Bundang-gu (Korean: 분당구) is the largest and most populous district (gu) of Seongnam, a major city in the Seoul Capital Area, South Korea. Bundang-gu is one of South Korea's wealthiest and highest developed areas, being the nation's first and largest completely artificial city built in the early 1990s. Many high-rise luxury condos moved in the early 2000s, with a second planned city built in the late 2000s called Pangyo in the same district. Apartment prices are the second highest in Gyeonggi-do after Gwacheon and 7th highest nationwide, higher than many central Seoul districts such as Mapo-gu or Jongno-gu.[2] Apartments around Pangyo station and the high-rise luxury condos around Jeongja station and Sunae station rival prices in the most expensive areas in the country. Unlike older cities such as Seoul, Bundang has no telephone poles overground, resulting in a clean cityscape with well-designed streets.
Bundang is home to many Koreans who lived overseas and the European-styled cafe streets serving brunch and pastas in Pangyo Avenue France, Baekhyeon-dong and Jeongja-dong reflect their culture. The city has a high percentage of parks and greenspace, most notably Bundang Central Park and Yuldong Park, which is built around the Bundang lake. Also, there is a jogging course with the 'Tan-cheon stream'. The Bundang's Seoul National University Hospital is among the largest in South Korea.
The name Bundang came from the central town of Bundang-dong. The name "Bundang" is a new composite prefabricated name in the 1914 Japanese occupation of the administrative area. However, it was discovered during an investigation undertaken while Bundang was being developed that the character for Dang did not correspond to the one used centuries ago. Soon after Korea was annexed by Japan, in fact, the traditional Chinese character used to write the Dang in Dangwu-ri had been altered. In another land reorganization conducted in 1906, soon after Itō Hirobumi had been appointed Resident General of Korea, the character was changed from 堂 to 唐. The new character means the Tang dynasty of China (pronounced dang, 당, in Korean), which in 688, assisted the kingdom of Silla to conquer the other two Korean kingdoms of Baekje and Goguryeo during the Three Kingdoms period. While this was the first unification of the peninsula, it was conducted through military conquest by a country conspiring with a foreign power. (There have been various opinions as to why the Japanese authorities made the decision to replace the character, none of which can be corroborated by historical evidence). Thus, the character for dang currently being used in Bundang today has a poor connotation, and there is debate among scholars and administrators as to whether it should revert to the pre-colonial character 堂, which means "hall" or "government office".
History
Before 1989
Since the Joseon dynasty, the land Bundang currently occupies was a part of Gwangju (then county); at the time, Seongnam only had Sujeong and Jungwongus. This largely agricultural area was nothing like the present day, dotted as it was with dozens of small villages. Before the early 1990s, Bundang was a large farmland of rice paddies.
After 1989
The local government announced on April 27, 1989, that it would undertake construction of a futuristic and environmentally conscious city with a population of 450,000 people. Sixteen dongs in the surrounding area were to be amalgamated into a single city. This would include nine dongs from Dolma-myeon: Bundang-dong, Sunae-dong, Seohyeon-dong, Jeongja-dong, Imae-dong, Yatap-dong, Dochon-dong, Yeosu-dong and Yul-dong; in addition to six dongs from Nakseng-myeon: Gumi-dong, Baekhyun-dong, Dongwon-dong, Geumgok-dong, Sampyeong-dong and Gungnae-dong; and one dong from Daewong-myeon: Sasong-dong (now Pangyo-dong). Bundang was adopted as this new district's popular name.
In the early 1990s, the Bundang area became a planned community as a response to alleviating the excessive demand for apartments in the similarly affluent, but much older Gangnam area. Before this period of expansion, however, there was mostly farmland in this area. There are still a few farms in the Bundang area, particularly in the Pangyo area. As the demand for more housing continues, Bundang is expected to continue expanding.
The primary site of construction was situated along a ten kilometer strip of the Gyeongbu Expressway, with the expectation that high quality homes would be built there. The government assigned the heavy responsibility of carrying out its construction plans to the Korea Land Corporation, a government-owned construction company that had carried out other large scale construction projects in the country. Throughout the development process there were mass demonstrations of local residents protesting the construction, petitions, and demands for countermeasures against the redevelopment project. Despite these numerous difficulties, through dialogue and compromise residents, construction was completed with little incident. Construction began on August 30, 1989, and was completed on December 31, 1996, at a cost of 4.16 trillion won.
Bundang is also the site of Korea International School, located in Baekhyun-dong with an American curriculum for the expatriate and English-proficient Korean community.
On the outskirts of Bundang there is an IB World School with a boarding program for foreign students called Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS). Given its relative affluence, many private language academies are located in Bundang.
