North Jeolla Province

Jeonbuk State emerged in 1896 from the northern part of the old Jeolla province, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea. Originally North Jeolla Province (Korean: 전라북도; RR: Jeollabuk-do; MR: Chŏllabuk-to), it was renamed Jeonbuk (a shortening of North Jeolla) on January 18, 2024 concurrent with the territory gaining more autonomy and being classified as self-governing rather than as a regular province. The special bill on the creation of the special autonomous province of North Jeolla is a project put forward by the People Power Party in August 2022 in accordance with Article 6 of the special law on the establishment of special autonomous provinces. It is the 3rd province after the provinces of Jeju and Gangwon to obtain this status.

Jeonju is the capital and largest city of Jeonbuk, with other major cities including Iksan, Gunsan and Jeongeup.

Jeolla Province, including North Jeolla, was the first province/state out of the Eight Provinces system to have its 1000th year anniversary in 2018, as the name 'Jeolla-do' was established in 1018, during Hyeonjong of Goryeo's 9th year in power.

History

Proto–Three Kingdoms period

North Jeolla served as the central region of Mahan among the Samhan, housing 15 of Mahan's total 54 tribal states.

Three Kingdoms period

During the Three Kingdom Period, this region came to belong to Baekje when it absorbed Mahan.When Baekje established the Jeongbang administrative system (정방제) to govern the local area, the central region (Goseopseong–Gobu area) acted as the core of the province.

After the fall of Baekje by the Silla and Chinese Tang dynasty allied forces in 660 (20th year of King Uija), it came under Tang control. It became a part of Silla when Tang was expelled in 676 (16th year of King Munmu).

When there were nine states and five small capitals in Unified Silla in 685, there were Wansan-ju (present Jeonju) and Namwon-gyeong (present Namwon) in Jeonbuk State in existence.

Later Three Kingdoms period

In 892, when General Kyŏn Hwŏn founded Hubaekje (later Baekje), this area was the center of the country for about 50 years. In 936, during the Hubaekje rule of Kyŏn Sin-gŏm, it was conquered by Wang Geon and became part of his Goryeo Dynasty. From 900 to the time when Hubaekje was conquered by Goryeo, Wansan-ju (present Jeonju) had been its capital, and the country ruled the whole Jeolla-do region.

Goryeo Dynasty

In 996 (14th year of King Seongjong), this region was named Gangnam province and the Korean government established the four states (Jeonju-Jeonju province, Yeongju-Gobu, Sunju-Sunchang, and Maju-Okgu) in the North Jeolla region.

Gangnam-do (Jeonbuk) and Haenam-do (South Jeolla Province) were combined and titled as Jeolla-do in 1018 (9th year of King Hyeonjong's reign).

Joseon Dynasty

During the Joseon period, as the administrative districts of the whole nation were organized in the Eight Provinces system in 1413 (13th year of King Taejong's reign), Jeolla-do took charge of vast areas of one prefecture, four autonomous counties, four protectorates, 12 counties, and 31 counties covering present Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do and Jeju Province.

Today

In 1963, Geumsan-gun was incorporated into Chungnam, and Wido-myeon of Jeonnam was incorporated into Jeonbuk. Jeongju-eup and Namwon-eup were raised to cities in 1981 and Gimje-eup was raised to city status in 1989. Wansan District and Deokjin District were established in Jeonju-city in the same year.

Due to establishment of cities in the mixed type of city-farming area in 1995, Okgu, Jeungeup, Namwon, Gimje and Iksan-Guns were combined. Gimje and Iksan-guns were merged and Gunsan, Jeonju, Namwon, Gimje and Iri cities were integrated. Through repeated reorganizations of administrative districts, now the region consists of the administrative districts of six cities and eight counties.

Failures in the hosting of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in July 2023 led to political controversy, adding to long-term concerns about a lack of development alongside population decline and aging. As a result of a law passed in December 2023, on January 18, 2024 the North Jeolla became a special self-governing province and was renamed Jeonbuk State (Jeonbuk being an abbreviation of North Jeolla). This new status increases the autonomy of the province's government, being able to approve projects requiring environmental impact assessments and tailor its own immigration and tourism policies.

On September 30, 2024, North Jeolla Province, alongside the Korean Heritage Service (국가유산청), announced that they will be opening a multi-use cultural space institution, "Godo-Hannune Iksan Sagyeyousan center/고도 한눈애(愛) 익산 세계유산센터", or the "Iksan ancient city world heritage center", on October 1, 2024.