref name="Kim Jinae 2">{{Cite web|url=http://kifaonline.com/modules/contents/ct_view.html?id=history_en&p=1&no=2&PHPSESSID=94b8969a043d1d360ca382cad845b7eb|title=History: 1990 - 1995|website=KIFA: Korean Institute of Female Architects|access-date=2014-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713092402/http://kifaonline.com/modules/contents/ct_view.html?id=history_en&p=1&no=2&PHPSESSID=94b8969a043d1d360ca382cad845b7eb|archive-date=13 July 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the year 2000, the new [[Revised Romanization of Korean]] formally changed the city's romanized name from Kunp'o to Gunpo.<ref name="Revised Romanization">{{Cite web|url=http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=A020303|title=Ministry of Culture & Tourism: ''The Revised Romanization of Korean''|access-date=2014-07-10|work=The National Institute of the Korean Language|date=July 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070916025652/http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=A020303|archive-date=2007-09-16}}</ref> 2003 brought the opening of [[Surisan Station]] between Daeyami and Sanbon, and in 2010, [[Dangjeong Station]] was opened on both Line 1 and the Gyeongbu Line, bringing the total number of metro stations in the city to six.
==Geography==
Gunpo is located in South Korea's [[Gyeonggi Province]], south of [[Seoul]] in the Seoul National Capital Area. It is nestled in between three other cities, bordering [[Anyang, Gyeonggi|Anyang]] to the north, [[Uiwang]] to the east, and [[Ansan]] to the south and the west. At 36.38&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, Gunpo makes up 0.36% of the province's total area. As of 1 January 2004, 17.8% of the city was residential area, 1.8% commercial, 7.2% industrial, and 73.2% greenspace.<ref name="Gunpo overview">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/about/overview/about_overview_01.jsp|title=About Gunpo: Overview|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-05-15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708141637/http://english.gunpo21.net/about/overview/about_overview_01.jsp|archive-date=8 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
[[File:Daeyadong.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Urban and rural lifestyles combine in the heart of Daeya-dong.]]
Gunpo is divided into nine legal dongs (neighborhoods).<ref name="Gunpo history 2" /> Four of those dongs—Sanbon-dong, Geumjeong-dong, Dang-dong, and Dangjeong-dong—are heavily urbanized residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Located in the northern end of Gunpo, they are serviced by Seoul Subway Lines 1 and 4. In the south of the city, Bugok-dong, Daeya-dong, and Domagyo-dong are largely rural, although Bugok-dong has seen recent urban development and Domagyo-dong has been earmarked for a development project of its own. Daeya-dong also contains a small urban area, which is serviced by Daeyami Station. On Gunpo's west side, Dundae-dong and Sokdal-dong contain large parts of the [[Surisan]] mountain and are mostly mountainous, with farmland comprising the majority of their valley areas. Surisan also extends into western Sanbon-dong.
Gunpo can alternatively be split into its eleven administrative dongs.<ref name="Gunpo history 2" /> Under this system, Sanbon 1-dong, Sanbon 2-dong, Gwangjeong-dong, Gungnae-dong, and Suri-dong replace the legal neighborhood of Sanbon-dong, while Geumjong-dong, Ogeum-dong, and Jaegung-dong fall within the borders of the legal Geumjeong-dong. The administrative neighborhoods of Gunpo 1-dong and Gunpo-2 dong replace the legal Dang-, Dangjeong-, and Bugok-dongs, while the administrative Daeya-dong covers the entirety of four legal dongs: Daeya-, Dundae-, Sokdal-, and Domagyo-dongs.
Gunpo falls at 126 degrees east [[longitude]] and thirty-seven degrees north [[latitude]]. A short distance from the [[Yellow Sea]], it takes on certain features of an oceanic climate. Gunpo receives 1,284&nbsp;mm of precipitation annually and has average January and August temperatures of −3.2 and 26&nbsp;°C, respectively.<ref name="Gunpo introduction" />
===Climate===
Gunpo has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dwa''), but can be considered a borderline [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cwa'') using the {{convert|-3|C}} isotherm.
