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In North and South Korea, Special Cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces (Do). Hence, like the provinces, such cities are under the direct administration of the central government.

As of 2004, there are two Directly Governed Cities (Chikhalsi; 직할시; 直轄市) and three other special provincial-level administrative regions in North Korea; and one Special City (Teukbyeolsi; 특별시; 特別市) and six Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi; 광역시; 廣域市) in South Korea. Before 1995, the five largest Gwangyeoksi in South Korea were classified as Chik'alshi (i.e. Chikhalsi in McCune-Reischauer romanization; now spelled Jikhalsi in the Revised Romanization of Korean).

In the following tables, "Year of Split" shows when the city split from the province it was located in.

[edit] North Korea

Directly Governed Cities and Special Administrative Regions of North Korea
*Note:* North Korea uses a variant of the McCune-Reischauer romanization.
Romanization	Han'gŭl	Hanja	Year of Split	Province split from
P'yŏngyang Chikhalsi*	평양 직할시	平壤直轄市	1946	S. P'yŏngan
Rasŏn Chikhalsi (Rajin-Sŏnbong Chikhalsi)*	라선직할시 (라진-선봉시)	羅先直轄市 (羅津-先鋒直轄市)	1993-2004, 2006	North Hamgyŏng
Sinŭiju T'ŭkpyŏl Haengjŏnggu (Sinŭiju Special Administrative Region)	신의주 특별 행정구	新義州特別行政區	2002	N. P'yŏngan
Kaesŏng Kong'ŏp Chigu (Kaesŏng Industrial Region)	개성 공업 지구	開城工業地區	2002	Formerly the North Korean section of Kyŏnggi Province
Kŭmgangsan Kwan'gwang Chigu (Kŭmgang-san Tourist Region)	금강산 관광 지구	金剛山觀光地區	2002	Kangwon

Note:

The city is classified as a Directly Governed City (Chikhalsi), not a Special City as Seoul in South Korea. In fact, the North Korean national newspaper and broadcasting say "Pyongyang Chikhalsi". Some sources, most of them come from South Korea, refer the city as a Special City; however these are the old sources. Moreover, South Korea has corrected the city as a Directly Governed City, according to a South Korean newspaper in 1994. Also note that the official name of Pyongyang would be "Pyongyang-si" in the Republic of Korea, which officially claims to represent the entire peninsula.

[edit] Former Special cities of North Korea

Romanization	Han'gŭl	Hanja	Administered Years	Province absorb into
Ch'ŏngjin - (formerly a Chikhalsi)	청진시	淸津市	1960-1967, 1977-1985	North Hamgyŏng
Hamhŭng - (formerly a Chikhalsi)	함흥시	咸興市	1960-1967	South Hamgyŏng
Kaesŏng - (formerly a Chikhalsi)	개성시	開城市	1951-1955	North Hwanghae
Namp'o - (formerly a Chikhalsi)	남포시	南浦市	1980-2004	South P'yŏng'an

[edit] Sources

The sources for this section are Chosun Ilbo's pages 행정구역 현황 ("Haengjeong Guyeok Hyeonhwang") and 행정구역 개편 일지 ("Haengjeong Guyeok Gaepyeon Ilji") (in Korean only; updated 2004).

[edit] South Korea

Special Cities and Metropolitan Cities of South Korea
*Note: South Korea uses the Revised Romanisation of Korean.*
Romanization	Hangul	Hanja	Year of Split	Province split from
Seoul Teukbyeolsi	서울 특별시	See note below	December, 1067	Yangju (then Namgyeong)
Busan Gwangyeoksi	부산 광역시	釜山廣域市	January 1, 1963	S. Gyeongsang
Daegu Gwangyeoksi	대구 광역시	大邱廣域市	July 1, 1981	N. Gyeongsang
Incheon Gwangyeoksi	인천 광역시	仁川廣域市	July 1, 1981	Gyeonggi
Gwangju Gwangyeoksi	광주 광역시	光州廣域市	November 1, 1986	S. Jeolla
Daejeon Gwangyeoksi	대전 광역시	大田廣域市	January 1, 1989	S. Chungcheong
Ulsan Gwangyeoksi	울산 광역시	蔚山廣域市	July 15, 1997	S. Gyeongsang

[edit] Notes

[edit] Seoul

There is no hanja for "Seoul," but in Chinese, it is written by its Joseon Dynasty name Hanseong (漢城). The new Chinese name, 首爾/首尔, is a transcription based on the pronunciation of "Seoul". As a suffix, the character gyeong (京) is used, which means "capital".
Seoul was designated a "Special Free City" (Teukbyeol Jayusi; 특별 자유시; 特別自由市) separate from Gyeonggi Province on August 15, 1946; it became a "Special City" on August 15, 1949.

[edit] See also

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