Changwon

Changwon is the capital and largest city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, and ranks as the country’s 11th most populous city, with 1,025,702 residents in 2023. Situated on the coast, it borders Masan Bay to the south, with Busan and Gimhae to the east, Miryang to the northeast, and Jinju to the west.

People have lived in this area since the Bronze Age, and its urban centers have been renamed and reorganized many times. In 1974, the creation of the Changwon National Industrial Complex spurred major economic growth in the historically linked cities of Masan, Jinhae, and Changwon, turning the region into a key industrial hub. On July 1, 2010, these three cities officially merged to form the present-day Changwon.

As South Korea’s first purpose-built city—designed after Canberra, Australia—Changwon features accessible urban planning with numerous parks and clearly separated residential and industrial zones. The city promotes itself as an “environmental capital,” with its government taking part in climate change conferences and pursuing sustainable initiatives such as the widely recognized Nubija bike-sharing program.

The area around Masan Bay was settled as early as the Bronze Age, with Iron Age ruins like dolmens, holy mounds, and other monuments still found today. During the Three Kingdoms period in 209 AD, it was called Gulja-gun under the Silla kingdom. In the Unified Silla period (739 AD), it was renamed Uian-gun, then Uichang-hyeon during the Goryeo period. The name Changwon first appeared in 1408 under King Taejong of the Joseon dynasty, who designated it Changwon-bu, later changing it to Changwon-dohobu in 1415. By 1601, during King Sunjo’s reign, it became Changwondae-do hobu. In 1895, King Gojong reorganized the country into 23 divisions, splitting the area into Changwon-gun and Ungcheon-gun. Ungcheon-gun merged with Jinhae-gun in 1908. Under Japanese colonial rule, the city was called Masan-bu, and Masan Port opened. Eventually, Changwon separated from Masan-bu.

After the Korean War, the Masan Free Export Zone opened in 1970 to attract foreign businesses. In 1974, Changwon was chosen as an industrial and residential center and the provincial capital. The Changwon Industrial Complex was built in the southern part of the city, while urban planning took inspiration from Canberra. The country’s longest straight road—Changwon Daero, stretching 15.27 kilometers—was constructed, with the industrial park to the south and residential areas to the north. This road can double as an emergency airstrip, since Changwon was designed as South Korea’s backup capital. Underground walkways serve as bomb shelters, and roads and buildings are numbered for efficient evacuation. In 1985, the 47.1-meter Korean War Monument was built in Uichang-gu, honoring 1,142 soldiers from Gyeongsangnam Province who died in the war. On July 1, 2010, Masan, Changwon, and Jinhae unified into a single city with a population of 1.04 million.

Changwon sits on the southeastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, on the Nakdong River delta overlooking Masan Bay. Mountains surround the city, including Mt. Bulmo (802 meters), Mt. Jeongbyeong (567 meters), and Mt. Jangbok (582 meters). As a planned city, it lies in a basin with a grid-like layout for industrial and administrative efficiency. Several small islands in Masan Bay—such as Dot island and Sokuri island, plus a few uninhabited ones—are part of the city. Changwon has four distinct seasons and a humid subtropical climate, with average temperatures ranging from 2.8°C in January to 26.5°C in August. Annual precipitation averages 1,527 millimeters. From 1980 to 1990, there were about 116 sunny days per year (32% of the year); from 1990 to 2000, that rose to 135 days (37%).

The city is divided into five administrative districts (Gu) and 54 neighborhoods (dong): 5 in Uichang District, 7 in Seongsan District, 12 in Masanhoewon District, 15 in Masanhappo District, and 13 in Jinhae District. Changwon Daero, the main avenue, splits the city, with factories to the south and residential areas to the north. It also serves as an emergency runway for military use. The financial district lies in southern Jungang-dong and Sangnam-dong, while the government district is in northern Youngho-dong and Shinwol-dong. Changdong Art Village, once Masan’s old town, now features murals and artwork throughout its streets, with ateliers, cafés, and galleries filling vacant storefronts.