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Cheongju

City in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea

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History

Cheongju has been an important provincial town since ancient times. In the Cheongju Mountains, particularly in the area where Sangdang Sanseong is located, ruins dating from the Old Stone Age to the Bronze Age have been discovered. Settlements associated with the Paleolithic Age have also been found in Cheongju, such as the Durubong Cave Site.

After the unification of the Three Kingdoms by Silla in 676, various parts of Korea, including Cheongju, began to adopt Buddhism. This was influenced by the Silla culture's connection with the Silk Road, which facilitated the spread of Buddhism from Nepal across Northern China to the Korean peninsula. During the Goryeo era, particularly during the reign of Gwangjong, several monuments related to Buddhism were created. Among them is Cheoldanggan, built in the year 962 in the center of the city near the remains of Yongdu Temple. Cheoldanggan is a flagpole used to hang the Dang flag, which is raised to pay tribute to Buddha. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1962 by the South Korean government. In the Joseon period, the Cheongju region began to adopt Confucianism as its main religion.

Throughout the history of Cheongju, various temples were established during different periods in the history of the Korean peninsula. Examples include the Buddhist Yonghwasa Temple, dating back to the Goryeo period, and the Bulguksa Temple, established in the 8th century during the Silla period. Cheongju temples were also significant in the advancement of Korean printing, including book printing. One of the important documents printed in Cheongju was done so at Heungdeok Temple during Goryeo, specifically in the year 1377.

One of the first schools established in North Chungcheong Province was founded in Cheongju during 1896. During the Baekje period, several tombs were built around the city, in addition to Joseon forts such as Sangdangsanseong, which served to connect the northern and southern provinces after the Japanese invasion of 1592.

In 1593, the Battle of Cheongju took place between Japanese forces and Joseon that then ruled the Korean peninsula during Hideyoshi's Invasions of Korea, in which more than 8,000 Korean warrior monks participated.

The government of the province relocated here from Chungju in 1908. In 1914, Cheongju County and Munui County, which was originally called Yeonsan (연산; 燕山) during the Silla era, were merged by the Japanese colonial government. The opening of the Chungbuk-line in 1926 sparked regional development. In 1946, Cheongju and Cheongwon County were separated, and in 1949, Cheongju was made a city. Afterwards, it went through the separation of administrative dong and their transfer to Cheongwon-gun, with two branch offices (East and West) established in July 1989 that were upgraded to Sangdang District and Heungdeok District in January.

Cheongju experienced one of the largest population growths in Korea, having almost quadrupled its population from 147,000 in 1970 to 582,158 in 2000.

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