{{Weather box
| location = Gunpo (2004–2020 normals)
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan high C = 2.9
| Feb high C = 5.7
| Mar high C = 11.4
| Apr high C = 17.8
| May high C = 24.0
| Jun high C = 27.9
| Jul high C = 29.2
| Aug high C = 30.6
| Sep high C = 26.3
| Oct high C = 20.5
| Nov high C = 12.5
| Dec high C = 4.5
| year high C = 17.8
| Jan mean C = -1.1
| Feb mean C = 1.4
| Mar mean C = 6.5
| Apr mean C = 12.6
| May mean C = 18.5
| Jun mean C = 23.0
| Jul mean C = 25.4
| Aug mean C = 26.5
| Sep mean C = 21.9
| Oct mean C = 15.7
| Nov mean C = 8.4
| Dec mean C = 0.6
| year mean C = 13.3
| Jan low C = -4.5
| Feb low C = -2.3
| Mar low C = 2.4
| Apr low C = 8.1
| May low C = 13.8
| Jun low C = 19.0
| Jul low C = 22.5
| Aug low C = 23.5
| Sep low C = 18.4
| Oct low C = 11.7
| Nov low C = 4.7
| Dec low C = -2.9
| year low C = 9.5
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 14.6
| Feb precipitation mm = 28.8
| Mar precipitation mm = 41.6
| Apr precipitation mm = 70.9
| May precipitation mm = 94.2
| Jun precipitation mm = 115.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 426.2
| Aug precipitation mm = 260.5
| Sep precipitation mm = 140.5
| Oct precipitation mm = 49.9
| Nov precipitation mm = 60.6
| Dec precipitation mm = 24.6
| year precipitation mm = 1327.6
| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 3.6
| Feb precipitation days = 3.6
| Mar precipitation days = 5.6
| Apr precipitation days = 7.6
| May precipitation days = 7.4
| Jun precipitation days = 8.1
| Jul precipitation days = 14.1
| Aug precipitation days = 11.9
| Sep precipitation days = 8.1
| Oct precipitation days = 4.7
| Nov precipitation days = 7.4
| Dec precipitation days = 6.2
| source = [[Korea Meteorological Administration]]<ref name= KMA>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220129211110/https://data.kma.go.kr/resources/normals/pdf_data/korea_pdf_0106_v2.pdf
| archive-date = 29 January 2022
| url = https://data.kma.go.kr/resources/normals/pdf_data/korea_pdf_0106_v2.pdf
| title = Climatological Normals of Korea (1991 ~ 2020)
| publisher = Korea Meteorological Administration
| access-date = 7 June 2023
| language = ko}}</ref>
}}
==Culture and sightseeing==
===Local culture===
Represented by the slogan "With book," Gunpo promotes itself as a book-reading city. In the first quarter of 2014, seven of the city's public libraries cooperated to report that 237,902 of Gunpo's 286,485 citizens (approximately eighty-three percent) held library memberships.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} Bookcases stocked with children's storybooks can be found throughout the city's urban areas. Kim Yoon Joo, Gunpo's mayor, has expressed his desire to promote the city for its reading culture and for its [[azalea]]s.<ref name="reading and azaleas">{{Cite web|url=http://www.anewsa.com/detail.php?number=653025&thread=01r01|script-title=ko:(김윤주 군포시장) 책 읽는 도시 군포시장입니다|access-date=2014-06-08|work=Asia News Agency|date=1 May 2014 <!-- 17:08 --> |author=Jo Hyeon Cheol|language=ko}}</ref> Through its city logo and mascot, Gunpo also touts itself as a clean, creative, and environmental city in harmony with nature.<ref name="Gunpo symbols">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/about/symbols/about_symbols_01.jsp|title=About Gunpo: Symbol|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-06-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608070740/http://english.gunpo21.net/about/symbols/about_symbols_01.jsp|archive-date=8 June 2022|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
The central hub of Gunpo is [[Sanbon]] New Town,<ref name="Gunpo introduction" /> located near the base of [[Surisan]]. Immediately adjacent to Sanbon Station, the pedestrian "street of culture"—also known as Rodeo Street<ref name="Rodeo Street Reading Festival">{{Cite web|url=http://news1.kr/articles/?1870612|script-title=ko:'대한민국 독서대전' 26~28일 군포서 열린다|access-date=2014-09-26|work=News1 Korea|date=23 September 2014 <!-- 14:07 --> |author=이동희|language=ko}}</ref>—is a bustling commercial district full of restaurants, bars, clothing boutiques, [[Karaoke|noraebangs]], and other typical fixtures of a Korean city.<ref name="Gunpo culture spots">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/spots/culture_spots_01.jsp|title=Culture and Tourism: 8 Famous Scenic Spots|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-06-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106005706/http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/spots/culture_spots_01.jsp|archive-date=6 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="A View from Korea">{{Cite web|url=http://aviewfromkorea.blogspot.kr/2007/09/downtown-sanbon-shopping-at-emart.html|title=Downtown Sanbon & Shopping at EMart|access-date=2014-06-08|work=A View from Korea|publisher=Blogspot|author=Jon and Krista|date=23 September 2007 <!-- 16:28 --> }}</ref> Sanbon is home to a large population of foreign English teachers, many of whom are employed by Gunpo City Hall. Known to Koreans and expats alike until its 2015 closure was the "Pirate bar," where beer was served in an ice glass that could be thrown at a target in an attempt to win a prize. Jon Ewart cried when the bar closed.<ref name="Pirate Bar 1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.onourownpath.com/korea-republic-of/a-smashing-good-time-at-the-king-of-pirates/318/post|title=A Smashing Good Time at the King of Pirates|access-date=2014-06-08|work=On Our Own Path: Notes from Our Global Life|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714234310/http://www.onourownpath.com/korea-republic-of/a-smashing-good-time-at-the-king-of-pirates/318/post|archive-date=14 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Pirate Bar 2">{{Cite web|url=http://sbondetravels.blogspot.kr/2013/08/king-of-pirates-hello-kitty-cafe.html|title=King of Pirates & Hello Kitty Cafe |access-date=2014-06-08|work=Stephanie's Travels|publisher=Blogspot|author=SBonde|date=3 August 2013 <!-- 3:16 --> }}</ref>
In the middle of Rodeo Street is a large fountain,<ref name="fountain">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/street/culture_street_01.jsp|title=Street of Culture|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-07-10|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140711102007/http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/street/culture_street_01.jsp|archive-date=11 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> nearby which a stage is often erected to host small concerts and other performances on weekends and during festivals. Beyond Rodeo Street, a larger downtown area stretches from Sanbon Station to Geumjeong Station and includes such locations as Sanbon Market and the Cherevil apartment towers. It is bordered to the east by the [[Anyangcheon]] (Anyang stream), a tributary of the [[Han River (Korea)|Han River]]. In 2005, a city-funded water purification project resulted in several species of fish and birds returning to the stream.<ref name="Anyangcheon cleanup">{{Cite web|url=http://www.apec-vc.or.kr/?p_name=newsroom&gotopage=125&query=view&unique_num=2048 |title=Visible Achievement for River Water Quality Improvement |access-date=2014-06-30 |work=Korea Environmental Technology Exchange |date=12 October 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714203919/http://www.apec-vc.or.kr/?p_name=newsroom&gotopage=125&query=view&unique_num=2048 |archive-date=14 July 2014 }}</ref>
===Tourism===
[[File:Royalazaleashill.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Royal Azaleas Hill in full bloom]]
The night scene of Sanbon's Rodeo Street has been designated by Gunpo as one of its eight famous scenic spots. Also among the eight are Taeeulbong Peak, a 489-meter peak of Surisan; and Surisa Temple, a traditional [[Jogye Order|Jogye Buddhist]] temple also located on Surisan. Destroyed several times throughout its history, Surisa was most recently rebuilt in 1955, and was designated as Korea's eighty-sixth traditional temple in 1988. Bambawi, also known as the chestnut rock, is a low-ridged mountain close to Sanbon New Town and another of the scenic locations.<ref name="Gunpo culture spots" />
Gunpo is home to two small lakes: the Galchi reservoir, located a short walk from Daeyami Station, and the Banwol reservoir, accessible on foot from Ansan's [[Banwol Station]]. The sunset over the latter is another of Gunpo's eight famous scenic locations. Rounding out the list are the Dang Forest of the Deokgogae hill, near Daeyami, which won the grand prize at Korea's third National Beautiful Forest Contest; the [[cherry blossom]] path of Gunpo, which decorates an area near Geumjeong Station every spring; and the Royal Azaleas Hill, which annually blooms with 90,000 purple azaleas not long after cherry blossom season.<ref name="Gunpo culture spots" />
