Gyeongsang Province
Gyeongsang (Korean: 경상도, romanized: Gyeongsang-do; Korean pronunciation: [kjʌ̹ŋ.sa̠ŋ.do̞]) was one of the Eight Provinces of Joseon Korea. Gyeongsang was located in southeastern Korea.
Gyeongsang Province | |
|---|---|
province of the kingdom of Great Joseon | |
| Korean transcription(s) | |
| • Korean | 경상도 |
| • Hanja | 慶尙道 |
| • Revised Romanization | Gyeongsang-do |
| • McCune–Reischauer | Kyŏngsang-do |
| Short name transcription(s) | |
| • Korean | 경상 |
| • Hanja | 慶尙 |
| • Revised Romanization | Gyeongsang |
| • McCune–Reischauer | Kyŏngsang |
| Country | Korea |
| Region | Yeongnam |
| Dialect | Gyeongsang |
The provincial capital of Gyeongsang was Daegu. The region was the birthplace of the kingdom of Silla, which unified Korea in 668 CE. The region also has a highly significant role in modern Korean history; every non-acting South Korean president from 1963 to 2022 except Choi Kyu-hah (1979-1980) had ancestry from Gyeongsang, and all except Lee Myung-bak were also born in Gyeongsang.
Today, the region is divided into five administrative divisions: the three independent cities of Busan, Daegu and Ulsan, and the two provinces of North Gyeongsang Province and South Gyeongsang Province. The largest city in the region is Busan, followed by Daegu. Sub-regionally, the region is also divided into Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam. Gyeongbuk consists of Daegu and North Gyeongsang, while Gyeongnam consists of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang.