Yeosu (Korean: 여수; Korean pronunciation:[jʌ.sʰu]), formerly romanized as Yosu, is the second largest city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. In 1998, the Old Yeosu City, Yeocheon City and Yeocheon County were merged and the current city, Yeosu, was formed.
Characteristics
View of Yeosu
The city of Yeosu consists of the Yeosu peninsula as well as 365 islands[1] (48 inhabited, 317 uninhabited). Being midway along the southern coast of South Korea, it is flanked by Namhae County in South Gyeongsang Province to the east with a natural waterway, and the Bay of Suncheon to the west and northwest, the city of Suncheon sprawling along its banks. On 1 April 1998, the cities of Yeosu and Yeocheon, along with Yeocheon County merged to form the unified city of Yeosu.
It has a number of islands in its jurisdiction, including the uninhabited Janggundo,[2]Dolsando,[3] and the park island Jangdo.[4]
Wonchon-hyeon/Dolsan-hyeon was the name given to Yeosu in the 16th year of King Seong (538 AD) who was the king of Baekje Kingdom. The name changed to Haeub-hyeon/Yeosan-hyeon in 757 and to Yeosu-hyeon/Dolsan-hyeon in 940. Beginning in 1479, the Joseon Dynasty's Naval Headquarters for eastern sector of Jeolla Province was located there. As such, it was the first base where Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet was based during the Imjin War which used the Turtle Ship or 'Kobukseon' which was built in Seon-so.[5]
In 1897, Yeosu was renamed Yeosu-myeon and included in the new county of Yeosu-gun. It was renamed Reisui during the Japanese rule over the Korean peninsula. In 1914, Yeosu-gun merged with Dolsan-gun, further increasing its territory. Yeosu-myeon continued to grow and in 1931, Yeosu-myeon became Yeosu-eup. In 1949, Yeosu became a city. In 1998, Yeosu city merged with Yeochon city and Yeochon-gun, creating the unified city of Yeosu.
Yeosu-si, Yeocheon-si, and Yeocheon-gun were merged into Yeosu-si on April 1, 1998. The former Yeocheon City Hall was divided into two buildings and the former Yeocheon County Office into three buildings.
In October 1948, the town of Yeosu was taken by South Korean soldiers who refused to take part in the suppression of the ongoing Jeju Uprising.
Recent history
On December 25, 1920, Yeosu Station started to operate as a railway that connects Yeosu and Gwangju. On October 1, 2011, however, the station was relocated to Deokchung-dong and renamed Yeosu Expo station, as the venue served for Yeosu World Expo in 2012.
In the 142nd General Assembly of BIE, held in Paris on 26 November 2007, the global community selected Yeosu as the host city for the 2012 World Expo. This was Korea's second World Expo, following Daejeon's 1993 Fair.
Festivals
Hyangiram Sunrise Festival (여수향일암일출제) is an annual festival that begins on New Year’s Eve. It takes place at Hyangiram Hermitage, a historical building that was built in 644. The word “Hyangiram” itself refers to “a hermitage facing the sun”, in which visitors could view the breathtaking panorama of sunrise over the horizon. The festival consists of other activities and cultural events such as fireworks, folk street music, and lighting of wishes.
Yeongchwisan is a culturally important mountain in the city. There are two Buddhist Temples on the mountain: Geumseongdae and Dosolam Hermitage, where ritual ceremonies and prayers were held during ancient days. Also known for its azalea flower blossoms, an azalea festival is held annually on the mountain in April during spring.
Model of a turtle ship
In the harbour there is a full-size model of one of Admiral Yi's turtle ships, which are timber shelled vessels that were used with great success against the Japanese navy.
Manseongri Beach near Yeosu has volcanic 'black' sand and is popular with Korean tourists. Recently, the famous Korean band Busker Busker made a song based on Manseongri Beach's night view. This popularised the site with Korean tourists.[9] There are public showers and restrooms as well as on-duty lifeguards. Many restaurants located along the beach have beach-side tables and serve various seafood dishes. It is possible to take ferries to many of the local islands for an authentic taste of rural Korean food.
Dolsan Bridge has changing lights at night. It is a 450-metre-long (1,480 ft) bridge connecting downtown Yeosu with Dolsan Island.
The island Odongdo has many camellia flowers. There are 70 species of wild flowers there. A small population of local finless porpoises are present here.[13]
Colorful Big-O show
Big-O show is a famous show in Yeosu which features an ocean fountain event and a hologram show.[14] The show consists of three parts. The fountain spouts in accordance with classic and jazz music. Unique to this fountain is a large round steel frame at its centre.
The Ocean Resort is home to Yeosu's only waterpark. It offers condominium-style rooms and other facilities. Located in Soho-dong, the resort overlooks the yacht marina.[15]
Yeosu Hamel Museum: In 1668, Hamel published an article about his special experiences in Korea titled "Hamel's Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea 1653-1666." This is the first article to introduce Korea to Europeans. A copy of the diary is now on display in the museum.[18]
Local specialities
Gejang, or marinated raw crab is a representative speciality of Yeosu and a traditional Jeolla cuisine dish.[19]
Yeosu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) with very warm summers and cold winters. Rainfall is much heavier in the summer, with June to August recording over 200 millimetres (7.9 in) of rainfall per month. The highest temperature ever recorded is 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) on 20 July 1994[21] while the lowest temperature ever recorded is −12.6 °C (9.3 °F) on 16 February 1977.[22]
Climate data for Yeosu (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–present)
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