Other sightseeing locations in Gunpo include the Nuri Astronomical observatory, located in Daeya-dong's public library,<ref name="Observatory">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/observatory/culture_observatory_01.jsp|title=Nuri Astronomical observatory|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-06-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106005649/http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/observatory/culture_observatory_01.jsp|archive-date=6 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> several Buddhist temples,<ref name="Temples">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/temples/culture_temples_01.jsp|title=Temples|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-06-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105232110/http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/temples/culture_temples_01.jsp|archive-date=5 November 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and the Anyang Benest Club, a private eighteen-hole golf course in Bugok-dong open only to members of the Anyang Country Club.<ref name="Golf Course">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/others/culture_others_01.jsp|title=Reservoirs/Others|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-06-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710005749/http://english.gunpo21.net/culture/others/culture_others_01.jsp|archive-date=10 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Hiking Surisan is also a common activity among Gunpo's residents. A number of festivals are held in the city throughout the year, including a Citizen's Day Festival and a Royal Azaleas Festival.<ref name="Festivals">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/about/events/about_events_01.jsp|title=Festivals and Events|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-06-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140702050519/http://english.gunpo21.net/about/events/about_events_01.jsp|archive-date=2 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2014, Sanbon's Rodeo Street hosted a Multicultural Food Festival in May<ref name="Food Festival">{{Cite web|url=http://www.anewsa.com/detail.php?number=712028&thread=09r02|script-title=ko:군포시, 다문화 음식축제 시민들의 뜨거운 관심속 성료|access-date=2014-09-26|work=Asia News Agency|date=17 September 2014 <!--17:31-->|author=조현철|language=ko}}</ref> and the Korean Reading Festival in September.<ref name="Rodeo Street Reading Festival" />
==Education==
Gunpo is home to forty-five public schools: twenty-five elementary, twelve middle, seven high, and one university.<ref name="Gunpo overview" /> The latter is [[Hansei University]], a Christian college that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields of study,<ref name="About Hansei">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hansei.ac.kr/global/en/sub01_01.html|title=About Hansei|website=Hansei University|access-date=2014-07-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706090727/http://www.hansei.ac.kr/global/en/sub01_01.html|archive-date=6 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> including a [[Korean language]] institute for foreign students both in Korea and abroad.<ref name="Hansei language institute">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hansei.ac.kr/global/en/sub05_02.html|title=Hansei Korean Language Institute|website=Hansei University|access-date=2014-07-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222020144/http://www.hansei.ac.kr/global/en/sub05_02.html|archive-date=22 February 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Founded in 1953 as the Full Gospel Theological College, the school later changed its name and was accredited as a university in 1993.<ref name="Hansei History">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hansei.ac.kr/global/en/sub01_04.html|title=About Hansei: History|website=Hansei University|access-date=2014-07-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327034736/http://www.hansei.ac.kr/global/en/sub01_04.html|archive-date=27 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Transportation==
The [[Gyeongbu Line]], a major South Korean railway line, runs through Gunpo, making stops at [[Geumjeong station|Geumjeong]], [[Gunpo station|Gunpo]], and [[Dangjeong station]]s, all three of which are also stops on [[Seoul Subway Line 1]]. Dangjeong Station services Hansei University and its surrounding downtown. Citizens of Bugok-dong's primary residential and commercial area can easily access [[Uiwang station]]—one stop south of Dangjeong, the station falls within Uiwang's city limits but straddles the Gunpo/Uiwang border. It is similarly a stop on both Seoul Subway Line 1 and the Gyeongbu Line.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}
Geumjeong Station is also a transfer station to [[Seoul Subway Line 4]]. Southwest of it on Line 4 is [[Sanbon station]], which provides access to Sanbon New Town, as well as [[Surisan station|Surisan]] and [[Daeyami Station]]s. On Line 4, a passenger can ride southwest into [[Ansan]] and [[Siheung]] before [[Suin Line|transferring]] to a train for [[Incheon]], or northeast into [[Anyang]], [[Gwacheon]], and [[Seoul]]. Line 1 runs north into Anyang, Seoul, and several cities north of Seoul, or south into Uiwang, [[Suwon]], and beyond.
