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This article is about a city in South Korea. For the South Korean mountain, see Masan (Gangwon-do). For other meanings of "Masan", see Masan (disambiguation).
Masan is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The city is situated on Masan Bay (마산만, Masan-man), approximately 35 km west of Busan. It is known for its textile industry, and it is the site of Hite Brewery's production facilities. During the control of the Mongolians, the town was known as Happo (合浦). Therefore, the old and still commonly used name for Masan-man is Happo-man. Masan is known for its highest peak, Muhaksan. The name Masan means "horse mountain". For that reason, many place names in Masan incorporate the syllable ma (마 or 馬), meaning "horse" and san, (산 or 山), meaning "mountain".
[edit] HistoryOctober 1274 After Korean officials encouraged Kublai Khan - head of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty - in 1265 that Japan would be easily subdued,[citation needed] the Koryo Korean state built over 300 large ships to aid an invasion of Japan. With over 20,000 Mongol troops as well as 5,000 Korean, the allied armies departed Masan on board 900 ships on October 2 of 1274 in an attempt to conquer Japan that eventually failed. [1] May 1, 1899 - The port of Masan was opened with pressure from Japan. Among the initial trading goods were salt, fish, cotton and other goods. March 15, 1960 - A protest against electoral corruption was spearheaded by the Democratic Party in Masan. Approximately 1000 residents attended the demonstration, which took place at 19:30 in front of the Democratic Party Headquarters in Masan. The protest sparked violent clashes between demonstrators and police officers in which several students were killed. To restore order, authorities blacked out Masan and General Carter B. Magruder eventually dispatched US Marines to quell the unrest. April 12, 1960 - The body of Kim Ju-yul was discovered in Masan Harbor. Kim - still dressed in his uniform from Masan Commercial High School - had disappeared in the March 15 clashes. Authorities claimed that he had drowned, but many Masan residents did not believe this explanation and forced their way into the hospital where Kim's body was stored. At the hospital, they discovered that grenade fragments behind his eyes had actually killed him. In the following days, mass demonstrations broke out involving as many as 40,000 residents throughout the characteristically politically left-leaning city. During renewed clashes with police, police opened fire and killed several protesters. Once again, the US military was called in to help restore order. At this point, public anger with the government had grown to new highs and rebellion against the Rhee government mushroomed around the country. Authorities subsequently declared martial law.[citation needed] Thus, the events in Masan in 1960 helped spark the movement against corruption known as the April 19 Movement, which eventually led to the resignation of President Syngman Rhee and the beginning of the Second Republic.[2] 1979 - Protests broke out in Masan (as well as in Busan) against the regime of President Park Chung-hee following a brutal police crackdown on a sit-in strike of female textile workers from YH Trading Company. Workers in Masan's Free-export Zone even managed to create four labor unions. [3] [edit] Administrative divisionsLike most Korean cities, the city center of Masan is divided into administrative dong. Outlying regions are divided into 1 eup and 4 myeon:
[edit] EducationMasan has two institutions of higher education: Masan College, which is located on the northwestern outskirts of the city, and Kyungnam University (경남대학교)[1], which is located in the southern part of Masan, called "Sin Masan(New Masan)." Masan also features several private schools, or hagwons, many of which teach English to Korean children. [edit] Entertainment and sportsThe original central business district of Masan is located in Chang-dong. Hapseong-dong is also a commercial neighborhood. An area with many bars, restaurants, and other forms of entertainment is located in Sinmasan. Masan's baseball stadium [2]occasionally hosts the Lotte Giants, a Korea Baseball Organization team shared with Busan. A professional women's baseball team, one of several in South Korea, plays in Sinpo-dong. An amusement park and zoo are on the tiny island of Dot-do in Masan Bay. The park is only open in the summer. Masan is also very close to Geojedo, a large island that can be reached by bus, car, or ferry. [edit] Food Masan is generally known for its fishing industry and is the origin of spicy Agujjim, a steamed dish made with agwi (아귀, blackmouth angler)[5][6] Until the 1940s, the fish was not eaten and was frequently discarded due to its ugly appearance[6] and low commercial value. However, as fish began to become more scarce in the late 20th century, the newly found delicacy became popular.[6] Since it s creation, agujjim has been considered a local specialty of Masan, especially around Odong-dong, one of the neighborhoods there and is favored by the public nationwide.[7] Masan is also home of a famous fish market (locally known as "Eosijang"). It is located near a street with a concentration of agujjim restaurants. A municipal officer of Masan city hall stated that it is the oldest and largest fish market in Gyeongsangnam-do, even older than Jagalchi Market in Busan.[citation needed] [edit] TransportationConstruction of the Machang Bridge was commenced in the Second Quarter of 2004. The bridge will provide a vital link across Masan Bay, alleviate congestion in the tri-city area of Masan, Jinhae, and Changwon, and be an alternative route for travel between Korea’s two southern provinces, Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangnam-do. The 1.7-kilometer bridge is expected to see operations commence in mid 2008. Machang Bridge will be the first large-scale bridge to be built in South Korea as a public-private partnership [3]. The sponsors of the project, Bouygues Travaux Publics and Hyundai Engineering & Construction, have been pursuing the Project since the late 1990s. MCB Co., Ltd, the Concessionaire, is jointly owned by the sponsors and MKIF [4][5]. [edit] Masan PortThe port was once operated by the Mongolians (Yuan Dynasty in China) and used in the preparations to conquer Japan - which eventually failed. To this day, Masan features the small but historic "Mongojeong" (몽고정,蒙古井) meaning Mongol Well. It is located on Jasan-dong 117, and represents the Mongolian influence on the city. Today, Masan Port is one of the city's most dominating features. It was first opened in 1899. The port connects much of the outside world with the Changwon Industrial Complex, Masan's Free Trade Zone and the future Sachun Industrial Complex.[8]. [edit] Sister Cities
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