Ongjin County
Hangul	옹진군
Hanja	甕津郡
Revised Romanization	Ongjin-gun
McCune–Reischauer	Ongjin-gun
Statistics
Area	164.14 km2 (63.37 sq mi)
Administrative divisions	7 myeon

Island areas of Incheon Metropolitan City. Divisions of Ongjin County are numbered.

Janggyeong Beach on Yeongheung Island

Islanders of the Sir James Hall Group, engraving c. 1817

Ongjin County is a county in Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea. It consists of a group of islands in the Yellow Sea (West Sea).

Three of the islands, Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Socheong Islands, are very near the Northern Limit Line. They are close to the Ongjin Peninsula of South Hwanghae Province in North Korea, at a considerable distance from the nearest part of the South Korean mainland. These islands are popular destinations for tourism. In historical contexts these three islands and their smaller neighbors are sometimes known as the Sir James Hall Group after Sir James Hall, whose son Basil Hall was an early Western visitor to Korea.^[1]

[edit] History

Once a part of the Lolang district of Han China before the 4th century, this area was known as Ongcheon during the Three Kingdoms period. It was bestowed with the name in use today - Ongjin - during the reign of King Taejo of Goryeo, the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty. Then in 1018, during the 9th year of King Hyeonjong's reign over Goryeo, the county was established as one of the major administrative divisions in the heartland of the kingdom. ^[2]

[edit] Administration

The Ongjin County administration is located in Nam-gu, Incheon. There is also an Ongjin County in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. This chain of islands was originally a part of South Hwanghae province before the division in 1948.

[edit] Administrative divisions

Ongjin County is divided into seven townships ("myeon").

• Bukdo-myeon (북도면), including Sindo, Sido, and Modo
• Yeonpyeong-myeon (연평면)
• Baengnyeong-myeon (백령면), on Baengnyeong Island
• Daecheong-myeon (대청면), on Daecheong Island and Socheong Island
• Deokjeok-myeon (덕적면), including Deokjeokdo
• Jawol-myeon (자월면)
• Yeongheung-myeon (영흥면)

[edit] Tour

It is difficult to reach Ongjin County because of its far loacation from Korean peninsula. However, it has been considered the real natural assets of Korea. Experience of mudlands are popular when tourists visit here.

Beaches are located all around its coastlines such as Guridong beach, Gulubdo beach and so on. Many of them consist of fantastic rocks, stones, white pebbles and so on.

[edit] Drama Spots

Onjin county has been used for spots of large dramas. There are many soap operas featured coastlines of Onjin county such as Sad Love Story, Full House (2004 TV series) and so on.^[3]

[edit] See also

• Geography of South Korea

[edit] References

1. ^ "History of United States Naval Operations, Korea". United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. http://www.history.navy.mil/books/field/ch7c.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-03. 
2. ^ Official page of Ongjin County(eng)
3. ^ from official website of Ongjin county

[edit] External links

• County government web site