Economy
As previously mentioned, Bundang has the reputation of being one of the richest parts of Gyeonggi Province. Bundang is home to Gyeonggi Province's only international banks, Citibank and HSBC.[citation needed] Their presence serves to further solidify Bundang's reputation as an upscale area. A total of 174 companies in Bundang employ 29,783 people.[4] This also includes several notable corporations, including the corporate headquarters of Korea Telecom, better known as KT and leading Korean internet portal Naver as well as SK C&C, a top IT services company. In addition, the state-owned Korea Land Corporation and Korea Gas Corporation both had their headquarters in Bundang.[citation needed]
Since then, Kogas has moved to Daegu, and Korea Land Corporation has moved to Jinju innovation city as part of the South Korean government decentralization drive, along with giant Kepco's move to Naju, south of Gwangju Metro.
Nowcom has its headquarters in Bundang,[5] as well as Plantynet Co., Ltd. and subsidiary A&G Modes.
Culture and tourism
There are some ancient relics, sights or buildings of note. There are, however, two pleasant parks which have been established for residents' pleasure. Bundang Central Park, east of the road between Seohyeon and Sunae stations, has a lake, fountain, and several old houses, while Yuldong Park, to the east, has a larger reservoir and a bungee jumping platform, 45 m high.
Residents can enjoy musical and theatrical performances as well as art exhibitions at the recently opened (October 2005) Seongnam Arts Center, which is located in Imae-dong. There are four public libraries in the Bundang area, the Seongnam Central Library in Yatap-dong (also has a swimming pool for the local resident), the Bundang Culture and Information Center in Jeongja-dong, Seongnam City Gumi Library [1] in Gumi-dong and Rainbow library in Gumi-dong. The Bundang Museum of Nature is located in Jeongja-dong. For Yatap-dong, not only the library but one of the Bus Terminal and a big shopping mall is located
Also, in Jeong-Ja Dong, there are many cafes and bakeries known as "Cafe Street".
There are several nightlife areas, most notably the streets around Seohyeon station, the quieter, more restaurant-oriented area around Sunae station, and the junction under which lies Migeum station. The nightlife areas of Bundang are more wholesome than those in the rest of Seongnam (infamous for love hotels and places of dubious nature and the red light district in Joong-dong).
Transit (commuter) buses are called Wide Area Lines in Seoul and with red color. Some buses operated by companies in Gyeonggi Province are in different colors (as in the picture below). Those buses are filled to capacity during rush hour.
Buses to Seoul are numbered in the 9000s and 9400s and serve most districts in Seoul.
Bus 1150 and 5500-1 also goes through Bundang and into Central Seoul area.
1005-1 Bus goes to Central Seoul, but goes through Gangnam area, Southern Seoul, first.
9407, 9414 and 9607 go to Samsung station area, and 1500-2 goes through Bundang to Nambu Bus Terminal and Sadang station.
New 8100s buses are more direct routes through Bundang to parts of Seoul. They do not stop at every station in Bundang and have select pickup stops.
Local Buses
There are many local buses and village buses, usually green or yellow in color. Some are blue colored. They connect smaller areas with each other in, or just outside, Bundang.
Inter-city buses
Bundang has an express bus terminal in Yatap-dong located near Yatap station with several bus routes throughout the Gyeonggi province as well as all of the Republic of Korea. There is also a bus service called the Airport Limousine with direct service to both Incheon International Airport and Gimpo Airport.
Subways
Bundang Line is a commuter subway line of the Korean National Railroad. It was first constructed for the commuters of Bundang which the name 'Bundang Line' came from. It serves southeastern Seoul and Seongnam. Originally opened in September 1994 between Suseo station and Ori station, it was extended from Suseo to Seolleung in September 2003. It stretched 18.5 km from Seolleung to Ori, but as of 2005, it stretches from Seolleung to Bojeong.
Shinbundang Line allows Bundang residents to commute to Gangnam station of Seoul in 15 min. The line was opened in October 2011 and connects with the Bundang Line at Jeongja station. Pangyo station is also on the line and it became a transfer station with the Yeoju Line. Migeum station will open with Shinbundang's Phase 2 in April 2018. The subway is operated automatically.
In Bundang, taxis are very common. There are available taxis in busy areas such as subway stations. There are two types of taxis: an "ordinary" (ilban; 일반) taxi and a "model" (mobeom; 모범) taxi, which is painted black and is bigger (in size) and much more expensive than the former ones.
Notable shopping malls include AK Plaza, previously Samsung Plaza, at Seohyeon station, Lotte Department Store at Sunae station, New Core, Home plus and Kim's Club at Yatap station, 2001 Outlet at Migeum station, Nonghyup Hanaro Mart, Homeplus at Ori station and Hyundai Department Store at Pangyo station. There are also big movie theaters at Ori, Seohyeon and Yatap stations. The CGV movie theatre inside Hyundai Department store at Pangyo station features a 4D theatre.
Administration
Administrative Division of Bundang
Bundang is divided into 21 dong (동, "neighborhoods"):
