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Eight Provinces of Korea

During the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces (Paldo (팔도; 八道)). The boundaries reflected geographic and cultural divisions and corresponded closely to the boundaries between dialects. Because of the natural fit between the provincial boundaries and the "real world," most of the provincial boundaries and names survive in one form or another down to today. Most of the traditional provinces also had alternative regional "nicknames" which are still used today (especially Honam, Yeongdong, and Yeongnam). Below is a table listing the eight provinces, their dialects, regional names, and the modern administrative divisions that replaced them. (Note that provinces and cities now in North Korea are romanized using the McCune-Reischauer system, while South Korean provinces and cities use the Revised Romanization of Korean.)

ProvinceHangeulHanjaRegional NameDialectModern divisions
Chungcheong충청도忠靑道HoseoChungcheongDaejeon, North & South Chungcheong
Gangwon
Kangwŏn)
강원도江原道Gwandong,
Yeongseo, Yeongdong
(See note 1 below)
SeoulKangwŏn (North Korea), Gangweon (South Korea), Kŏmgang-san
Gyeonggi경기도京畿道Sudogweon
(See note 2 below)
SeoulSeoul, Incheon, Kaesŏng, Gyeonggi
Gyeongsang경상도慶尙道YeongnamGyeongsangBusan, Daegu, Ulsan, North & South Gyeongsang
Hamgyeong함경도咸鏡道Gwanbuk (North half), Gwannam (South half)HamgyeongRasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong), North & South Hamgyŏng, Yanggang
Hwanghae황해도黃海道(none)SeoulNorth & South Hwanghae
Jeolla전라도全羅道HonamJeolla, JejuGwangju, North & South Jeolla, Jeju
P'yŏngan평안도平安道GwanseoP'yŏnganP'yŏngyang, Namp'o, Shinŭiju, North & South P'yŏngan, Jagang

Note 1

"Gwandong" was applied to the entire province, while "Yeongseo" and "Yeongdong" were names for the western and eastern parts of the province respectively. "Yeongdong" is the only one of the three names used today, and applies to Gangweon Province as a whole.

Note 2

"Sudogweon" is most likely a 20th-century name. The first two Hanja of the province's name (京畿) literally mean "capital region."