Two major highways run east–west through Gunpo: the Seouloegwaksunhwan Expressway in the north, and the [[Yeongdong Expressway]] in the south. A number of local buses run frequently in Gunpo, some of which provide rapid service to other cities or to the [[Incheon International Airport]]. Buses and the Seoul Subway can both be ridden using Korea's [[T-money]] metro card. Although there is no inter-city passenger bus terminal in Gunpo, both the Ansan Bus Terminal and the Anyang Bus Terminal are a short distance away. Bugok-dong does house a cargo bus terminal, but local residents banded together in 2003 to oppose its expansion, complaining of the traffic congestion and the air and noise pollution that it produced.<ref name="Cargo terminal">{{Cite web|url=http://gunpo.newsk.kr/bbs/bbs.asp?exe=view&group_name=332&section=1&category=0&idx_num=514&page=748&search_category=&search_word=&order_c=bd_idx_num&order_da=desc|script-title=ko:부곡화물터미널 확장 반대여론 거세|access-date=2014-07-08|work=군포신문|author=이영호|date=21 October 2003 <!-- 17:35 --> |language=ko}}</ref>
[[File:Kim 2009 TEB SP.jpg|thumb|right|215x215px|Figure skater [[Yuna Kim]] grew up in Gunpo.]]
==Notable people==
Gunpo's most famous resident is Yuna Kim, a [[Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Ladies' singles|2010 Olympic champion]]<ref name="Yuna bio">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ifsmagazine.com/skaters/90-yuna-kim|title=Yuna Kim|website=International Figure Skating Magazine|access-date=2014-07-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714153014/http://www.ifsmagazine.com/skaters/90-yuna-kim|archive-date=14 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and [[Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics – Ladies' singles|2014 Olympic silver medalist]] in Ladies' singles [[figure skating]].<ref name="silver medal">{{Cite web|url=http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/20/yuna-kim-announces-retirement-after-sochi-silver/|title=Yuna Kim announces retirement after Sochi silver|access-date=2014-07-08|work=NBC Olympic Talk|author=Chris Estrada|date=20 February 2014 <!-- 19:00 EDT --> }}</ref> Born in [[Bucheon]] in 1990, Kim moved to Gunpo when she was six years old<ref name="Yuna bio" /> and later attended Suri High School.<ref name="Suri High School">{{Cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/05/08/2012050801348.html|title=Kim Yu-na Starts High School Teaching Assignment|access-date=2014-07-08|work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|date=8 May 2012 <!-- 13:07 KST --> }}</ref> Widely regarded by Koreans as a hero and a national treasure,<ref name="Korean hero 1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/wmaq/photos/12-things-inside-world-yuna-kim|title=12 things: Inside the world of Yuna Kim|access-date=2014-07-08|work=NBC Olympics|date=5 December 2013 <!-- 4:15 PM EST --> }}</ref><ref name="Korean hero 2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-feb-27-la-fg-korea-winning27-2010feb27-story.html|title=Kim Yu-na's skating triumph stirs Korean nationalist fervor|access-date=2014-07-08|work=Los Angeles Times|author=John M. Glionna and Yuriko Nagano|date=27 February 2010}}</ref><ref name="Korean hero 3">{{Cite web|url=https://ph.celebrity.yahoo.com/news/koreans-send-the-biggest-support-to-their-hero-021757093.html|title=Koreans Send the Biggest Support to Their Hero Yuna Kim|access-date=2014-07-08|work=Yahoo News|date=19 February 2014 <!-- 10:17 AM PHT --> }}</ref> Kim was also cited as a hero by many of the younger figure skaters at the [[2014 Winter Olympics]]<ref name="Skater hero">{{Cite web|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/02/21/2014022102103.html|title=Kim Yu-na Is a Hero to Fellow Skaters|access-date=2014-07-08|work=[[The Chosun Ilbo]]|date=21 February 2014 <!-- 12:59 KST --> }}</ref> and was named the 2010 sportswoman of the year by the [[Women's Sports Foundation]].<ref name="Yuna bio" />
Kim's agency, All That Sports, formally asked Gunpo to halt the development of a "Kim Yuna Street" in 2011, and in 2012 distanced the skater from a controversial statue of her that the city was attempting to erect without her knowledge. The agency stated that she reserved a special place in her heart for Gunpo, "a place where Kim grew up and nurtured her dream of becoming a figure skater," but it regretted allegations of corruption that had been leveled by a civic group at the statue's design company.<ref name="Yuna statue">{{Cite web |date=27 September 2012 <!-- 15:20 KST --> |title=Figure skater Kim Yu-na not tied to controversial statue: agency |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2012/09/136_121014.html |access-date=2014-07-08 |work=[[The Korea Times]]}}
Canadian author, entrepreneur and cultural icon David O'Flaherty has been a resident of Gunpo for 2 decades. Recently David has been working closely with industry group to popularize alcoholic [[cider]] in South Korea, notably through the craft company he represents, [[DMZ Orchards]].</ref>
Gunpo is also the birthplace of [[Jisoo|Kim Jisoo]], a member of the K-Pop girl group [[Blackpink]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jisoo Kim |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4111621/bio |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=IMDb |language=en}}</ref>
==Technology==
[[Intertek]], a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, officially opened its new office in Gunpo, South Korea on 18 May 2016.<ref name="Intertek Korea Gunpo Office">{{Cite web|url=http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/59911/intertek-opens-new-state-art-facilities-gunpo|title=Intertek Opens New State-of-art facilities in Gunpo, South Korea|access-date=2016-05-19|work=[[The Korea IT Times]]|date=19 May 2016 <!-- 10:00AM KST --> }}</ref> Mr. Kim Yoon-joo, Mayor of Gunpo, together with some 150 guests from Korea companies, attended the grand opening ceremony, marking an important milestone for Intertek Korea.
The new Intertek office in Gunpo spans five operational floors at the Intertek Building, offering a new, state-of-the-art 10-m electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) chamber with additional chambers for safety and EMC testing of electrical and wireless products. These new facilities strengthen Intertek's leading position as a quality assurance provider in Korea delivering the full range of testing capabilities for both EU and US markets, covering safety, energy efficiency, chemical, EMC, and radio frequency  testing.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
==Twin towns – sister cities==
===Sister cities (domestic)===
*[[Yecheon County]], [[North Gyeongsang Province]] <small>(1998)</small><ref name="sister cities">{{Cite web|url=http://english.gunpo21.net/about/relation/about_relation_01.jsp|title=Sister Cities & Friendly Relationship Cities|website=Gunpo City|access-date=2014-07-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711203118/http://english.gunpo21.net/about/relation/about_relation_01.jsp|archive-date=11 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Changnyeong County]], [[South Gyeongsang]] <small>(2022)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*[[Muan County]], [[South Jeolla Province]] <small>(1998)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*[[Yangyang County]], [[Gangwon Province, South Korea|Gangwon Province]] <small>(1999)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*[[Buyeo County]], [[South Chungcheong Province]] <small>(1999)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*[[Cheongyang County]], South Chungcheong Province <small>(2003)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
===Sister cities (international)===
*{{flagdeco|CAN}} [[Belleville, Ontario]], Canada <small>(1997)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*{{flagdeco|US}} [[Clarksville, Tennessee]], United States <small>(1999)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*{{flagdeco|US}} [[Grant County, Washington]], United States <small>(2003)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*{{flagdeco|JPN}} [[Atsugi, Kanagawa]], Japan <small>(2005)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
*{{flagdeco|PRC}} [[Linyi]], [[Shandong]], China <small>(2012)</small><ref name="sister cities" />
==See also==
{{Portal|South Korea}}
* [[List of cities in South Korea]]
* [[Geography of South Korea]]
* [[Sanbon]]
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
*[http://english.gunpo21.net/index.jsp City government website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106022646/http://english.gunpo21.net/index.jsp |date=6 November 2013 }} {{in lang|en}}
*[http://withbook.gunpo21.net/index.jsp City library website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531110410/http://withbook.gunpo21.net/index.jsp |date=31 May 2022 }} {{in lang|ko}}
*[http://www.gunpocouncil.or.kr/index.html Gunpo City Council website] {{in lang|ko}}
{{Neighborhoods of Gunpo}}
{{Gyeonggi}}
{{Metropolitan cities of South Korea}}
{{Most populous cities in South Korea}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|37|21|N|126|57|E|region:KR-41_type:city|display=title}}
[[Category:Gunpo| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Gyeonggi Province]]