Pyeongtaek

About Pyeongtaek

Pyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 1940. It was elevated to city status in 1986 and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large concentration of United States troops. The South Korean government plans to transform Pyeongtaek into an international economic hub to coincide with the move of United States Forces Korea (USFK) to Pyeongtaek. During the Korean War, it was the site of the Battle of Pyongtaek, an early battle between U.S. and North Korean forces. It is also the location of Pyeongtaek University.

During the Joseon Dynasty, the eastern part of present-day Pyeongtaek (the eastern areas of Pyeongtaek and Songtan city, as well as Jinwi, Seotan, and Godeok-myeon) was part of Chungcheongdo Jinwi County (Jinwi-gun), while the western part (Pohseong, Anjung-eup, and Cheongbuk, Oseong, and Hyeondeok-myeon) was part of Suwon-yusu (Suwon-gun) in Gyeonggi-do. Some parts of the current Paengseong-eup and the southern part of Godeok-myeon were part of Chungcheongdo Pyeongtaek County (Pyeongtaek...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.